Understanding How SWG System Achieves Output Level

[Pflugerpool]

As I'm fine tuning my new SWG system, I realized I don't understand exactly how these systems achieve their settings of 50%, or 70%, or whatever they're set for.

Do they vary volts and amps to the cell to achieve 50% of it's rated capacity, discharged continuously as long as its on?

Or do they use an on-off cycle to achieve 50%, i.e. the cell runs at full output but for example only 5 minutes out of 10, or 30 minutes out of an hour?

I'm just curious because fooling with the menu displays on my Circupool RJ60+, I see some times when volts and amps are listed as 0.00, making me think maybe it uses an on-off cycle. It's not like it matters, but the more I understand the more I want to know!

 

[Richard320]

It's a duty cycle, on and off. Same thing as your microwave oven on less than 100% setting

 

[ajw22]

On-off cycle.

Volts are fixed and amps depend on salinity of the water. Volts and amps only are there during generating part of the cycle, otherwise 0.

 

[Pflugerpool]

Thanks folks, that's what I suspected was happening. Appreciate the confirmation.

 

[Fuldo]

It seems that all USA SWG systems use a full-on and full-off routine. Most have a fairly short "cycle", some as short as 10 minutes. The Circupool RJ series has a very long (200 minutes) cycle. If it's set to 25% then it will be on for 50 minutes, off for 150 minutes, on again for 50 minutes and so on from the time power is applied to power is disconnected. The long cycle doesn't matter much if the power-on time is many hours but if the power-on time is short then the ratio is distorted. For instance, if in winter your pump and SWG power is only on for two hours (120 minutes) for each day and the output is set at 25% then it will run for 50 of the 120 minutes or 42% of the time, not the 25% expected. I learned this the hard way and have shared it on a number of threads here.

 

[Pflugerpool]

Wow, I would never have guessed the cycle was 200 minutes long. That seems really excessive.

This time of year, I'm running my pump for 5 hours in the afternoon, and have the SWG set at 35%. Since 5 hours is only 300 minutes, it looks like it would run 70 minutes out of the first 200, and then another 70 minutes of the last 100. So, 140 minutes on out of 300 makes it closer to 45% than 35%.

That is really good information to have, wish Circupool had described that in the product documentation. Thanks for the info!