thoughts on autopilot SWG level

[tenax]

i have a bit of a challenge. i have yet to start my autopilot as my chlorine level up until today has been way high from the shocking prior to installation. i will start to run it by tomorrow and my guesstimate is i'll be about 3ppm (it was 5 yesterday) the challenge i have is i'm out of town for a week starting monday, and i'm trying to get a sense of how high to set the output level while i'm away. i've read 50% is not a bad place for startup..but i'm guessing that that'll be high given it will be at 3 level when i fire it up. my pool is about 12,000 gallons, cya level of 60-80 if anyone has advice? i want to keep it up so i don't get algae, but don't want it really high of course for sake of other equipment and why run it higher than i have to? if it helps, i note that it is expected at this point between 14 and 24 next week (celcius). enough reason if it gets that cold to shut my heater down before i leave, anyway

thanks

T

[Spensar]

So if you err on the side of caution and run it high, that will still be a lot lower and less chlorine than wiping out an algae bloom would take.

... or get some jugs of bleach and have someone dump one in the pool every second day as an interim measure until you have a better feel for the system.

[tphaggerty]

Run it high, 50% or so. Much easier to let the chlorine go away than to build it up.

I have recently run into much higher chlorine levels with my Aquarite because the water temp has dropped dramatically due to the rain and we have started putting the cover on due to colder nights. FC went from normal 4 to about 11 or 12 over 3 or 4 days. I just turned the SWG way down and opened the pool, with the sunlight on it, the FC will drop by itself, even with a high CYA.

[tenax]

sounds like good advice guys..thanks..i was more concerned i might get 30ppms or something at 50% silly me i guess..thanks!

[Poolsean]

hmmmm, at cell power 3 you will way overchlorinate. Drop it to cell power 1 @50% while you're away. When you get back, you can play with the % at cell power 3.

[tenax]

damn..i had an edit all written up and hit the wrong button..so, riddle me this:

- power level 1 extends cell life..i think i get that. why would i ever want to run it on any other power level..unless, my guess is a higher power level is required to maintain output level as the cell gets older, gets scaled, etc.

-is it a fairly safe correlation to say for example, that a power level 1 setting of 5 volts divided by power level 2 6.4 volts x the output setting in % (i.e. 50%) is an ok ballpark relationship to make. doing the math on this example, 50% on power level 2 is 40% of total available output on power level 1.

-is it easier on cell life then to run it at power level 1 and say 60% than it is to run it at power level 2 and 50%..(assuming those are fairly equivalent chlorine output levels resulting)

i had had it on power level 2, about 20% given my chlorine level was 3-4 ppm today..but i've now switched it to power 1 and 50%.