Mimi's delimma..

[Watermom]

Your pH may or may not be 8.4. When you test pH while the chlorine levels are that high (unless you have a K-2006 kit), then you will typically get falsely high pH readings. Wait until the chlorine is below 5 and then test pH again.

[mimidjets]

Ok great! WHEN I do get ready to turn my SWG back on to maintain, should I run during the day or at night? I had been running at night for 8 hours. I have heard different stories about that. Like you are wasting time running during the day because of the sun and heat. OR you need to run during the day because of the sun and heat. What is the right thing to do?

[aylad]

I'll let one of the SWCG folks chime in with a definitive answer, but if it were my pool I would run it during the day--I would want the chlorine production happening when it's needed most, which is when the sun is out burning up what chlorine is in the water. If you run it at night, you will have to make sure that there's enough residual chlorine in the pool ALL DAY so that you don't fall below your minimum level by night time. Makes more sense to me to run it during the day...but that's just me thinkin'

Janet

[mimidjets]

Makes sense to me too. Just want to do the right thing. Don't want to battle that green water again! Thanks for your thoughts!

[aylad]

You won't battle the green water again, as long as you keep your chlorine levels where they need to be--the question is, is it easier for you to do that by running it at night, or during the day?

Janet

[mimidjets]

Yea, that's what I need to figure out. If anyone has done this and knows the answer as to what worked for you, please share. I have a friend that runs hers at night, but her chlorine levels are always a little low.

[aylad]

The only way you're going to know for sure what works best in your pool is to experiment with it...run it at night, test at various times during the day, and see if your chlorine is holding. If so, fine...if not, then try running it during the day, then test after it's off, and again the next morning. If it holds overnight, then there's your answer

One thing you might want to check into--I understand that there are some places in the country where the electricity rates are lower at night than during the day, and that might make a difference in when you want to run it--but if you want to avoid the green water, you're going to need to run it at whatever time is necessary to keep your chlorine levels consistent.