AquaRite - Low Chlorine Output

[SJohnson]

Hi everyone . . . newly installed aquarite unit on a 18k new gunite/quartz pool, filled a week ago. My chlorine levels don't seem to want to go above 1.5-2 ppm, with output of cell set to 45%, up from 35% with no noticable difference. Just wanted to run this by everyone to see if there is something I'm missing . . . everything seems to be fine, so this may not even be a problem. Here are my test #'s::

pH - 7.4 (It's a battle keeping this in range, 2 quarts a day on average, new plaster/SWG is responsible, I'm assuming ...)
FC - 2 ppm
CC - 0 ppm (this is what makes me think that everything is working fine ...)
TA - 90-100
CH - 290
CYA - 60 and probably rising ...
Salt - 3000-3100 (would bumping this up help?)

Thanks!!

SJohnson

[waterbear]

what is your pump run time? Increasing that can increase your chlorine levels.
your numbers look pretty good. I keep my salt at between 3200-34000 ppm but increasing the salinity does not increase chlorine output.

[SJohnson]

Pump runs 7 hours, 4 at night, 3 during the day . . . AquaLogic. Probably more lately since it's been pretty windy the last few days. It's a 1 hp Northstar, so I know I'm getting enough turnover, or does that not matter?

Thanks,

SJohnson

[waterbear]

It's just that a longer pump run time will mean more chlorine production for a given setting of your chlorinator's output.

[PatL34]

Hi everyone . . . newly installed aquarite unit on a 18k new gunite/quartz pool, filled a week ago. My chlorine levels don't seem to want to go above 1.5-2 ppm, with output of cell set to 45%, up from 35% with no noticable difference. Just wanted to run this by everyone to see if there is something I'm missing . . . everything seems to be fine, so this may not even be a problem. Here are my test #'s::

pH - 7.4 (It's a battle keeping this in range, 2 quarts a day on average, new plaster/SWG is responsible, I'm assuming ...)
FC - 2 ppm
CC - 0 ppm (this is what makes me think that everything is working fine ...)
TA - 90-100
CH - 290
CYA - 60 and probably rising ...
Salt - 3000-3100 (would bumping this up help?)

Thanks!!

SJohnson

What you are battling is the curing of your gunite pool as calcium carbonate is being leached from the bottom and the walls.

Keep adding the muriatic acid the way you are doing and brush the walls and bottom daily, and vacuum to waste, until you start to see the FC chlorine level rise. This part requires a lot of patience with a new pool. 7.4 - 7.6 pH is fine at this stage.

The rest of your water chemistry is fine except for for the salt level which should be raised as suggested by Waterbear. Don't let the CYA get much above 80 ppm, as it will start to hold too much chlorine back.

Hope this helps.

Pat

[Theusla]

I run my pump 8 hours a day. 4 on high and 4 on low. I have to set my generator at 55%.