using citric acid to remove metal stains...

[waterbear]

Thanks for the help, Evan. I'll doctor things up to get a better balance. Maybe I won't have to be adding acid quite as often if the water is buffered better. I do usually run the pool at a pH of 7.6. One question though - why so high on the CH?
To keep the water balanced with the other parameters I gave you since you have a plaster/fiberglass pool. I kept your Saturation Index within 'range' with a pH range up to 8.0 so you don't develop scaling conditions and there is some evidence higher CH can help prevent fiberglass staining. The parameters I gave you for CYA, pH and TA are to minimize your acid demand.
You asked about the salt - I used one of PoolDoc's test kits for that. I think it's more accurate because when I was relying on the Autopilot last year (too lazy to test
I am going to assume this includes all tests including pH and CYA, correct?), the chlorine just didn't seem to keep up with demand (sounds like low CYA) and I had to put the SWCG on the highest power setting. Now, with the higher salt level I put it back down to the "normal" power setting (there are three) and the water has been clean & clear all summer.
Did you raise your CYA?
In any case, it's in operating range as you pointed out; it just seems to run better/more efficiently now. I also read that the Autopilot will read the salt levels with varying accuracy depending on the temperature of the water.

Understand that the Autopilot is meaureing conductivity and not chloride ions like a chemical test. While the two are usually in the ball park they are not the same and for the sake of a SWG operation it's interested in the conductivity of the water and nothing more.
(Poolsean, Please correct me if I am wrong on any of this)
As far as the PoolPilot power settings, these should have nothing to do with salt level UNLESS you are running your salt way too low or unless your cell is fouled with calcium deposits and needs cleaning and cannot generate enough chlorine. The salt sensor in the AutoPilot is temperature corrected, which is why your cell output seems to fluctuate somewhat with temperature. My question for you was where was your CYA when you had to run at the higher power level? Low CYA is more likely to cause needed to bump the power than any other reason. Evan now at 50 ppm your CYA is too low and you should raise it to 80 ppm. This will translate into lower output setting which will translate into less CO2 outgassing which translates into more stable pH. The lower TA is also to lessen the outgassing of CO2. Ditto for not allowing the pH below 7.6 in normal operation. The lower you put the pH the faster you outgas CO2 and the faster pH rises.