new salt water system - which one?

[mike_311]

Hi all. i have an above ground pool that i haven't opened yet for the season and i am considering converting to saltwater.

the pool is ~7500 gallons.

i see all over the internet different products but im not sure which are good. how much should i expect to pay for a good system and what are some brands/products i should look for?

thanks.

[PoolDoc]

SWCG's aren't usually recommended for above ground pools. On most pools, if you install one, it will void the warranty. Exceptions incude Intex's pools, since they are almost all plastic. But, metal wall pools and salt aren't a good mix.

[mike_311]

lets assume i am willing to take that risk, which brands are good?

[PoolDoc]

From what I've seen, the preferred choices would be Hayward / Goldline Aquarite or AutoPilot. In getting the links, I just noticed that AutoPilot has an above-ground unit. Sean Assam, an AutoPilot service manager, is a regular here, so he may have more info on those. My own experience is with Pentair Intellichlor units, which are not thought of as well. (And Pentair doesn't think of them as well, either: they've been shortening the warranty on them!)

I just noticed that both AutoPilot & Hayward have above-ground units. They look like they're pretty new . . . which is always a reason for caution. But the AutoPilot unit is rated to operate at 1,000 ppm of salt, which is not a problem for AG pools -- you'll go above that in a summer's chlorine use. Here's the brochure. Personally, I wouldn't recommend that unit (or any unit!) if it's new this year.

The Hayward / Goldline unit is available from Amazon; there are several models, and I don't know what the differences are; they all seem to be about $475. Here's the "Goldline AQ-TROL-RJ AquaTrol Above-Ground Pool Return Jet Chlorinator", and the brochure for that unit.

But, several people here know more about the individual models, than I do.

[mike_311]

i was looking at the Hayward/goldline unit on amazon but i have no idea if i was cheapening out at $475 or if its a solid unit.

i thought that 3000ppm was the requirement for proper chlorination.

im new to all this, so pardon my ignorance. i m guessing the lower the salt level the better for AG pools, is there a minimum or is it what ever the unit runs at?

[PoolDoc]

Most US SWCG require around 3,500 ppm for operation -- this includes the Hayward model above.

The AutoPilot model caught my eye, because it only required 1,000 ppm. I'll see if I can find out if it's brand new (and thus, untested).