Looking for Advice - Possible SWG Convert

Josh,

I have nothing against SWGs--as I've said I've looked and looked at them but just cannot justify them in MY installation when I do the cost versus the benefit for ME.

In my pool the water feels very soft--I accidentally added about 160 lbs of softener sea salt to it (don't ask...) That "feel" can be gotten with a few bags of sea salt--40lb bags are, what?, $5 each.

If the idea is the "feel", it's STILL a lot less expensive to just add some salt and to stay ahead of your water. There's no compelling reason not to (unless you have a low-sodium swimmer).

The two main advantages I see to SWG is GREATLY reduced chorine purchases (meaning taking the time and effort to buy and carry the stuff home--lots of gallons, jug disposal, handling, etc) and less maintenance--you can pretty much leave your pool for a week if you go away without worry, and if you schedule is SO crazy you can't always get to the pool, it can help to have an SWG.

Of course, the obvious third reason is if you plan on selling your house in the near future an SWG already installed makes a pool FAR more attractive to a novice ("you don't need to add chlorine--it makes its own").

If these reasons are compelling enough for you and your lifestyle, by all means, install an SWG. There are lots of good ones out there.

Carl, and everyone else who replied to my original post,

I appreciate everyone's insight and advice. Still haven't decided, but maybe if I look around at the various products and pricing that will help.

Carl,
You mentioned that there are plenty of good models out there.......any recommendations? Anyone else with a recommendation (and why)?

TIA,
SteveK

Of course I'm partial to the unit I own, the Autopilot DIG-220. No issues so far, and Poolsean here at the forum is a great and honest source of information and support (he works for Autopilot). The Autopilot has two programmable on/off timers, shows temp and salinity level on a digital display, has freeze protection, controls the pump, has capability of adding an ORP system and automated pH control loop if desired. I scoured eBay for 3 months and finally found a great price on my unit from a priviate party (about the price of a replacement cell).

However, several other forum members (Waterbear) appear to have good luck with other model types. Do lots of homework to compare price/features for your needs and buy from a reputable vendor and I think you'll be happy with any choice.

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Originally Posted by nater

However, several other forum members (Waterbear) appear to have good luck with other model types. Do lots of homework to compare price/features for your needs and buy from a reputable vendor and I think you'll be happy with any choice.

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I went with the Goldline Aqualogic PS-8 since I wanted the automation also and at the time it was the only automation unit with an integrated salt cell controller. I am not sorry that I did. I LOVE it and it works flawlessly! (Only regret is that I did not upgrade to the PS-16. I now know what I could have used those extra relays for!)
However, IMHO, the PoolPilot Digital has the best bells and whistles. It is not the easest unit to set up for a novice (and DO NOT trust your dealer to get it set up right for you. I have seen just too many improperly set up units installed by very reputable pool builders!) nor is it among the less expensive ones but once you get over the learning curve it is very easy to operate and has some features that make it one of the best choices out there and worth every penny! Bottom line, even some of the less expensive and fancy units like the Resiliance and the Zodiac work quite well at generating chlorine for your pool.

Ditto with what Waterbear said. I was purchasing a controller anyway and the SWG was only $400 more so it was a no brainer for me. I would easily pay for that in chlorine over the life of the cell.

The Aqualogic is pretty a good value and had everything that I needed. But the main reason I went with the unit is because all of my equipment was Hayward and so is Goldline so I got an extended warranty for free.

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In my pool the water feels very soft--I accidentally added about 160 lbs of softener sea salt to it (don't ask...) That "feel" can be gotten with a few bags of sea salt--40lb bags are, what?, $5 each.

If the idea is the "feel", it's STILL a lot less expensive to just add some salt and to stay ahead of your water. There's no compelling reason not to (unless you have a low-sodium swimmer).

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Carl,

you mentioned that you add sea salt to your BBB pool. I have an IG 27,000 gal. vinyl pool using the BBB method. Can I add sea salt to it and get the soft "feel"? If so how much should I add?

Thanks

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Originally Posted by alapool

Carl,

you mentioned that you add sea salt to your BBB pool. I have an IG 27,000 gal. vinyl pool using the BBB method. Can I add sea salt to it and get the soft "feel"? If so how much should I add?

Thanks

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Um, I did it accidentally. If you WANT it, I would start with one 80 lb bag of sea salt. If you don't notice a difference, add a second. It's going to take time to dissolve--the SWG folks can tell you how long--I don't think you want 80 lb of salt directly on your liner! I'd punch holes in the bag and let it dissolve slowly, and I'd keep it off the bottom.

Slowly add salt this way till it feels the way you like it--if it tastes salty, it's too much and you'll want to drain some and add fresh water. Better still is to get a salt test kit and aim for the low end of the range.

If you are just looking to improve the "feel" of your water, read this thread: The Great Tetraborate Experiment!

Adding the right amount of Borax (up to 50 ppm) can improve the "feel" and also help control algae.

I want to thank everyone who provided recommendations, advice, and information.

But I have one question remaining -- will I need to increase the duration of my pool filtering times? I realize the answer depends to some degree on the 'chlorine demand' of my pool.

I have a 30,000 gallon, vinyl liner, in-ground pool. Since switching from bacquacil to chlorine, I run my filter in 2 shifts, each 4 hours long.

In looking at on-line sellers for products like Aqua-Rite, I see one who has apparent manufacturer's literature that states "no change in filtering times or duration". Yet, when I go to the Goldine/Aqua-Rite website, I see no such claim. That leads me to believe that this is an old marketing claim that proved to be wrong over the last few years, but the seller is still using the old marketing info.

Sorry if I seem paranoid, I just don't want to drop several hundred dollars onto a convenience product and find out that that my filtering times will go way up.

Any additional insights on this?

Thanks!

I don't believe there's a direct correlation between filtering times and chlorination with or without a SWG. I've had the AquaRite for several years and have not had to adjust my filtering times when using the generator. My pool is 20k,ig, vinyl and in the heat of the summer here in Indiana the timer is set for 8 hours.

One thing you might consider is that the AquaRite runs on a 100 minute cycle. So....if you're running a 4 hour morning cycle and have the Aquarite set for 50% you won't get the full end cycle. In other words, from 1-100 minutes, will run for 50 minutes, 100-200 minutes, 50 minutes, 200-240 minutes will only get you 40 minutes, obviously. Not a big deal but the only example I can think of when you might want to bump up the filtering a few minutes.

Hope this helps, Tony