Newbie To Site

[KPROMERO]

Hello all, This is my first post on site. I just purchased a Hayward's AquaRite Electronic Pool Chlorine Generator after reading some of your responses and good reviews of it. Should be receiving it in around 4 days and was wondering if i should be getting anything prepped for when it gets here:rolleyes:. So far i have everything set correctly as far as levels from my last water sample that I had done at local pool store. Any help would be appreciated.

[KPROMERO]

Oh I have an above ground pool buried half way in ground which is 27' round and 4' deep = 17,200 gallons. Saw the aquatrol but opted for the aquarite.

[waste]

K, if you'd post what you've done for prep and what your water #'s are (chlorine, free and/ or total chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness - though for a liner pool you don't NEED any, and cyanuric acid), the folks here could give you a much better answer.

[KPROMERO]

Here's what report has:
temp. = 80
tds = 800
cya = 100
tot. chlorine = 5
free chlorine = 4
ph = 7.2
tot. alkalinity = 159
adj. tot. alk. = 129
tot. hardness = 97

I also use bioguard products and run pool for 4 hours a day at night.

[Beautye350]

Your CYA is a little high. The recommended range is 60-80 for the Aquarite with 80 being the number to shoot for according to the aquarite manual. Also, according to the manual and using your test results your Saturation Index is low @ -0.45. The manual states that anything below -0.2 is corrosive and anything above 0.2 will lead to scaling and staining. Your Alk is a little high as well, range is 80-120. Hardness is low, range is 200-400.

Download the manual here: http://www.goldlinecontrols.com/media/092009h.pdf

Make adjustments as needed. Hope this helps.


Regards,

Mark

[KPROMERO]

Thanks for info. Can this be used as 110 volts or 220 volts only?

[waste]

Here's what report has:
temp. = 80
tds = 800
cya = 100
tot. chlorine = 5
free chlorine = 4
ph = 7.2
tot. alkalinity = 159
adj. tot. alk. = 129
tot. hardness = 97

I also use bioguard products and run pool for 4 hours a day at night.

One thing lacking from B...350's response was the high cc (combined chlorine), you're at 20%, so a nice shock dose of chlorine is in order - I'm supprised you can't smell the chloramines. Mwsmith2 has a calculator program that you can use for this, just search for any of his posts and you'll find the link. None of the other 'senior' members have posted here, so I also suggest that you go to the top post of the "using chlorine" topic and check out "Ben's Best Guess..." made re-available by Watermom - it deals with chlorine and shock levels, dependent upon your cya level.

Finally, and the real reason for this post, the tot alk and hardness levels you've posted, came out of some computer's programming logic and may at best, reflect the true values of your pool water. I'm fairly sure that Ben's explaination of this is to be found in the 'sister' site to this one, PoolSolutions, which I believe can be reached by clicking on the icon at the top of the main forum page. (It goes into a discussion of precission vs. validity in pool store testing - the numbers in question are usually given in multiples of 10, so when you see a T/A reading of 159, the red flag comes up). On the same site I believe Ben takes a little skin off of Biolab and their product sellers ( FYI Ben is Pooldoc, the owner and creator of this site - we all defer to him).
I can give you a decent synopsis of the info I've directed you to, but I think it's best for you to read it yourself, that and my notes are a mess right now :)
I doubt you are in any serious danger right now, but the more you know, the better you can take care of your pool and make better, and better informed, decisions reguarding your pool in the future. I strongly advise reading the entire POOLSOLUTIONS site, asap!

[KPROMERO]

Well Aquarite just got delivered:D :rolleyes: Will get water retested tomorrow morning and possibly install. Which do you all think would be better to run pool with. I have 2 pumps.

27' x 52" but pool is really 48" since you do not fill all the way = 17,200 gallons
It came with a waterco pump and sand filter which specs are:
filter = t450 18"
filtration area sq. ft. = 1.733
max flow us gallons = 35 gallons
filter media = 165 lbs
Pump = 1.5 hp 110v phase 1

Also have a hayward super pump = 3/4 hp 220v

was thinking about connecting hayward pump and have both aquarite and pump at 220v but do not know if pump will be to small to use.

[KPROMERO]

Finished connecting everything yesterday. Using the Hayward super pump 3/4 hp w/ sandfilter and Aquarite @ 220v. Water all tested fine from what pool place told me and added 400 lbs. of salt. Turned on Aquarite real quick this morning to see if readings would change on it and salt level showed 3200ppm. Not sure what salinity is for, since not saying in manual, but it is reading @ -3400. Turned it off again and will turn back on at 10:00am today since it would be 24 hours that i ran just the pump. Water is very clear right and can't wait to see how this thing really performs :D :D :rolleyes:

[waste]

Finished connecting everything yesterday. Using the Hayward super pump 3/4 hp w/ sandfilter and Aquarite @ 220v. Water all tested fine from what pool place told me and added 400 lbs. of salt. Turned on Aquarite real quick this morning to see if readings would change on it and salt level showed 3200ppm. Not sure what salinity is for, since not saying in manual, but it is reading @ -3400. Turned it off again and will turn back on at 10:00am today since it would be 24 hours that i ran just the pump. Water is very clear right and can't wait to see how this thing really performs :D :D :rolleyes:
K, when you push the little black "diagnostic" button next to the display - it will show you (by push #):
1. Water temp
2. Cell voltage
3. Cell current
4. Desired % output
5. Instant salinity (with a "-" sign) (salt ppm)
6. Which unit you have
7. Which software revision yours has.

The original # (3200, in your case) is the average salt ppm for the last 100 minuit cycle, whereas the 5th push of the button shows the ppm of the water passing through the cell 'right now'.
If you are at 3200, you're well within the operating range for the unit. There is a place on the inside of the door, at the bottom, to write in the ppm increase/ 50 lbs of salt added - yours would be 800 ppm/ #50 salt (or 850, if you go by the instant salinity), give it a day and write in the appropriate number to that blank.
Have a wonderful swim season!!

[duraleigh]

Hi,

Well, I'm reading through this long, happy thread and Mr. Negative (me) just HAS to offer a big caution here.:(

Regardless of how wonderful your SWG is, I doubt you'll be able to keep your pool in proper balance without a test kit.

Testing at the pool store means you trust how well their Summer help is trained and that they would never make a mistake. It also means you will ALWAYS remember to take your sample to them and get it tested frequently.

Protect your SWG investment and get a test kit. It's the only way to figure out what you need to do to your water.:)

Dave S.

[waste]

Hi,

Well, I'm reading through this long, happy thread and Mr. Negative (me) just HAS to offer a big caution here.:(

Regardless of how wonderful your SWG is, I doubt you'll be able to keep your pool in proper balance without a test kit.

Testing at the pool store means you trust how well their Summer help is trained and that they would never make a mistake. It also means you will ALWAYS remember to take your sample to them and get it tested frequently.

Protect your SWG investment and get a test kit. It's the only way to figure out what you need to do to your water.:)

Dave S.
Dave, You are MOST correct, if you look at the header on my other post, I clearly intended to include that.(10 hours at work, the wife and dog barking ... add a few beers and you'll understand how I forgot it) ;)

[Beautye350]

I agree and I will plug Ben's kit here. I got one last year and love it. He now offers one that will do salt, so I will be picking one of those up soon. You won't regret it.


Regards,

Mark

[waterbear]

Testing at the pool store means you trust how well their Summer help is trained and that they would never make a mistake. It also means you will ALWAYS remember to take your sample to them and get it tested frequently.

Protect your SWG investment and get a test kit. It's the only way to figure out what you need to do to your water.:)

Dave S. Hey, I just got a summer job at a pool store and I think I can test water pretty darn well! :D :D
A GOOD drop based kit is a NECESSITY if you want to take care of your pool yourself and a good idea if you pay someone else to take care of it so you can be sure they are doing it right. It will be the best money you ever invested in your pool!
Not to sound like a commercial but I do have to add that the kit that Ben sells on the sister website http://www.poolsolutions.com is probably the best "bang for your buck" that you are going to find! It should handle just about everything you will need for routine maintenance. (for a SWG get the PS-234S; to get the equivalent tests from Taylor you would spend over $125 plus shipping, have to get 3 different kits, get some duplicaton of tests in the process, get some tests you will probably never need, and get much small amounts of reagents and have to buy refills before the pool season is over!)

[KPROMERO]

Thanks for inputs all. what would be good test kit to get till ben's comes in, since i have been reading that it has taken a while to receive them.

[Beautye350]

I believe Walmart sells a nice cheap drop-based kit (5 in 1 kit, I believe). I can get the SKU or whatever for you when I get home from work. Maybe someone else will chime in here.


Regards,

Mark

[KPROMERO]

Followed all of your instructions and ordered the ps234 w/ salt test. Also took water sample to local pool place and to my surprise I did not need to buy anything:eek: . Told me everything was good in pool.:D :D

Readings were:
PH = 7.4
WATER HARDNESS = 240
CHLORINE = 2.0
TOTAL ALKALINITY = 130
SALT = 3400
STABALIZER = 80

[KPROMERO]

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Here are pics of my pool and guard dog in it:D .
F:\My Pictures\Easter 2006\PICT0263.JPG