Pool Start Up

We are nearing completion of our new Gunite pool. This will be my second experience with a pool, but my first with a salt water Chlorine generator. Does anyone have any tips for me regarding the differences between a pool that is maintained with Chlorine and one that has an auto salt generator? Or just a suggestion of where I can go to get info that will help me understand the differences. At first look, I would assume that other than monitoring the salt level, all other things remain the same?

Your help is appreciated.

Micon, welcome to the forum! Operating a pool with the SWCG (salt water chlorine generator) isn't very different from a non SWCG pool. You do need to look after the salt level, but only after water is added to the pool (the salt only leaves the pool by backwashing and splashout). It's strongly recommended to keep a close eye on your pH, many swcg pools experience an upward creep, which requires regular additions of acid to correct (however, many pools never see this creep). The manufacturers recommend cya of 60 -80 ppm, do some research - it's your pool and your choice. You will probably want to read through the SWG and auto chlorinator section of the forum, there are some real experts that frequent there and have awesome advice to give.
In short, it's not too different from using more traditional chlorinating methods, you are just cutting out the middleman by generating your own chlorine.
Some folks say not to add the salt for 2 weeks after the plaster is applied, though others say that you can add it immediatly, I'd play it safe and wait the 2 weeks to protect your investment - you can get a 'floater' ( $10 or less) and use trichlor pucks until the salt system is ready to fire up, it adds chlorine and cya and will keep the pH down while the plaster cures.
On behalf of the nice folks here, I wish you well with your new pool and hope that you will use this forum to make your pool ownership experience as easy and hastle free as possible. Again, welcome! :) - Waste

Micon,

Wrote the post below for just this reason in the Chlorine Generator forum.

I agree with Waste about adding salt too soon, and I waited a month before adding salt after a replaster in my pool. I also used a floater with trichlor pucks, and have just removed it after getting my CYA up to nearly 100 ppm.

Enjoy your pool, and welcome to poolforum. We are here to answer all your questions.

Pat

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=1226

Thank you so much for your replies. I will try to read up on all the prior posts to educate myself as much as possible. My first pool was put in about 4 years ago and I maintained it (no problems) for 2 years with Bens kit and the advice of this forum. We moved to our new home 2 years ago (knowing that we would have to put another pool in when we could afford to do it). This pool is twice the size and we are really excited. Although I feel like I forgot everything about pool chemistry! So I am back on the forum trying to re-educate myself, ordered a new kit from Ben, and just needed to find out the difference the SWG would make. So I appreciate your quick responses.

I am just starting up my pool and find that I have iron in the water. Is there anything I can use to filter that out? I need help like yesterday. :eek:

Add a sequestering agent - like metal magic, metal magic by proteam is supposed to turn metals into crystals so that they can be filtered out. I haven't tried this product yet, but the other sequesterers do not get rid of them metals, they keep the metals in suspension so that they do not fall out onto the pool surface, or color the water. The other thing to watch is to keep your ph low except if using metal magic, it needs ph at 7.5 or higher) while getting the chlorine up to shock levels. When there is metals in the water, I strongly suggest that you use plain bleach to chlorinate the water. This way you can take the chlorine up slowly, and cal hypo shock sometimes reacts badly with metals. While taking the chlorine up, check for staining. If staining starts, add more sequesterer, making sure the ph is no higher than 7.2. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.