Stupid Question!

[jonandmel]

I just tested my water and my FC is 19.5 (CYA is 50). I've had my salt water cell on at 60% all summer and I guess because of the cool weather and not having as much sun (my pool only gets about five hours of sun/day) my FC is creeping up (a lot!).

The stupid question - is there anything "wrong" with having the FC too high?

Thanks!

 

[Donldson]

You want to keep your FC below the SLAM Level per the FC/CYA Levels.

For 50 CYA your SLAM level is 20 ppm so you're right there. There's nothing wrong with it being that high, you can swim in it and all, but you want to avoid going higher. As you get above SLAM Level you start to get more of the "public pool" feeling where you smell chlorine, it's less comfortable, and you might notice fading of swimsuits and hair color after a while. And while you could keep it this high, turning down the SWG will save wear on the cell and increase lifespan. However, if you're asking if you need to add a chlorine neutralizer the answer is nope. Turn off your SWG for a couple of days and your levels should settle back to normal.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Jon,

A little high is ok, but 20 is way too high.. It won't hurt anything in the short term, but you need to turn your cell to zero for a few days and get your FC below 8..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jonandmel]

Thanks - very helpful - I appreciate the responses!
A separate question is as I adjust my salt cell setting, Is it better to run the pump longer at a lower salt setting or run the pump a shorter amount of time with the salt cell setting higher? My pump is single speed.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Jon,

It does matter as far as chlorine production, but it makes sense, with a single speed pump, to run the pump for the shortest time possible..

Thanks,

Jim R.