Richard, your explanations of SWG chemistry are truly awesome, but I don't believe for NY second that the reason for the manufacturers' 70-80ppm CYA recommendation (I've actually seen 80-100ppm recommended) has anything to do with real-world chemistry. Rather, I suspect it has more to do with a slightly different interpretation of the acronym "CYA", rooted in the early days of the SWG evolution when reliable operation was not up to par with current devices. In a loss-of-power event, for example, high CYA levels would help to ensure that all your residual FC doesn't disappear on a sunny day before you've noticed something is amiss. I believe there is no longer any rationale justification for this recommendation other than my suspicion that the manufacturers have no interest in pursuing the matter and are content to leave it unchanged.
Personally, I barely manage to keep my CYA level above 25ppm, and have experienced no consequences from that during the four seasons I have operated my Pool Pilot SWG -- although I do test my FC and Ph quite often.
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