Looking for Circupool Review

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UPDATE:

Don Uhle, owner of Circupools, contacted me with both information and references, and provided very reasonable evidence that his company and his products are legitimate.

The information I had collected and posted below was not inaccurate, but it did give a misleading impression so I have removed it.

I should also add that Don has been very patient with me about updating this, and I am embarrassed that it has taken me so long to fix it.

PoolDoc
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Hi,
I'm a new user here, and went over the forums seeking information on Circupool review as I see they are well priced and fit my budget.
I have a 36,000 L (~10,000 Gal) in-ground pool and am considering the RJ20 model.
The SWCG comparison thread didn't list them, and searching the forums I only found couple of posts, most relevant of which being this.

Circupool-SWCG

I'm not sure I understand the response given by poolsean, perhaps there's a subtle message that a newbie like me wouldn't catch.

Basically I'd like to get others opinions whether Cirupool is a good choice to consider or should I stay away from it.
The feature set and the price point is appealing to me, however as they say it, the devil is in the details.

Any advice would greatly be appreciated, their pre-season specials end on March 31st 2012, so I prefer to commit before the deadline assuming that it is a worthy option deemed by the experts here.

Thanks


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PoolDoc Note:

I've split this thread into the ORIGINAL topic:

Looking-for-Circupool-Review

and the FINAL topic:

Decided-on-AquaRite

This thread is the Circupool thread, and most of the AquaRite discussion has been deleted.

Wow Ben,
that's amazing research you did, much much appreciated, are you also a PI by any chance :)

You certainly convinced me to stay away, even if the unit is good and legitimate, I'd have no assurance that in few years when the cells die, it would still be in business or these model parts would be easily available.

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PoolDoc note: the deleted material above showed that Don had been involved in a number of small businesses, on and off the Internet, thus leading to the conclusion that Circu-Pool might not be around for a long time. As noted above, this turned out to be an unjustified conclusion.
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the RJ20 (20,000 Gal) unit on special @ $579 was very appealing, though if I need to replace it with another unit when the cell dies won't be very appealing.

What would you recommend for a pool of my Size, obviously I prefer just like anyone else I prefer not spend too much, however it's more important for me to get a reliable unit that would last for a long time and parts would remain to be easily available in years to come.

I live in Canada in a colder climate, and have no heater :(
Will install it myself.

Also, is a model for 20,000 Gal pool a good size to look at? (my pool is 10,000 Gal)

Any guidance is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Best unit? I don't know. I only have personal experience with the Pentair units, but it's my impression that they are NOT the best. PoolSean can't recommend his (by forum rules) but I do get the impression that a lot of people prefer the AutoPilot.

Size? Buy big, but make sure you can turn it down. SWCG life is a function of cell on-time. A unit that's 2x larger will be on 1/2 as much . . . but does NOT usually cost 2x as much. The only problems with a much over-sized unit is if you can't turn it low enough. HOWEVER, if you install the power supply with a PLUG-IN connection, you can put a plug in outdoor time clock between the power and the power supply, and that will allow you to turn the SWCG down as much as you like, if you buy a unit that isn't sufficiently adjustable.

My recommendation would be a pool pilot with the RC-42 cell or R-52 cell or a Hayward/Goldline Auqarite with a T-15 cell. Both are proven, dependable units from majro companies with good track records. Personally I would stay away from the Zodiac units (which include Jandy since they are owned by Zodiac).
Pentair units have had problems in the past but my understanding is that they have solved their problems. I have no direct experience with them. WaterMaid units are also worth looking into. They are an Austrailian company but do have US distribution channels.

Just my 2 cents.

Here are options:

Aqua-Rite In-Ground Chlorine Generator - up to 40K -- Amazon, $1060 + $0 shipping

Aqua Rite In-Ground Chlorine Generator up to 40,000 -- Amazon, $950 + $12 shipping

Goldline Controls Aqua Rite Salt Chlorination -- A1PoolParts, $1059 + $0 shipping

For comparison, here's an AutoPilot 40K pool unit:
AutoPilot 110/220-Volt Digital Chlorine Generator with Super Cell -- Amazon, $1454 + $0 shipping

Quote:

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Originally Posted by badabing

Many of the sellers they give limited time 15-30 days for a return on a defective product.

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I wouldn't buy it, till I was ready to use it. If you wait a month or so to install it, you won't likely get full replacement if DOA. I don't know specifically about Hayward handling warranties. In my case, I've usually purchased wholesale, so if it breaks, whether it's Pentair or Hayward , I still just take it back to my local SCP, and say "Here, it broke. Gimme my money back!"

You're not going to get that result from buying online. You aren't going to get (I don't think) fast in-season warranty response from the majors --they are swamped, too. I know that my local SCP tends to pile up difficult warranty stuff till August or September, when they've got more time to fight over it.

If you can find a trustworthy local seller or installer . . . you'll get much better response if something goes wrong. You're unlikely to be able to duplicate that online. I've never returned anything to Amazon, but I've heard they'll give you your money back, if you get it back to them AND if THEY sold it. But most of the SWCGs I liked to on Amazon were 3rd party sales, and I've heard mixed stories about those.

Bottom line: if you are are really worried about warranty, hunt for a trustworthy local, and pay the extra it takes to buy from him. In part, the money you save online is a trade-off for greater risk and less service.

Unfortunately, life often presents us with two choices, neither of which is optimal. :(

I got this response from Don Uhele on that other website

Quote:

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Our company, Discount Salt Pool, is the exclusive distributor for CircuPool in the USA. The units are made by Compu Pool in Australia, in business since 1979.

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I was wrong they do sell other SWCG on their website, I was on the comparison page http://www.discountsaltpool.com/Full...Comparison.htm which only has a link to Circupool brand, not the homepage. What still makes me skeptical is their top models make so much more chlorine than the Compu pool.

I finally got AquaRite 40K with T-15 Cell installed and I have a concern / question.


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PoolDoc note: at this point the thread took a new direction: those posts are now here:
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?16244
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.
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I've split this thread into the ORIGINAL topic:

Looking-for-Circupool-Review

and the FINAL topic:

Decided-on-AquaRite

This thread is the Circupool thread, and most of the AquaRite discussion has been deleted.

The pool company I went with only sells hayward so I got the T-15 cell

Hi.
My name is Donald Uhle and along with my brother Ken, own the company that is the exclusive distributor in North America for CircuPool products. I’m happy to provide details about our company and I encourage any interested parties to check us out: You will find that we are good people doing an honest business.
We started our business in 1997 with the Texas Corporation Pace Aero Corp and in 2004, it was furthered as Pace Research Ltd. Our legal DBA’s have been PoolBids.com and Discount Salt Pool. We’re a brick-and-mortar business with a staff of seven located in our own commercial building in Waller, Texas. Ken and I are hands-on operators and the wholesale/retail trade of salt chlorine generators is 99% of what we do.
Our product line includes SWCG’s from Hayward, Pentair, Jandy, SGS, Solax, CompuPool and CircuPool. The CircuPool brand is made by CompuPool, in Australia since 1979. We have no relationships with Asian factories. Lastly, we strongly support the CircuPool products with parts and service and we are backed up by the CompuPool warranty folks in Apopka, Florida. As we know, the after-sale support of SWCG’s in any brand is very important and after selling many, many thousands of CircuPool units, our A+ rating with the BBB is not an accident. We have a terrific staff that goes above and beyond for our customers seven days a week. Please call or visit us anytime.
Thanks for the opportunity to respond.
Donald Uhle, President
Pace Research Ltd, DBA Discount Salt Pool

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As noted in the edited posts above Don has verified, to my satisfaction, the legitimacy of his business.

This doesn't settle the question, "Which SWCG is best?", but should remove questions regarding his business per se.

Sincerely,

Was just lurking around and wanted to add that the circupool cell looks identical to my compupool cell. So it is very obvious that compupool is the manufacturer. I am going on year 3 with my system with original cell. I'm going to do a cleaning on it this year since I have not done it yet but there is almost no trace of buildup on my cell. One thing I did from the start is that I made a little cover to put over my cell to keep it out of almost full day sun just to take that extra step.

One thing I think I tripped over by accident is that the Compu-Pool CPSC 24 and the Compu-Pool CPSC 36 seem to use the same controller. It appears that there is an internal setting that you can change for the specific cell you are using. So, If you have a CPSC 24 and want to bump up to a CPSC 36, I think you only have to buy the bigger cell and change the setting. You don't have to buy an new controller.

Can anyone verify this?

I can't confirm how that model operates, but what you theorize is exactly how you do it with the Aqua Rite units. There is a configurable option for cell type when you set up the control panel

Lord of the Cells: "One panel to control them all."

The CPSC24 and 36 have different power supplies and the transformer in the CPSC24 is not capable of powering the CPSC36 cell. The software in all models has the settings for all cell sizes (amperage) but the rest of the hardware is size specific.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pacecorp

The CPSC24 and 36 have different power supplies and the transformer in the CPSC24 is not capable of powering the CPSC36 cell. The software in all models has the settings for all cell sizes (amperage) but the rest of the hardware is size specific.

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That is fantastic information. You probably just saved me a lot of time, trouble, and money. I had planned to try to upgrade and get off easy, but I guess there is no free lunch in SWCG's. I love this forum!

Thanks for your reply - BTG.

I purchased a Circupool RJ-15 and got a free upgrade to a larger RJ-20 model in March 2012. Because of problems not related to the SWCG system I did not get everything up and running until July. When I powered up the control unit I discovered a problem with the display screen and programing area making the unit not to work properly. I contacted Cirupool about the problem. They emailed me a return shipping label and had UPS come out to pick the package up. They shipped a new controler out that I recieved in 2 days. They also adjusted my warranty start date from March 2012 to July 2012. The replacement controler worked perfectly all last season. Running at 50% output for 10 hours a day my CL level was maintained at 7 ppm all season. The only downside to the SWCG was the rise in PH level it creats from the CO2 gassing while clorine is created. I really like the fact that the generator cell is clear wher you can actually observe the gassing process take place. You can also see actualy the amount of any buildup on the generator plates. The unit automaticly changes polarity during operation which serves to self clean the generator cell plates. The operating instructions say it may be necessary to clean the generator cell in a murtic acid and water mixture once or twice a season. But so far the plates have had no noticeable buildup after one season. The cell is easily removed if needing service and to drain the system for winterizing. Their customer service was great and the product seems well made. I think from my experence after the first season it will be operating for many years. Their are no way to be sure any of the companys that produce SWCG will be around several years from now. But from the quality of Circupools equipment and customer service its a good bet they will be in business for a long time

I got my RJ30 at the beginning of pool season last year. Easy to install and so far works great. I have a 25000 gal pool and I only have to run it at 30% 8 hours a day.