My FC has been between 6.0 - 8.0 the last couple of days. I have been testing FC at night time then run the SWG for 5 hours. I then test again in the morning before the sun comes up. Most times FC only goes up 0.5 over night. I have been running my SWG for 5 hours over night. Supposedly my SWG should be putting out 0.8 FC per hour so I expected if FC was 6.0 at night to be 10.0 in the morning. My question is, as FC gets higher does it take more to go from 8.0 to 9.0 then 1.0 to 2.0. Thanks
SWG Free Chlorine Question
- Thread starter Miniduper
- Start date
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,903
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
If you don't get the FC you're expecting from an SWG, there are a few possibilities:
- You've got the math or your SWG's output specification wrong
- You've got algae, and it's consuming your FC
- Your SWG is defective or at end-of-life
- You've got the math or your SWG's output specification wrong
- You've got algae, and it's consuming your FC
- Your SWG is defective or at end-of-life
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,903
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,826
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I assume you have the 7k gal model - most put out 5 grams/hour (if that can be trusted)
Like @Dirk said you need to do an
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to rule out algae consuming your chlorine.
if u pass then up the run time or adjust the cya level
If u fail then SLAM Process
Like @Dirk said you need to do an
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to rule out algae consuming your chlorine.
if u pass then up the run time or adjust the cya level
If u fail then SLAM Process
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,028
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
SWG's have a hard time raising chlorine levels but for some reason have an easy time keeping levels... Mine has been running 5 years and I keep my FC level between 5 and 8 so I tend to run mine longer than most.. it is nearing the end of its life as this summer I had to kick it to 12 hours to keep the same level as 8 hours last year...
If you take your FC level to 10 will it keep it there or does it fall back to 7 or 8?
how long do you normally run it?
If you take your FC level to 10 will it keep it there or does it fall back to 7 or 8?
how long do you normally run it?
I am running it for 5 hours a night and its been staying around 6 - 8 FC the last couple days I've been measuring it. I'll perform the OCLT test to rule that out. But I still feel like i didn't get an answer if SWG stop raising the FC number gradually as the FC number gets higher.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,603
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
The SWG adds at a set rate regardless of what the start FC is. It doesn’t matter if you start with 5 or 20, it doesn’t have to ‘work harder’ and it will add XX of FC. However, higher FC levels (20+) burn off faster in the sun than the normal ranges so it may seem like it isn’t keeping up but it is still adding its XX of FC, you are just losing more than its putting in.
Put another way, let’s say you have a particularly hot day or a party and you lose 5 PPM of FC but only added 4. The SWG did its job but it still wasn’t enough. That’s the suns/party’s fault, not the SWG.
Put another way, let’s say you have a particularly hot day or a party and you lose 5 PPM of FC but only added 4. The SWG did its job but it still wasn’t enough. That’s the suns/party’s fault, not the SWG.