SWCG recommendations

[Dirk]

Shoot, I knew you were going to ask that! I'll have to have someone else double-check my answer. I think the SWG should go first, otherwise the super-chlorinated water from the feeder would run through the SWG. If either is bad for the other, better to sacrifice the feeder than the SWG. @Jimrahbe? @mknauss?

 

[mknauss]

I would remove it. When trichlor is in the feeder it is creating a very acidic stew that you do not want to subject the SWCG to. If you do leave it, whenever there is trichlor in the feeder, the pump should be run continuously until the trichlor is gone.

If you insist in keeping it, the SWCG should be the last think before the water returns to the pool. There should be a check valve between them. If you have a heater, you also need a check valve between the trichlor and it.

 

[red-beard]

Pucks are the devil's pool candy!

I may have to steal that for my signature

 

[Dirk]

I would remove it. When trichlor is in the feeder it is creating a very acidic stew that you do not want to subject the SWCG to. If you do leave it, whenever there is trichlor in the feeder, the pump should be run continuously until the trichlor is gone.

If you insist in keeping it, the SWCG should be the last think before the water returns to the pool. There should be a check valve between them. If you have a heater, you also need a check valve between the trichlor and it.

Then wouldn't it go: --> heater --> SWG --> check valve --> feeder --> pool?

Some heater manufacturers insist on a check valve right after the heater, for warranty, but an SWG doesn't compromise a heater like a feeder would, because an SWG only produces chlorine when water is flowing. I think feeders leech this "very acidic stew" when the pump is off and it can build up in the plumbing when the pump is off (which is what Marty is warning about). The check valve stops the stew from traveling backwards through your plumbing and getting into the "delicates" of the heater. Wouldn't that also be true for the SWG?

 

[mknauss]

The issue is if you run the SWCG with the feeder full of trichlor. The chlorine gas goes into the water quickly but if any got to the feeder, it could get interesting.

 

[Dirk]

The issue is if you run the SWCG with the feeder full of trichlor. The chlorine gas goes into the water quickly but if any got to the feeder, it could get interesting.

Oh, right, because of the CYA (acid) in the pucks? Chlorine + acid = BAD. They're not really compatible inline, are they... so, would it be:
--> heater --> check valve -- feeder -- check valve --> SWG --> pool? Though I'd be concerned about how well the second check valve flapper would keep the stew from the feeder getting to the SWG.

OK, so not that great of an idea keeping both. Unless, as Marty suggested, you keep the pucks out of the feeder unless the pump is running 24/7. You could go crazy and use unions to swap them in and out!

I took both my feeder and check out, because I needed room for my acid injector and IC. So mine goes:
--> heater --> acid injector --> SWG --> pool. SWG last. Acid maybe keeps the SWG plates a little cleaner. I believe that was the Pentair recommended configuration. In my setup, neither acid nor chlorine are entering the plumbing unless the pump is running.

Sorry Bperry, I'm not being particularly helpful...

 

[red-beard]

The check valve downstream of the feeder wouldn't prevent acid from the feeder migrating to the salt cell.

 

[Dirk]

The check valve downstream of the feeder wouldn't prevent acid from the feeder migrating to the salt cell.

Agreed. I think the flap is spring-loaded, so it would help, but they're not designed to keep things from moving in that direction. If determined, I suppose you could devise a bypass, using valves and what not, so that you could take either offline as needed, but you still couldn't leave tabs in the feeder when not in use. All academic. Dump the feeder. Use a floater in the pool if you want to continue using tabs in the winter. That's not for me, as I won't put CYA directly over my finish, so I pour chlorine from a jug a few times a year. Done. (Now I'm remembering why I'm doing what I'm doing!)

Well, I won't suggest that again! Glad we talked through it.

 

[Bperry]

Well that’s unfortunate. Feeders only a few months old so maybe I can sell it on eBay craigslist. The pump runs 24 seven so well technically I might be able to keep them isolated with valves But I want it to be fool proof in case my wife or neighbors needed to do something since it sounds like the penalty for failure in this case sounds like it might be explosive.

 

[markayash]

Ok, that’s good to know the chlorinator is not a total loss. Would I plumb the dispenser before or after the SWG?

water temp in the winter can get down into the 40’s at the coldest. We probably will close it dec-March but it’s probably in the 50’s come November.

You don’t want the tablets to get to the cell. Should go after but probably need a check valve or a dummy cell.

 

[red-beard]

You don’t want the tablets to get to the cell. Should go after but probably need a check valve or a dummy cell.

How about a dummy cell with a feeder in it? Someone want a slightly used pool frog?

 

[Dirk]

But I want it to be fool proof in case my wife or neighbors needed to do something

This. Always a way to come up with a workaround, but at what cost/risk? When you consider you still have to buy and lug tabs and put them in, take them out, do the math, hope you don't overshoot CYA, etc, etc., they're probably not really saving all that much effort. How cold is it there in the winter? Like I said, I only dose chlorine about 12 times a year. I have to walk out there anyway, to check the pool and pad and skimmer, etc. I built a gizmo for manually dispensing cl and ma. Pour in my dose, it trickles out over a return, I go check the skimmer, come back, done.

 

[Bperry]

This. Always a way to come up with a workaround, but at what cost/risk? When you consider you still have to buy and lug tabs and put them in, take them out, do the math, hope you don't overshoot CYA, etc, etc., they're probably not really saving all that much effort. How cold is it there in the winter? Like I said, I only dose chlorine about 12 times a year. I have to walk out there anyway, to check the pool and pad and skimmer, etc. I built a gizmo for manually dispensing cl and ma. Pour in my dose, it trickles out over a return, I go check the skimmer, come back, done.

it can get down to freezing sometimes. A few days of snow is normal, but it melts off in a couple days. I’ve been out there dosing every day and dumping water and refilling trying to get my cya back down to a normal range.

 

[Dirk]

Dilution is the solution!

 

[DanF]

I would remove the chlorinator and either use liquid chlorine in the winter or get a $15 puck floater for times you won't be home.

 

[mguzzy]

who knows, probably but I don’t want to admit it yet. I bought a Hayward tri-Chlor in-line dispenser at the beginning of summer cause I thought that would be easier than using them in the skimmers. Now it looks like I won’t need that.

That is correct. I wouldn't even try to incorporate it into your system with an SWG. Its totally redundant. Trust me you will never use it. If you have to manually chlorinate you will use liquid chlorine. Craigslist or fleaBay is your best option. sorry.

 

[Bperry]

I guess an update is in order. The RJ60 is installed and been working fine for several weeks. I kept having to turn it down to make sure the FC didn’t keep rising. It’s set to about 20% and the timer allows it to run about 7 hours per day and FC has been holding steady at about 7 for the past few days which is right between 4 and 10 that’s recommended. I’ve only had to keep an eye on the pH and add a bit of acid once a week. Much more relaxing than before! Chlorinator was removed.

 

[Dirk]

And they all lived happily ever after!

 

[markayash]

I guess an update is in order. The RJ60 is installed and been working fine for several weeks. I kept having to turn it down to make sure the FC didn’t keep rising. It’s set to about 20% and the timer allows it to run about 7 hours per day and FC has been holding steady at about 7 for the past few days which is right between 4 and 10 that’s recommended. I’ve only had to keep an eye on the pH and add a bit of acid once a week. Much more relaxing than before! Chlorinator was removed.

As temps drop you will probably have to keep dropping it. Mine was running 24/7 at FC of 7 and now that my water is 70 I only run it 8 hours a day

 

[Bperry]

As temps drop you will probably have to keep dropping it. Mine was running 24/7 at FC of 7 and now that my water is 70 I only run it 8 hours a day

Yep, plan is to lower the timer to only let it produce when there’s daylight hitting the pool. If I have to reduce any more, I’ll probably lower the timer hours even more and keep the SWG at 20% so I can fine tune it easier with a punch button rather than my timers little screw stops.