Balboa Pool Heater and Salt Generator

[MassPools]

Hi Everyone

I'm new to the board and have a question. I am installing a Goldline Controls Salt Generator into a spa system. The system is controlled by a balboa heater and remote. Are these systems compatible or will I have to run them separately?

There are 3 spa pumps; 1 small circulation pump, 1 two speed pump (heater and filter connected too), one 1hp pump for the salt generator. Don't ask me why there are 3 pumps that is the originally the way it was set up:)

Thanks!
Jimmy

[PoolDoc]

Hi Jimmy;

I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your question, but I wanted to post and caution you about the answers you may get. If either Waste or Waterbear know the answer, and post a reply, you can trust what they say. I doubt that Poconos, one of my super-mods knows, but if he does, you can trust his answer as well.

But . . . other folks, not so much. It's hard to get reliable answers to very specific electronic control questions. Most users here know their own pool and maybe one other pool; that's not much of a knowledge base to work from. My experience is mostly with very large commercial pools, and those sorts of controls are not used on them. Pool water has pretty much the same chemical composition, wherever you go (mostly H20 ;), but that's not true of electronics.

If you're having this installed, I'd put this monkey on your installer's back: make him responsible, not just for installing it, but for it working properly, with payment tied to performance. Failing that, you need to educate yourself, and I'd start with calling the customer service department at both Goldline and Balboa.

Good luck!

[CarlD]

There is one more pool professional here you can trust, PoolSean. He's actually expert on SWCG systems, so if he contributes you can rely on him as well. Waste and Waterbear generally chime in a lot more, but PoolSean's advice is always good.

Carl

[Poolsean]

Don't know how I missed this one Carl, but, thanks! Where do I send the check to?

The three pumps confuse me too. I would only "Guess" that the Goldline is on it's own pump, if there's a timer function tied to it, to avoid overchlorination. My guess is that it may be tied to operate only in the High Speed mode, which is most likely when the spa is being used and in need of chlorination.
Is the Goldline the original salt system made for your spa?

[CarlD]

To the charity of your choice!

Carl

[waterbear]

To the best of my knowledge Balboa Water Group does not make pool heaters, only spa heaters (They manufacture whirlpool bath and spa controls, heat packs, bath and spa jets, etc.) and Goldline ( Hayward) does not make a system for spas, just for pools. I do not know what the heat exchanger material is in your heater but if it is copper it probably is not designed to be used with a salt system. The newer Balboa heaters are titanium, however. How big is your spa? Is this a stand alone spa or is it a pool/spa combo? Is this a portable acrylic shell spa or a built in and if it is built in is it plaster, fiberglass, or acrylic?

There are salt systems specifically designed for spas such as the Colorchlor and Technichlor from Controlomatic and the NexaSpa salt sytem. If you are installing the salt system in a spa only and not a pool/spa combo then one of these is a better choice since the Aquarite is not really designed for a spa (which is why they have a 3rd pump for the salt system. 2 pumps in a spa are not uncommon when we are talking about stand alone portable acrylic spas. One pump is a small 24 hour ciruculation pump, often connected to a ozone generator, and the second is the pump that is connected to the filter and heater for the jets. The third pump for the SWCG is not standard and personally, I find it disturbing since that means unfiltered water would flow through the salt cell and that is not a good idea.