SWCG and winter months

[steveinaz]

Our pool will remain "open" all winter, but realizing that the SWCG will not produce chlorine in colder water temps that winter brings; do I just set the output to "0" or do I shut the unit off and go back to using the standard pool timer? What do you guys do?

I have a QuikChlor RP18HD SWCG.

[Poolsean]

In most cases you can increase your salt level to the upper limits of your system, which will help extend the operation of your salt system in cooler water temperatures.
However, whether you turn the unit to 0 or turn the power off, it should not energize the cell. Therefore, you will have to resort to adding chlorine by hand until it gets warm enough to reactivate your salt system.

Another option, add a heat pump and keep it heated! = )

[Phillbo]

Steve, my pool never got cold enough to stop generating chlorine. My SWCG system has a 'winter' setting that alters the 'cut out' point. I used it and had no problems.

[steveinaz]

Thanks guys. Oddly enough, my QuikChlor manual says nothing about it shutting off at lower temps, but i figured it would since most SWCG's seem to. I guess I let her run and just keep chlorine monitored; I'm definitely going back to bleach when necessary. Right now I'm at the "upper-end" for my SWCG with 2800ppm. The recommended range is 2250-2750.

[explorthis]

Sean…

Can you give more detail to “cooler water temperatures” please? I live in Southern Calif, where it does not get what some would determine cold. Last year, the coldest I saw my pool get was about 55 degrees. I never reduced my output (Aqua Rite System) to zero, or turned it off. I did however turn the dial down to about 40%. I did see (if I remember) the digital readout on the system say “cold” (again if I remember correctly) but most days, no matter the day of the year, It was generating to the standard 2800 (+/-) every day.

Should I be zeroing out the output and adding chlorine – for my weather, or am I not considered cold-cold weather? My pool always had plenty of chlorine obviously, as the water remained crystal clear all year, even in the coldest months. I read about “winterizing” or “closing” the pool during the winter months, but I never did.

Still learning…..

-Mike

[Sumo1]

My Polaris SWCG book says not to operate it with water temps less than 55 degrees so I just reset the controls so that it doesn't turn on the cell when the pumps turn on.
Hal

[Poolsean]

Each manufacturer's "cold" temperature is going to be different. The fact is, colder water temperatures tend to wear out the cell prematurely. Reducing the output until the low temp protection cut off kicks in, is fine to help your cell life. Turning it off and adding by hand is better. But for the most part, too many homeowners don't do anything. The result is overchlorination, premature cell wear, and pool equipment damage.

While AutoPilot's automatic temperature compensation will automatically adjust the output higher or lower, based upon water temperature changes, manually adjusting a swg without the temp compensation will have similar results (protecting the cell).

Your system is showing the COLD because it's hit the cold temp safety shut off, but as the water temps warm up, it turns back on. The good thing is that much less chlorine is needed with it's too cold out.

[steveinaz]

Thanks for the additonal info Sean.

[river-wear]

So Sean, just to make sure I understand, with the AutoPilot I don't have to shut it off for winter? The unit will do that on its own? Or would it be better to shut it down to prolong the cell life?

One other thing, is it normal to see large swings in output with small changes in water temperature? For example, I set mine to 50% when the water was 81-82 degrees, then when it cooled to 78 the setting went down to 38%. I was getting some algae so I turned it back to 50% and as you'd expect, the setting was up around 70% when it heated back up. Is there a way to adjust this (that is, the unit's sensitivity)?

Thanks!

[Poolsean]

River,

When the temps get to 55 degrees or colder, the output will automatically reduced to 1%, and cannot be increased but can be lowered to 0% (off).
As temps fall, this compensation feature automatically adjusts the output so you don't have to. In cold temp conditions, lowering the output helps save the cell life. You don't have to shut it off and revert to hand feeding chlorine. Cold temps require very little chlorine.

The Automatic Temperature Compensation is not adjustable in sensitivity and is in the software.
As the temps change 5 degrees, it adjusts 25% of the setting.
your pool is a perfect example: At 80 degrees, and 50% setting, when it dropped to 75 degrees, the output dropped 25% of 50% (or 12.5%) to 37.5%.

I would set the output to 60% and monitor it. The temp adjust would have dropped it to 45% instead of 37.5%.

Hope this helps

[river-wear]

Thank you Sean - I'll give that a try.