Saltwater & CYA

[ChuzUThisDay]

Good evening all! I've been with TFP the past 2 years and this is the most amazing group of people I've ever found in an online forum. Being a new home/pool owner in 2020 and opening to a green swamp was rough, but I was helped in so many ways and the knowledge transfer continues to be amazing. This is why I'm typing this question... I need more knowledge.

I understand that a saltwater pool requires more CYA than a liquid chlorine pool, but I don't understand why. I've converted to salt this year and everything is on track and the pool looks amazing, but I don't understand the why behind the additional CYA. It's easy to use the Pool Math app and make adjustments as necessary, but I'm the type of guy that likes to understand why I'm doing something, not just doing it because the app says so or someone advises me to. If I understand what is happening and why I'm doing it, then it's so much easier to comprehend the balance of my pool's chemistry.

Thanks in advance!

 

[magiteck]

It’s not so much that it’s required; you could get by with a lower CYA, but you’d end up needing to produce more chlorine.

The SWG cell has a finite life, and the more it generates, the sooner it needs to be replaced.

Years of experience on the forum have shown that the higher CYA allows the SWG to maintain FC levels while producing less, and thereby allows the cell to last longer, saving you money.

The slow, constant chlorine production works well in this manner. With liquid chlorine where you’re dosing once/day instead of constantly/slowly over time, the higher CYA doesn’t give the same benefits.

 

[AK-]

I understand that a saltwater pool requires more CYA than a liquid chlorine pool, but I don't understand why.

It doesnt require more CYA. It is the other way around, by adding chlorine during a longer period of time rather than dosing once you are less likely of getting below minimum FC, so your CYA can be higher that is turn helps to preserve your FC.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Chuz,

I'd say something profound, but it has already been said above...

Jim R.