Salt System newbie

[BigTallGuy]

Hello all. I am new to this forum so bear with me. I have a 24 foot diameter round above ground pool, with an estimated 11,500 gallons of water. I just had the liner replaced 10 days ago and had a salt system added. Based on the recommendation of the Professional Installer, I bought a Compu-pool CPSC-24 generator. Everything seemed to be going pretty well. I started with 240 lbs of salt and added another 40 lbs. to get the "Low Salt" light to go off. The local pool stores all seem to get a different salt reading, but I think I am somewhere around 3300 ppm of salt. A strange thing happened Saturday morning that I cannot explain. I was told to lower th PH in the pool as it was around 7.8. I mixed up a small amount of dry acid in its original bottle and pre-disolved it completely before adding it to the pool. I was also adding water at the same time with the garden hose. As I poured the acid into the pool at the opposite end from the skimmer, I diluted the acid with the hose. A few minutes later the low salt light came on and stayed on until I turned the unit off around noon. Later that evening the unit came on with the timer and all was well. The unit seemed to be working fine and the low salt light was out. I read later in the instruction manual that dry acid is a no-no. Could this have caused the problem? I did not use very much acid and I only lowered the PH from 7.8 to 7.7. I hope I didn't mess up the generator.

Anyway, If there is any advice that anyone wants to share I am only too glad to listen.

[CarlD]

With such a small pool I'm wondering why you wanted a salt system but that's not a problem. I hope it didn't cost you a bundle, though. Once you get it working, however, I'll bet you love it. I've never been able to cost-justify it myself but I've "kicked the tires" at least a dozen times!

If your water is 4' deep (water, not pool) then you have 13,500 gallons. To calculate volume, first use high school geometry to get the cubic footage and multiply THAT by 7.48 to get gallons. If the water is 3.5' deep then the 11,500 estimate is close.

Usually a one-time mistake like using dry acid won't do much harm, but I'm not the SWG expert here. They will certainly give you better advice.

[aylad]

I just wanted to welcome you to the forum!! My friend down the street has a 24' round Intex, and just got a SWG to put on hers. I don't know much about them, other than I want to get one to put in my IG pool but haven't bitten the bullet yet, but I'll get my hands on her owner's manual and do some investigating.

we're glad you're here!

Janet

[BigTallGuy]

With such a small pool I'm wondering why you wanted a salt system but that's not a problem. I hope it didn't cost you a bundle, though. Once you get it working, however, I'll bet you love it. I've never been able to cost-justify it myself but I've "kicked the tires" at least a dozen times!

If your water is 4' deep (water, not pool) then you have 13,500 gallons. To calculate volume, first use high school geometry to get the cubic footage and multiply THAT by 7.48 to get gallons. If the water is 3.5' deep then the 11,500 estimate is close.

Usually a one-time mistake like using dry acid won't do much harm, but I'm not the SWG expert here. They will certainly give you better advice.
Thanks for your reply. The actual water depth is 40 inches deep at the rail and is slightly deeper in the center of the pool. Call me a Wussy, but when the water warms up I'll get a more accurate measurement in the center of the pool. I actually measured the inside diameter of the pool at the waterline and found it to be 23.75 feet. Anyway, as close as I can figure, I have approximately 11,300 - 11,500 gallons.

I had a very bad experience a few years ago with Cyanuric acid and chlorine, hence the change to the salt system. I can go into deeper detail if you like. Suffice to say, I am looking forward to the break from traditional chlorine.

I was also told that most munincipal water supplies will have a token amount of salt, up to 500 ppm. I originally calculated that eight 40lb. bags of Morton Pool Salt would be required for 11,500 gallons, but 7 bags has me at 3300 ppm. The SWG booklet says 3500 ppm is ideal. I assume that there is/was a token amount of salt present upon my initial fill that would account for the difference.

Reportedly, I actually got my SWG for a steal, and there were a few things I did not know prior to the install. I will be more than willing to share my tale of woes to anyone willing to listen. But again, I am looking forward to a season of no complaints of burning eyes etc.

[CarlD]

Not necessary! :eek: (Unless it's a really good story! ;) )

We've all been there, or someplace similar. But we can instruct you on how to make sure that never happens again. Somebody guided you wrong. CYA and chlorine are only tough if you lack sufficient info. I've used bleach or liquid chlorine for the last 10 or 11 years, and I still use Tri-chlor tabs on occasion (usually the spring), di-chlor powder on occasion, and even Cal-Hypo (but not for a couple of years now).

The KEY is regular testing and knowing what those tests mean.

[BigTallGuy]

Actually it is a good warning story for any new pool owners. I'll make it short. My TDS went off the charts a few years back and I was told to drain and re-fill the pool. The owner of the pool store advised me that I needed 4 lbs of Stabilizer for my pool. Apparently, he based his calculations on 13,500 gallons not 11,500. Anyway, I added the 4 lbs. through the skimmer as instructed 2 lbs one night and two lbs. the next night. The Pool store owner told me to bring him a sample after a week and we would adjust from there. I did this only to find out that my CYA was off the chart. It showed over 100, and was probably closer to 150. It turns out that I only needed 2-3 lbs. Here is what I learned for the benefit of all:

1) The Cyanuric acid will remain in the pool liner, pumps, filters, and other fixtures in the pool even after you drain the water out. Reducing the amount you may have to add to bring your pool to the proper level when re-filled.

2) Learn and know how many gallons are in your pool so someone at the pool store doesn't have to guess.

3) Add your chemicals slowly, about 1/2 the amount needed at a time, then get the water tested and adjust it up slowly from there. It will save you an awful lot of grief later.

[Chris1]

I'm no expert, but I’ve had a SWG for a little over five years now, so I may be able to help.... While I really believe you should pay attention to the manual for your unit regarding dry acid, you said you dissolved it first and poured it in away from the skimmer--I can't see why this should present a problem for the unit. I really think the ‘low salt’ indicator and the addition of the acid may have been a coincidence.

While I don’t have the same unit as you do, my low salt indicator will shows up (off and on) when it needs more salt. This is usually most apparent when the pool is stirred up--by swimmers, or during the addition of chemicals. It rarely stays 'on' consistently, but I always test it whenever I see it go off and then back on--it usually needs more salt (or all of the salt I've added has not yet dissolved). Whenever it gets below 3,500 ppm, off it goes. Since you said you believe yours is around 3,300 ppm, I'd suggest adding more salt to ensure the level stays above 3,500 ppm. For my unit, I’ve found that 3,500-4,000ppm is ideal. It gives me a buffer; and I've been told that you don't need to worry about equipment corrosion from excessive salt, unless it gets above 6,000 ppm.

Again, I’m no expert, but according what I’ve read, it takes 50 lb. salt per 2,000 gal. of water to reach 4,000 ppm in a newly filled pool. In future years, you will need to test before adding any salt, as the salt is only diminished by water removal (backwashing, splash out, draining). Hope this helps…

[Poolsean]

50 lbs per 2000 gallons of water increases your salinity from 0 ppm to 3000 ppm.

Most salt systems that do not have a dedicated salt sensor will provide an estimate of the salinity, based on the cell condition, water temperature, actual salt level, and the amps and volts going to the cell.
Adding dry acid that has already been predissolved, should not have caused any problems with the cell, but I'm sure the manufacturer has their own reason why they do not recommend dry acid.

If your water temperature is below 65 degrees, you should increase your salt level to the upper limit of the recommended range. This will help compensate for the decreased conductivity of the colder water.

Make sure you check your water chemistry for water balance (Saturation Index) to prevent calcium scale from building up on the blades, which will decrease efficiency and shorten cell life.

Hope this helps,

[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...:mad:

[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:cool:

[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...:eek:

[waste]

Far from and expert, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night (:p) - as you can't do an overnight chlorine loss, check your cl in the evening (before the pump? SWCG kicks on) to see if you are still maintaining adequate fc levels after a day of sun and use.

No one is born knowing this stuff, so no question is a dumb one, except the one unasked! ;)

[CarlD]

No one is born knowing this stuff, so no question is a dumb one, except the one unasked! ;)

Or the one repeatedly asked with hopes of getting a different answer! :eek:;):D

[BigTallGuy]

Oh yeah, I have made millions asking dumb questions. The problem is, I unfortunately ask them too late and it has cost me those same millions. So I have resigned myself to know my place in life as the lowest level of the food chain, dwelling down in the pond scum and looking up at catfish bellys every morning just to see the sunshine. So if my questions become too stooopid, a shoe to the back of the head usually works. Hey thanks for listening to me. It is truly a pleasure to be here.

Dumb question number three, are those small hand held Salt Level checkers Worth their (oh no here it comes) SALT? (bad I know). I see these things on the internet for $12-$15 all the way up to $85-$100 USD. All I know is, every pool store I go to gives me a different salt reading. I am bouncing the idea around in my over impulsive feeble brain to buy my own. But logic tells me that the "LOW SALT" light is off on the unit so save yer Money.

What say you guys?

[BigTallGuy]

Progressing on in my quest to become the fastest pool expert on the planet, my CYA level is reported to be between 40 and 50. The Pool Store "experts" want me to go to 60-80 because of the salt system. They probably want to sell me more CYA.

Everything I am reading says any CYA level above 50 is waste. From experience, I know that when my CYA levels were "elevated" up over 100, I had constant complaints of eyes burning. So I am extremely leery of adding any more CYA.

Dumb question number 4 is (drum rolllllllllllll):

What do you recommend for a CYA level for a vinyl lined AG salt system pool, and Why?

(Is that two questions)?

[AnnaK]

It's my understanding that the CYA level in SWCG systems is best kept at 60-70 ppm. The 'why' is something Chem Geek will need to address.

[chem geek]

If you find that the pH tends to rise over time and if your pool is exposed to direct sunlight, then having the CYA in the 60-80 range, especially 70-80 ppm, has the chlorine protected more from breakdown in sunlight. Even proportionately raising the FC level to 4 ppm minimum with 80 ppm (for an SWG pool), there is less absolute chlorine loss.

The lower chlorine loss lets you turn down the SWG on-time and that reduces the rate of pH rise (from whatever the cause -- could be more outgassing of either carbon dioxide through aeration or of undissolved chlorine gas).

Adding 50 ppm Borates can also help reduce the rate of pH rise through two effects -- it acts as a pH buffer and it is a mild algaecide so may further reduce daily chlorine usage. It's also insurance since at the higher CYA level you want to make sure you don't have the FC drop below the minimum since fighting an algae bloom takes a lot more chlorine (higher FC level) when the CYA level is higher.

As for eyes burning at 100 ppm CYA, that probably wasn't a direct result of the CYA but the FC probably wasn't high enough (i.e. was below 5 ppm) and that meant that the active chlorine level could have been so low as to have more chloramines in the pool and those can be irritating to the eyes. Either that or the pH may have been off (too high or low). If you find any problem at 80 ppm CYA with 4 ppm FC, try increasing the FC target to 6 ppm, but I doubt you'll need to do that since there are many, many people with SWG pools that mostly operate with 4 ppm FC and 80 ppm CYA without any issues.

[BigTallGuy]

I have only had my SWCG for two weeks and the "official" swimming season hasn't started yet. I am watching my chemicals very closely including the pH levels. My 24' round AG pool takes direct sunlight for the majority of the day and I still consider myself to be in the Start-up mode.

Here are my Thoughts. I am not trying to be arguementative, but I am always open for a nice discussion and maybe I'll learn something along the way.

My overall philosophy is to keep all chemicals to a minimum. I have added seven 40lb bags of salt and I probably need to add another half to a full bag. I am at 3300 PPM of salt and should be at 3500 PPM according to the manual but the low salt light is out. I am reluctant to add more salt as the water already has a slight salty taste to it even though the internet says most humans cannot taste salt below 3500 PPM.

I am at approximately 40 CYA and really don't understand why a Salt system requires more that a traditional Chlorine pool. For now, my SWCG runs 8 hours a day regardless, and if my current CYA levels keep a minimum amount of chlorine in the pool until the pump kicks on and adds more chlorine, then I want to believe I'm good. But hey, they don't call me the BTDG for nothing.

As far as my previous bad experience, I can only tell you that I had my water checked repeatedly and by multiple pool stores and the response was that my water was "Picture Perfect" except for the CYA value and I still had burning eye complaints. I did drain 25 inches of water from the pool, leaving 15-16 inches of water remaining to eliminate the high CYA and still ended up with a reading of 100-110 AFTER refilling.

[chem geek]

As I wrote, the reason for the higher CYA for an SWG pool is to reduce the rate of pH rise by reducing the rate of chlorine consumption thereby letting you lower your SWG on-time.

If you are not experiencing a pH rise that you find intolerable, adding a lot of acid every week, then you can certainly leave your CYA at 50 ppm and keep your FC at least at 2.5 ppm if not 3 ppm minimum. That's perfectly fine and is totally up to you. I was only explaining why a higher CYA is usually done in most SWG pools -- it is a legitimate reason that works well in most cases.

Yours, however, is the only case of stinging eyes from tens of thousands of pool owners that is not attributable to either chloramines (usually from low FC relative to CYA) or an out-of-whack pH. There are many pools with very high CYA levels -- even over 200 ppm in pools using only stabilized chlorine -- and stinging eyes aren't a direct result, though indirectly if the FC is low and Combined Chlorine (CC) is present then stinging eyes are reported. Your experience is very real and there is no question about that -- it may be the CYA or it might not be. Chemical sensitivity is a unique experience and perhaps you have a sensitivity to this chemical.

Also keep in mind that pool store tests are very often wrong. I would only trust your own testing. Though the pool stores usually don't get the pH that wrong (though sometimes they do), they very often get the CYA test very, very wrong. It could have been far higher than 100 and you could have very likely had high chloramine levels as a result. This should not happen if you maintain a higher FC with the higher CYA -- i.e. 4 ppm FC with 80 ppm CYA, but again you do not have to do this -- it's completely up to you.

[waste]

Listen to chem_geek!, you may not always understand the whys - but he won't steer you wrong! :cool:

If you follow the advice here, you may add a little more of this or that, but in the end, you'll be using LESS of any chemical than you would otherwise. (quite the conundrum, eh? :) )

[BigTallGuy]

Thanks Chem Geek for taking the time to help me. I will watch my pH levels and FC very closely. If I find the pH rising, I will certainly add more CYA. I am going to look into buying a better test kit this weekend. I guess the thing that I am starting to understand is that this is a completely new system. I NEVER had to add any acid to lower the pH before with the old chlorine system, seriously the dry acid would literaly harden in the bottle.

I think you guys may have cracked the code, meaning I think I am starting to understand. Waste, Carl, Watermom, thanks to all of you for your help. This is an awsome websight.

[BigTallGuy]

In the infamous words of Gomer Pyle....Well Gooooolllleeeeeeee. I tested My pH and found that it had gone from 7.6 or 7.7 back up to 7.8 or 7.9 in about 1 weeks time. I added Acid and brought it back down to 7.4. So it looks like I'm going to need more Stabilzer. I had my stabilizer level tested again, it kind of blew me away at what the guy did. He filled the test cylinder with my water and added the solution, then he slowly pumped the spoon a couple of times, no more than three, and proudly announced that I had no stabilizer in my pool and then tried to sell me a bottle of CYA. I won't even mention what the results were, as I totally discount this an an accurate test.

So to re-cap, As Chlorine is depleted by UV rays or time or whatever, it does some kind of funky chemical wizardry and burns off the acid or maybe it leaves some sort of alkaline behind. In any case, the pH goes up. The Cyanuric Acid slows down this depletion of Chlorine, and there by slows or stops the pH rise. So, is this process unique to Salt system pools? As I stated before, I never really had to add acid before with traditional chlorine. So did the BTDG get this registered correctly in the old gray matter?

Don't worry Chem Geek, your job is safe, but thanks for your wisdom.

[CarlD]

BTDG:

Relax: there are situations where higher CYA levels are called for. aylad runs her pool high because there's SO much loss due to sun and biologics she needs more stabilization. So she compensates by running a higher residual FC level.

But SWGs need higher CYA levels and lower FC levels. I'm not sure of all the chemistry, but years of watching the SWG people has me convinced.

[chem geek]

The key is being able to turn down your SWG on-time. The higher CYA level should let you do that by greater protection of chlorine from breakdown by sunlight. It's not the higher CYA itself that slows down the rate of pH rise -- it's the turning down of the SWG on-time (i.e. the % on-time) -- the higher CYA is just one way to be able to do that.

[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]

Yes Chem Geek I agree, you are absolutely correct. I was instructed by the installer to simply run the SWCG for 12 hours a day and forget about it. This took me out at the knees. How does not buying Chlorine tablets save you money if you are spending more than the price of chlorine on your electric bills every month, or if you're pouring gallons of acid into your pool every week? So learning from knowledgeable people is worth its weight in gold.

CarlD, I do realize that different locations, different pool types, and different situations will all affect pool chemistry. My pool is 20 miles east of Phoenix and I am sure that I have my own unique situation to learn and understand. I am relaxed, I am listening, and I am learning, I am still on start-up, I am still a salt system newbie, and don't forget, I am still a BTDG too. LOL. Thanks for your help. We're cool.

[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 (http://www.troublefreepool.com/bleachcalc-t110.html)

Robert

[jeffvrba]

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?

You can send the entire sheet, I love Excel.

[BigTallGuy]

I think you can send me a PM now that I am a subscriber. I can send the file to whatever e-mail address you give me.

[BigTallGuy]

As I wrote, the reason for the higher CYA for an SWG pool is to reduce the rate of pH rise by reducing the rate of chlorine consumption thereby letting you lower your SWG on-time.

If you are not experiencing a pH rise that you find intolerable, adding a lot of acid every week, then you can certainly leave your CYA at 50 ppm and keep your FC at least at 2.5 ppm if not 3 ppm minimum. That's perfectly fine and is totally up to you. I was only explaining why a higher CYA is usually done in most SWG pools -- it is a legitimate reason that works well in most cases.

I have come an unbelievably long way since I joined this forum and I just wanted to post an all around Thank you to everyone, especially CarlD, Chem Geek, Watermom, and Ben (for providing and maintaining this forum). THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND TOLERATING THE NEWBIE.

My most recent stats are as follows:

CYA 50-55
FC - 3.0 (morning reading)
TC - 3.0
pH - 7.4 - 7.6

I now run the system for 5 hours a day, which is pretty close to what I ran it for using traditional Chlorine, and my SWCG is set at 80% output. This gives me a FC reading of 2.0 at sunset. I have only added less than 1 gallon of muriatic acid since I bought the box over 3 weeks ago (I hope this stuff don't go bad in the box). It only seems to require a cup or two every third day. So I would almost say this is a tolerable level.

The Crux of the issue is this. I went from "Turn it on for 12 hours a day and forget it" to a properly maintained, sparkling clean pool WITH NO BURNING EYES, and an electric bill that is as it was.

The only problem I have now is convincing my wife that I am not an excessive/compulsive pool fanatic.

[zmachines]

Hi BTDG (And others!),

This is my first post as a member and I just wanted to say I have been reading a lot over the past few days and I pretty much fall into BTDG shoes (as far as pools go ;).
I am a pool newbie with a SWG system (AutoPilot), all fresh and new and I decided at the last second to go this route because of this forum.
I plan to follow the advice given by the members to BTDG to get my pool going. I'm sure I'll have questions, but these four pages of post really hit home with my setup.

Just wanted to say Hi and Thanks!
Michael

[Watermom]

Hi, Michael! Just wanted to say hello and glad to have you here on the forum. It is a great place to learn and we are happy you found us!

[BigTallGuy]

Hi BTDG (And others!),

This is my first post as a member and I just wanted to say I have been reading a lot over the past few days and I pretty much fall into BTDG shoes (as far as pools go ;).
I am a pool newbie with a SWG system (AutoPilot), all fresh and new and I decided at the last second to go this route because of this forum.
I plan to follow the advice given by the members to BTDG to get my pool going. I'm sure I'll have questions, but these four pages of post really hit home with my setup.

Just wanted to say Hi and Thanks!
Michael

Hi Mike. Welcome. You came to the right place. This is the most incredible Forum. There is tons of support, knowledge, good information, tips, and world re-nowned experts to answer your questions all under one roof. Good Luck.