The easiest way to determine the "Value or Return on Investment" on whether to purchase a SWCG is to calculate how much you currently spend on Chlorine using your current method. For fun let's say you spend $200 per season, then next, price out a SWCG that is rated 2-3 times larger than your pool. For example, if you have a 12,000 gallon pool, look for a SWCG that is rated for a 24,000 - 36,000 gallons. O.K. lets just say you pick one that costs $1000, add about $200 for installation, and you will see that a typical unit will take about 5-6 years to break even. Now, no one but you can calulate the convenience factor, but you can get a rough estimate at what you're looking at cost wise.

And, FWIW, I love my SWCG, it is the best thing I ever did to my pool.