I have a 7000 gallon in ground indoor lap pool. Switched over to SWG about 3 months ago. Never having salt added before, I added 2- 40lb bags of pool salt. The salt levels started at 3200 ppm running the Pomade EC-8 at 50%. It climbed to 3800 ppm in about 2 weeks. So I bypassed the chlorine generator. Now today the salt levels read 4000 ppm. What could be going on?
4000 ppm salt reading and rising....
- Thread starter pmsweang
- Start date
How are you testing ?
Did you do a baseline test prior to adding ?
When was the last water exchange ?
Did you do a baseline test prior to adding ?
When was the last water exchange ?
I'm testing with an electronic probe device that reads temperature, pH, and salt levels. I have checked that against my Taylor test kit. They both read close to the same.
I did test the water prior to adding salt and it was already at 2200 ppm before adding salt.
I lose about ¼ inches in depth per week due to evaporation. The square footage of the pool is 288.
I did test the water prior to adding salt and it was already at 2200 ppm before adding salt.
I lose about ¼ inches in depth per week due to evaporation. The square footage of the pool is 288.
Ok GREAT. 2 sources more or less agree.
Great again and it's theoretically 3500ish. Taylor is accurate to 1 drop (200ppm). You are probably accurate to 1 drop also, when making 15+ of them. So if we allow a 400 ppm variance, 4000 isn't that much further off.
I'd monitor it and see what happens. I doubt the sensor is bad at 3 months, but then again, quality control has gone to crud everywhere.
Salt doesn't evaporate so it's a wash. You temporarily increase a tiny bit with less water and then dilute it a tiny bit. If the pool averages 5 ft deep, 1/4 inch is a 1/240th fluctuation or 14.5 salt at 3500 ppm. You'd never even know it was fluctuating.
Okay! Thanks for the response. I guess because my pool is indoors maybe I won't have to run the Swg constantly. I'll check it again for the next few days and see if it still increases. Because in only 2 weeks it's gone from 3300, 3400ppm to 4000. That's with bypassing the Swg.
pm,
It sounds to me that you think a Saltwater Chlorine Generator (SWCG) makes... "Salt" which it does not...
The SWCG uses the slightly saltwater to make chlorine.. No where in the above post did you even mention what your chlorine level is..
Did I just misunderstand your post???
Thanks
Jim R.
It sounds to me that you think a Saltwater Chlorine Generator (SWCG) makes... "Salt" which it does not...
The SWCG uses the slightly saltwater to make chlorine.. No where in the above post did you even mention what your chlorine level is..
Did I just misunderstand your post???
Thanks
Jim R.
Yes I understand that the salt water chlorine generator produces chlorine from salt through electrolysis.. I'm trying to figure out why the salinity percentages keep climbing with the SWCG Is bypassed
Those 2 are irrelevant.
The salinity changes if:
1). Salt is added. (+)
2). Water is exchanged. (-)
3). Bad sensor. (+/-)
4). Bad testing (+/-)
The SWG does not alter the salinity either way.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 64,851
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Salt can take a few days to dissolve and the level stabilize.
80lbs of salt would add 1400ppm of salt to a 7,000 gallon pool. If you started at 2200ppm then you should have around 3600 ppm. That is within the margin of testing error for 4,000ppm.
Are you sure your pool is 7000 gallons? If your pool is 6000 gallons then 1600ppm would be added giving 3800ppm.
SWCG being bypassed makes no difference in the salt level of the pool water.
80lbs of salt would add 1400ppm of salt to a 7,000 gallon pool. If you started at 2200ppm then you should have around 3600 ppm. That is within the margin of testing error for 4,000ppm.
Are you sure your pool is 7000 gallons? If your pool is 6000 gallons then 1600ppm would be added giving 3800ppm.
SWCG being bypassed makes no difference in the salt level of the pool water.
DavidArmenB
Well-known member
- Sep 7, 2022
- 262
- Pool Size
- 16500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
As said above, salt takes time to fully dissolve. There is a chance you took the first measurement before the salt had completely dissolved and before the solution had completely mixed with the entire body water. Then your second measurement was more close to the true concentration after the salt had days to get fully mixed in.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 15,974
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
There’s no reason to bypass the swg. As mentioned above that has no effect on the salinity level.
You do want to keep the swcg happy though. That may mean exchanging a little water if it’s throwing a high salt alarm.
If it is not throwing an alarm & is producing then it is happy. You should always confirm your actual salinity with independent testing. New cells will often show higher salinity than actual because it is a measure of conductivity & the plates have the most coating on them that they will ever have. As the cell’s coating depletes this will go down. The main hallmark that a cell is depleted is that it reads very low salt when the actual salinity is in range.
Meters & strips can be off by as much as 500ppm +/- so consider using the taylor k1766.
I’m Not having much luck finding the manual to see the tolerances of this particular unit as it is an off brand generic. That in itself may pose longevity/maintenance issues.
Its advertised output as it equates to lbs./24hrs is as shown below (ymmv on actual production)
An indoor residential pool may only need around 1ppm or so per day depending upon bather load.
You can tinker with
PoolMath effects of adding to help you adjust your run times/% to adequately maintain
FC/CYA Levels based on your testing.
You do want to keep the swcg happy though. That may mean exchanging a little water if it’s throwing a high salt alarm.
If it is not throwing an alarm & is producing then it is happy. You should always confirm your actual salinity with independent testing. New cells will often show higher salinity than actual because it is a measure of conductivity & the plates have the most coating on them that they will ever have. As the cell’s coating depletes this will go down. The main hallmark that a cell is depleted is that it reads very low salt when the actual salinity is in range.
Meters & strips can be off by as much as 500ppm +/- so consider using the taylor k1766.
I’m Not having much luck finding the manual to see the tolerances of this particular unit as it is an off brand generic. That in itself may pose longevity/maintenance issues.
Its advertised output as it equates to lbs./24hrs is as shown below (ymmv on actual production)
An indoor residential pool may only need around 1ppm or so per day depending upon bather load.
You can tinker with
PoolMath effects of adding to help you adjust your run times/% to adequately maintain
FC/CYA Levels based on your testing.
pm,
As others have pointed out above, running the cell makes no difference in your salt level. When the cell is running it does NOT use up any of the salt.
Thanks,
Jim R.
As others have pointed out above, running the cell makes no difference in your salt level. When the cell is running it does NOT use up any of the salt.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Maybe just maybe you are doing so many laps your body is sweating out all the salt!
Just kidding, your salt can only go up in concentration if the water evaporates. It can only go down from splash out or backwash.
Check your technique for salt testing.
Just kidding, your salt can only go up in concentration if the water evaporates. It can only go down from splash out or backwash.
Check your technique for salt testing.