AquaRite by GoldLine Salt Chlorinator

[s0undone]

Hello,

I'm a first time pool owner and am having a Oval 21'x43' AG pool installed on March 28th. I've purchased a Aquarite salt chlorinator and am wondering if anyone has any tips for the initial set up and maintenance using this device.
I was advised at the place of purchase to use Ag grade or course salt and not pellets or rock salt. My local farm co-op doesn't know what is meant by "Ag grade", anyone know? Are there any other chemicals required for maintaining a clear clean pool ?

Thanks,
Dena

[waterbear]

I have an Aqualogic which is basically the same thing with full automation of my pumps, lights, water features, etc. I use either pool salt or water softener solar salt--goldine states in the manual that the salt should be 99.5% pure and both of these are. I find them at the grocery store, walmart, Home depot, etc. Pretty easy to find. Water softener pellets are ok but they take longer to dissolve. Just make sure they don't have any iron remover or any other junk like that in them--just salt. It will take a little while to adjust your pump run time and percentage on the cell to keep the proper chlorine level in your pool. Just get a good, drop based test kit (such as Ben's) to keep track of things. Once I got my water balanced I just have to add a bit of acid every few weeks to keep the pH in line since salt generators seem to cause a small pH rise as they operate. I have a 6600 gal inground fiberglass pool and 300 gal acrylic spa and I keep my pool at 2ppm free chlorine and the spa at 3 ppm based on my stabilier level of 50 ppm. Hope this helps!

[mac1626]

Hi,
As has been pointed out, you can use pool salt, which you can find at Lowe's or other hardware outlets. You can also use solar salt. The Ag designation is something I haven't heard before, and I wouldn't worry about it. It generally is recommended that you not use salt that has YPS (yellow prussiate of soda), which is used as an anti-caking agent in fine salt.

Enjoy your new pool!

Mark

[Katy-Texas]

Hi Waterbear

I also have an Aqualogic TurboCell chlorine generator salt system. You mentioned that you have to add HCl acid. I'm still adding about 1/2 USG per 10 days to keep the pH in range. I assumed this was because our 10 year old pool was still curing, will I be adding this acid forever?

Assume 3200 ppm salt is what I should aim for?

Also, how do I clean the TurboCell, I was told need to put in bucket of water for 1/2 hour with two cups HCl?

Thanks for advice . . .

[waterbear]

Hi Waterbear

I also have an Aqualogic TurboCell chlorine generator salt system. You mentioned that you have to add HCl acid. I'm still adding about 1/2 USG per 10 days to keep the pH in range. I assumed this was because our 10 year old pool was still curing, will I be adding this acid forever?

From my understanding the process of generating chlorine in the cell will cause the formation of sodium hydroxide as a byproduct so adding acid will be necessary maintenance for a salt system. I just fill a bucket half full of water, add about a cup and a half of acid, and test my water after about 20 minutes and the pH is usually right on the money. My pool is fiberglass so I don't have the problems with plaster causing a pH rise. You might want to double check your total alkalinity to make sure it is in the proper range. If it is too low you will not have enough of a buffer effect to help stabilize your pH.

Assume 3200 ppm salt is what I should aim for?

I don't add acid until the pH had crept above 7.8 and then keep it between 7.4 and 7.8 (as low as 7.2 is probably ok. Could someone with more experience check me on this?)

Also, how do I clean the TurboCell, I was told need to put in bucket of water for 1/2 hour with two cups HCl?

If you check the Goldline Controls website they have an excellent page on how to clean the Turbo Cell complete with pictures. You put 3"-4" water in a bucket, add 1 1/2" acid, stand the cell in it for ten minutes, turn it over to do the other side, rinse , and pour the acid mixture into your pool. The website and instruction manual both state that it is not necessary to clean the cell unless the check cell light on the panel comes on and and the salt level is above 2500(I think) ppm.

Thanks for advice . . .
Hope this helps!;)

[ShelleyAnn]

We are about to purchase our first AG pool. At the "store" the other day, they recommended staying away from salt systems in AG pools due to problems they've seen with grounding and bonding. Seems they have a customer whose salt system keeps eating all the metal in the pool because it's not grounded correctly. I must admit to not understanding everything she was saying, but it was good enough to scare me away from a salt system.

Does anyone have any comments on this? I'd really like to start with the best system and know I have a much better chance of doing that if I listen to all the knowledgeable people in the forum who have done that/been there!

Thanks

[SJohnson]

One thing I can tell you is that there is an SWG by Goldline/Hayward made specifically for AG pools. It's called Aquatrol, I believe. I'm not sure what the difference is, but the cheapest place seems to be ebay. I just bought the inground version for my new gunite pool on ebay for about $400, b/c my builder wanted $1200 to add it to the aqualogic system which I was already getting. A little long winded here, but the aquatrol is the one you want to look for, for AG pools. Lots of info on Goldline's site . . .

http://www.goldlinecontrols.com

-SJohnson

[StoshJ]

---
I'm still adding about 1/2 USG per 10 days to keep the pH in range. I assumed this was because our 10 year old pool was still curing, will I be adding this acid forever?
---

I've got the Jandy/Clormatic Aquapure. My pool is only 6 months old (IG) and I'm using 1/2 gallon a week (18k gallons). This brings it to 7.2 then it creeps up to 7.8 by the end of the week.

[tonyl]

I doubt your pool is still curing. Adding acid is part of the equation when maintaining a salt water pool. 1/2 gal every 10 days is probably normal, especially during the hot summer months. However, I've found it levels out at around 7.8 and have left it there for a couple months during cooler months without problems.

This will be my 5th year with an AquaRite. During the hot months I do just as you in knocking it down to 7.2 every week or 10 days. Hope this helps, Tony

[SJohnson]

Tony,

5 years? Is that with the same cell? Any advice on cleaning the cell, etc. Do you shock with bleach?

Thanks,

-SJohnson

[waterbear]

Cell life depends on a lot of factors (temp, hours of operation, salt levels). Someone who is more knowledgabe such as Poolsean could probably anwer that question better than me. The newer goldline cells are self cleaning (as are several other ones) and mine has been in constant operation since last thanksgiving and I have never had to clean it or shock my pool. That is one of the reasons I have a swg. I have never had detectable Combined Chlorine tested with a taylor K2005 kit.
The process of genterating chlorine from salt superchlorinates the water in the cell. My unit does have a superchlorinate setting that will allow the unit to generate chlorine continuously for up to 24 hours but I have never had to use it. My unit will tell me when the cell needs a manual cleaning with a dilute acid solution. How often a cell needs cleaning is directly affected by the hardness of the water going through it. Most manufactures will have the instructions on how to do this on their websites and/or in the manual. Goldline has an excellent tutorial for theirs online complete with photos.
As far as pH rise is concerned, that is a fact of life with swg, sodium hydroxide (lye) is generated as a byproduct of chlorine generation from salt. My pool tends to stabilize at around 7.8. If it creeps above that I add about 3 cups (24 oz.) acid and my pH is back at 7.2. It will gradually creep back to 7.8 over the next 2 or 3 weeks and then stay there for about another 2 or 3 weeks before it starts to rise above 7.8 so that is when I add the acid again. A pint and a half every month to month and a half is not a whole lot. My pool is only 6600 and is fiberglass so you milage may vary :)

[Poolsean]

Waterbear,

You're doing good. No input required from me.

Cheers

[tonyl]

Yep....5 years, same cell. It helps with a short Midwest swim season but I also keep the salt levels at the top of the range which lets me run with lower output setting. I shock with bleach only after heavy rain. It isn't needed for normal operation as pointed out by waterbear. I've never needed to clean the cell.