Salt System newbie

[CarlD]

That is a good story! And you should NEVER give that pool store a nickel of business again if you can help it!

Total Dissolved Solids is a problem all the time for pool stores--it's how they sell you stuff. But it is RARELY a problem for real. In fact, I cannot recall a SINGLE case in 10 years on PF where TDS was actually a problem. Besides, with an SWG, your TDS is ALWAYS high due to.......salt. Yup, the major TDS is salt. Pool store guys love to tell people that using LC or bleach will raise their TDS, never knowing that, again, the TDS is salt. You can use LC in your pool for five years and never get enough salt to run your SWG. But they'll sell you the SWG, too!

I'm sure Ben or some of the pros we have here may know of the bizarre conditions that lead to TDS being a problem, but I assure you, that ONLY happens when everything we recommend is done properly and STILL does not work. As I said, I never remember it happening.

Pool stores NEVER tell you "Only put in half, wait and have us test it, so you don't go over." They give you the wrong stuff, then sell you something to fix it, then to fix that, and that, etc. until you have spent hundreds to fix a problem that never was. Their latest routine for the last few years is phosphate levels. They even have monthly installment plans for phosphate removal. Again, I've never seen a case where phosphates were the problem--bad pool maintenance was the problem and good pool maintenance fixed it.

As I said at the top: Your problem was due to bad, irresponsible advice. Not your fault. You got "Pool Stored" as we say--and we've all been there, got burned, and learned our lessons! It's a rite of passage...

[BigTallGuy]

It seems to me if I can remember back that far that the Pool store Owner claimed the the higher the TDS reading, the less effective the other chemicals will work, and thus requiring more and more chemicals to keep the pool in check. In all fairness, it was the Pool store owner that suggested that I drain the pool rather than spend hundreds on chemicals. Don't get me wrong, I am not defending these people. When I asked them what I could do about the high CYA level, they wanted to rent me their pump for $30 per day to re-drain the pool again. They would not even let me have the pump for free even after admitting they were at fault.

After my most recent liner replacement and re-fill 2 weeks ago, I took water samples into this same store. You should have seen the look on their faces when I asked for a Salt check. I basically got the Bum's rush because they realized that their gravy train was coming to an end. So to your credit Carl, they get no mo money from me.

I have built an Excel Spread sheet to help calculate the amount of salt needed based upon the gallons of water in the pool that I will share if someone wants to see it. It is actually too large to post. So I would need to e-mail the file.

One more thing, how do I get off of the "Restricted Status"?

[CarlD]

Great!

Not sure about the restricted status issue...There is a subscription fee for full access, I believe....check the various stickies in the forums. Plus there's a probation period. We have had horrendous problems with hackers since pool owners are seen as fat pigeons to be plucked by the crooks.

[waste]

BTDG, welcome to the forum!

Sounds like you already know how things work here

[BigTallGuy]

O.K. while I am waiting in the holding pattern, I hope you all don't mind if I ping you with a bunch of dumb questions (now you now how I got my screen name LOL). One of my biggest questions is with backwashing a salt system that has appoximately 3300 ppm of Morton's finest pool salt into my backyard. Will I kill the grass and all other related vegetation? I am already in the eternal dog house (that was 5 years ago) for wiping out momma's rose bushes with the old chlorine system so please advise. I can't believe they can't develop a strain of rose bushes that will survive high concentrations of pool shock.

[BigTallGuy]

O.K. while everyone is running down to the nursery to find out if salt water will kill the grass, here is Dumb Question number two. I was advised to run the SWG for at least 8-12 hours per day. The recommended procedure was to run the system from 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. for two reasons, 1, because electricity is reportedly cheaper at night, and 2, there is no sun light and the chlorine levels will build up faster and not deplete out from the UV rays. I am currently running my system for 8 hours a day, starting at 8:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m.

Now According to the Owner’s manual, the SWG does not measure the chlorine level of the water, it simply continues to produce the chlorine as long as the unit is operating. So my dumb question is what chlorine levels should I be looking for if I test first thing in the morning, or should I wait and see what the chlorine levels are at say around sunset? Obviously, the optimum set up is to run the pump and the system for the least amount of time to cut down on overall operating costs and get the longest life out of the SWG elements. Would splitting the cycle to 4 hrs on 8 hours off help?

[CarlD]

1) Get yourself a back wash hose and run it to a drain! Get the GOOD stuff--it's like a thick, transparent blue poly and goes on a 2" fitting. Not the cheapo opaque vinyl stuff that goes on 1.5". That solves your problem. I run about 60 ' and have a reel to wind it in on.

2) I don't know the exact level but it will be lower than the Best Guess table. Your manual may have suggested levels for each CYA level. Until you know for SURE, I'd suggest you keep FC at the MINIMUM level for your level of CYA--check the Best Guess table. It's possible to run at lower levels because the chlorine addition is more constant so even if there's a sudden drop due to a bird pooping in it, your SWG will compensate by keeping the level of chlorine constant anyway--or that's the theory....I'll let the experts kick in from here...

[jeffvrba]

It seems to me if I can remember back that far that the Pool store Owner claimed the the higher the TDS reading, the less effective the other chemicals will work, and thus requiring more and more chemicals to keep the pool in check. In all fairness, it was the Pool store owner that suggested that I drain the pool rather than spend hundreds on chemicals. Don't get me wrong, I am not defending these people. When I asked them what I could do about the high CYA level, they wanted to rent me their pump for $30 per day to re-drain the pool again. They would not even let me have the pump for free even after admitting they were at fault.

After my most recent liner replacement and re-fill 2 weeks ago, I took water samples into this same store. You should have seen the look on their faces when I asked for a Salt check. I basically got the Bum's rush because they realized that their gravy train was coming to an end. So to your credit Carl, they get no mo money from me.

I have built an Excel Spread sheet to help calculate the amount of salt needed based upon the gallons of water in the pool that I will share if someone wants to see it. It is actually too large to post. So I would need to e-mail the file.

One more thing, how do I get off of the "Restricted Status"?

I’d like to see that spread sheet but I couldn’t PM you, can you send it to me?

[BigTallGuy]

I’d like to see that spread sheet but I couldn’t PM you, can you send it to me?

Do you know how many gallons of water are in your pool? I can send you the info based on that, or do you want the entire sheet?

[rpoldervaart]

BTDG,

Here are a couple good tools for pool calculations. Both were created by people on this site and a predecessor to this site.

http://www.poolcalculator.com/


http://www.troublefreepool.com/bleachcalc-t110.html

Robert