Some advice on a first summer with SWG

[ballyscanlon]

This will be my 5th summer opening and running my pool, but my first with a SWG. Previously I had run a Pool Frog with chlorine tabs, but that is all behind me now. I'd like to start opening in early May and will SLAM the pool before adding the salt, so I am starting to look at what I need to buy now so I can start getting ready.

SWG is a Pentair IC-60
The pool is an approximately 34,000-gallon inground plaster pool.

The manual for the SWG is saying 2800-4500ppm for salt, with '3400' written on the cell as ideal. Per the site's chlorine/CYA for SWG, I would probably aim for CYA 70/FC 3-5.

My questions are:

1. When using the pool math app, what should be my target salt reading so I calculate how much salt to buy.
2. If I add salt to the higher side of the recommended range, does my cell ultimately need to run less?
3. Is there a salt level in pools where the taste of salt becomes an issue? And if so is it in this cells range?

I have read a bunch of threads about SWG on the site, I know I am meant to test for salt before I add just to know where the pool is at. Is the 'TAYLOR TECHNOLOGIES INC K-1766' a kit you'd recommend?

Thanks

John

 

[mknauss]

1. When using the pool math app, what should be my target salt reading so I calculate how much salt to buy.

3400 ppm

2. If I add salt to the higher side of the recommended range, does my cell ultimately need to run less?

No.

3. Is there a salt level in pools where the taste of salt becomes an issue? And if so is it in this cells range?

Typically around 3200 ppm, give or take. If that is an issue, target 3200 ppm for your final salinity.

Is the 'TAYLOR TECHNOLOGIES INC K-1766' a kit you'd recommend?

yes.

 

[ballyscanlon]

3400 ppm

No.

Typically around 3200 ppm, give or take. If that is an issue, target 3200 ppm for your final salinity.

yes.

Excellent sir! Thank you.

 

[Newdude]

In case you haven't seen it somewhere here already, the SWG will behave exactly like adding LC as far as daily demand goes. Daily demand is lower right now, will increase until the middle of the season and then decrease slowly for the back half if the season.

You will be on the lookout for the times you need to increase cell % or pump runtime at the same cell %. For the back half of the season you will be reducing % or runtime.

Pay closer attention to the first half of the season because missing a needed increase could cause trouble. Where it gets you is several weeks of being perfect, until is isn't.

Missing a decrease adjustment in the fall means you have plenty FC to spare with nothing to worry about.

 

[ballyscanlon]

In case you haven't seen it somewhere here already, the SWG will behave exactly like adding LC as far as daily demand goes. Daily demand is lower right now, will increase until the middle of the season and then decrease slowly for the back half if the season.

You will be on the lookout for the times you need to increase cell % or pump runtime at the same cell %. For the back half of the season you will be reducing % or runtime.

Pay closer attention to the first half of the season because missing a needed increase could cause trouble. Where it gets you is several weeks of being perfect, until is isn't.

Missing a decrease adjustment in the fall means you have plenty FC to spare with nothing to worry about.

great. thank you.

 

[pjt]

I would probably aim for CYA 70/FC 3-5.

Don't let your FC approach the minimum. Keep it above the target (for a CYA of 70, keep it above 5).

There's a huge downside to having low FC. There's practically no downside to FC always slightly higher than the target.