Pool stored!

[Beautye350]

AnnaK,

1.) When I am buying salt for my pool I look for the highest purity and no additives.

What I usually end up buying is item# 25654 from lowes.com

Pellets and 99.8%

Lowes does have "Pool Salt" on their webpage, but I've not seen it in the stores local to me and it is 99.6%
Their "Solar Salt" is 99.6% and is about $2 cheaper per 40lb bag. I imagine it would work, but it doesn't meet my first need of getting the highest purity possible. I'd go to another Lowes or HomeDepot store to get it if my closest one was out.

2.) Say NO to copper.

3.) Answered by Chem Geek

4.) There was a learning curve to mine, but once you get the hang of it there is no easier method of sanitation in my opinion.

Hope this helps.


Regards,

Mark

[waterbear]

So. My questions:

1. Is regular solar salt okay or must it be powdered salt?
2. Is it true that a SWCG pool needs some copper in the water? If so, how is the copper added? Isn't it copper which turns blond hair green?
3. What kind of testing do you do with a SWCG? My guess is, the same as with BBB.
4. How complicated is it to adjust the system so it runs smoothly?

I know next to nothing about SWCGs. I would like to be able to help her and be supportive, maybe even teach her how to get away from the pool store although past history doesn't make me very hopeful.

1. It is fine...often purer than so called "pool salt" (I use the solar salt myself, it IS cheaper!)
2. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
(Yes, copper turns hair green and stains pools!)
3. Same tests as BBB and also test for salt (Aquacheck salt test strips are what I would recommend). If they add borates (which I would HIGHLY recommend) use the LaMotte borate test strips! I have three dogs, they can be taught that the pool is NOT a big water bowl!
4. Keep salt at recommended level or slightly higher (3200-3400 ppm for Hayward)
CYA 80 PPM for Hayward
FC adjust the output to maintain 3-5 ppm
pH no lower than 7.6. When it climbs to 7.8 or 8.0 lower it back down to 7.6 (acid demand test useful here!) DON"T LET pH CLIMB ANY HIGHER and don't drop it below 7.6 unless lowering TA).
TA between 60-80 ppm (uncorrected TA. THIS is one of the most important water balance parameters to maintain pH stability!)
CH over 100 ppm for vinyl.
Borates 30-50 ppm (won't hurt the dogs if they just swim. If they think the pool is their outside water bowl they need to be trained... put in a call to Cesar Milan! )

The above parameter work! Period!
They do need a good test kit (Taylor K-2006 fas/dpd kit with acid and base demand....acid demand is useful with a SWG) and do need to test their water. If they rely on the pool company or pool store they will continue to have problems and throw a LOT of money into the pool!

If they have a cartridge filter then the water will remain more "stable". If they have a sand or DE filter that is backwashed then they need to keep closer tabs on salt, CYA, and borates, which will drop with each backwash and will need to be 'bumped up' more often.

Hope this is helpful.

BTW, the post that Riichard referred you to was originally written by me back in the day before TFP had its current owner.

[CarlD]

The one thing everyone did not mention was that you should NOT add table salt to your pool--most edible salt contains iodine and I gather iodine is VERY bad for swimming water, especially SWG pools.

Evan: you need calcium for an SWG even in a vinyl pool? Please explain.

[AnnaK]

Thank you all for taking an interest in this situation. I am passing all your suggestions on to my friends.

I learned that the pool company will come weekly for the first 4 weeks after the installation to set the equipment up and get it running—but from what I've read here it'll take more than once-a-week attention to get it running right]. I will again try to sell her on the idea of a good test kit and doing her own testing.