SWG Settings

[TulsaPool]

Helllo all, having some concerns with chlorinator. We have finally had a number of hot days in a row and my pool with no shade has reached 92 degrees. Ive had to push chlorinator all the way up to 80 percent to keep 3 ppm free chlorine in pool. Cya is 80. Usually i run it 20 to 30 percent and my pool temp is usually 80 to 85 degrees. I know sunlight is an issue with chlorine but this seems extreme loss and cya is good. I am thinking it may be time to inspect and clean swg or is this normal summer challenges with swg?

 

[mknauss]

How long are you running your SWCG each day?

I assume you have tested the CYA level in the last few weeks.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

No sign of algae or any reason your chlorine might be getting chewed up? Kids peeing? Baby in a diaper? a little patch of algae?

Maddie

 

[TulsaPool]

Running 10 hours usually at 25 to 30 percent. Now im running 12 to 14 hrs at 80 percent. Salt on system diagnostics reads 3200 ppm. Pool store measures 3400 and aquacheck sticks says around 3000 ppm.

 

[TulsaPool]

No sign of algae or any reason your chlorine might be getting chewed up? Kids peeing? Baby in a diaper? a little patch of algae?

Maddie

None of that. No algae and No swimmers at all this week. This morning i had no chlorine. Lost all of it overnight. Was 3 ppm at 11 pm last night.

 

[mknauss]

For your pool size I would suspect you need to run right at 12 hours at 100% this time of year. As your pool water exceeds 85F, CYA will degrade a bit quicker, so be sure to test that every few weeks.

If concerned, do a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

 

[mknauss]

Lost all of it overnight. Was 3 ppm at 11 pm last night.

That is not good. Most likely algae. Do a OCLT tonight. Get your FC to 10 ppm at sunset.

 

[TulsaPool]

How long are you running your SWCG each day?

I assume you have tested the CYA level in the last few weeks.

Yes cya is 80 which is where i keep it. I have used natural chemistry liquid cya lately for convenience. Thats the only thing different ive done but its been fine for the last month or two until now.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

All those salt results are within the +/- 400 the test allows for variance. So your salt is good.

Maddie

 

[JamesW]

With the CYA at 80, you're keeping the fc too low. Something is growing even if it's not obvious yet. I would maintain the fc at 8 until you get stable fc levels and then no lower than 6.

 

[TulsaPool]

Just curious, if algae was eating up all the chlorine would i see a difference in total chlorine an free chlorine? I show tc and fc the same. Basically showing no combined chlorine.

 

[mknauss]

Not necessarily. Ammonia compounds primarily create CC. That is mostly from bather waste unless you actually have ammonia in your water. You do not.

 

[TulsaPool]

Not necessarily. Ammonia compounds primarily create CC. That is mostly from bather waste unless you actually have ammonia in your water. You do not.

I was able to run SWG at 100% all night and had 8 ppm chlorine at lunch today. I plan to inspect and clean cell tomorrow. One strange note, I now have white flakes (almost looks like rock salt) floating in the pool. Not sure if this is being discharged from return or some other source. Any idea what that could be?

 

[mknauss]

The white flakes are being shed by your SWCG when it reverses polarity to clean itself.

To reduce that, use Poolmath to track CSI - Calcium Saturation Index (CSI) - Trouble Free Pool
Keep CSI between -0.3 and 0.