Decided on AquaRite

[PoolDoc]

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

[badabing]

Thanks Ben,
I gather that should be a decent market price.

One last question (I promise ... I hope )
Goldline and Hayward are the same right?
if not then what are the differences and if one is recommended more over the other?

Thanks

[PoolDoc]

Goldline Controls

Hayward® Industries, Inc., acquired Goldline Controls® in August 2004. The joining of Goldline and Hayward provides pool owners the first single source of the total pool management system, including pumps, filters, heaters, cleaners, lighting, salt chlorination and pool and spa automation. Goldline Controls continues to operate in North Kingstown, RI with a complete staff of engineering, operations and employees.

[badabing]

As properly guessed, I'm back with more questions.

If I buy this unit now, I won't have be able to power it on and run it before the warm season, and over here up north, it would be a while.
Many of the sellers they give limited time 15-30 days for a return on a defective product.
Is there anything I could do to test or check the unit without opening the pool? (I fear the answer is NO)

Also if I buy it online, does Hayward honor warranty?
In case seller says deal with the manufacturer?

Thanks

[PoolDoc]

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

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.

Thanks Ben,
When I saw that website I became suspicious because the only brand you could buy was circupool. I came here to find some info and you did a great job. I did find out from this website poolproductreviewsmagazine.com that same guy owns the distribution company. This is a quote from that review, " This month I am reviewing a Salt Chlorine Generator System distributed in the U.S. by Pace Research Ltd, the parent company of PoolBids, in business since 1997." I also noticed the first article on circipool.com was written by a Donald Uhle, President of Discount salt pool not Ken. Also the 7 year warranty is prorated after the 1st year, scroll down to the bottom for Don's post. http://www.troublefreepool.com/haywa...wg-t24532.html

I'd bet that someone in the Uhle clan also owns poolproductreviewsmagazine.com. It doesn't look like they are crooks, but it does look like they'd be pretty good selling used cars!

[badabing]

Thanks Ben
I appreciate your response, and I would tend to agree with you about going local, however the local distributors / shops here are the biggest crooks, horrible prices (it would cost me at least double that price) and terrible service, talk about used car salesman,
it's unbelievable how busy they are during the warm season, which by the way is way too short over here, they have no reason to increase their service level or lower their prices.
That's mainly why I wanted to shop online and install it myself.

You convinced me to wait till the swimming season and then buy (hope the prices won't go up during the warm season), so that at least I could test for DOI,
I know it's a gamble/risk, but I'm better off than going local.

I'm going to call Hayward Canada and see if they have any local recommendation that is competitive in prices and service.

Many thanks for your input.

[PoolDoc]

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

[badabing]

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

After making sure I followed all instructions and recommendation,
when I connect the power to the unit.

for 30 seconds or so, the no-flow indicator flashes, and then it disappears, I'm assuming that this is normal until it kicks into detecting that there is flow (I'm merely mentioning this in case it has any bearing on the main issue which I'll describe next)

I set it to Auto, and the Generating led comes on and everything seems to be normal
I do the diagnostic test and see all the numbers in the normal range. (I have it set to generate between 25% - 30%)

However after some minutes (not exactly sure about the exact number)
if I run diagnostic again, I see that "Cell Current" is 0 instead of normal 4.50 to 7.80 amps (this was ok just some minutes ago )

Also the instant salinity shows -0 instead of 3100.
The software version I have is r1.58

Is the unit defective? or is it just not generating SALT all the time?

All the indicator LEDs seem normal, ie "power on" and "generating" properly lit.

I only have few more days to return the item in case this is defective.

If it has any relevance,
I connected the cell horizontally, with the flow switch right after the cell
The cell is connected on the return after the filter (I have no heater), with no valve or flow redirector.

Does the cell need to be perfectly leveled horizontal or vertical?

I just noticed that the flow switch wiring is on top in the illustrated pictures in the manual, I have them at the bottom, does that make a difference?
I do have the flow direction correctly installed.

Many thanks in advance.
Hope there's a user error somewhere and that I don't have to dismount and return the device.

===================================

One other thing to note is that if I switch from Auto to Super Chlorinate,
I see current and instant salinity, and it appears to operate normally,
switching back to Auto and current is back to zero, so is the instant chlorination,

Weird.

Thanks

[badabing]

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

Is the unit defective? or is it just not generating SALT all the time?


Does the cell need to be perfectly leveled horizontal or vertical?

I think I can answer my own question.
Digging further and observing the operation of the device, I'm convinced the system is operating as designed.
In that it appears that the percentage setting for the chlorine generation is based on time rather than power.
so if you want to generate 25%, then instead of the AQR reducing the power to generate less chlorine, it generates at 100% but only 25% of the time.
The manual and LED could have been clearer on this, why display generating when not generating chlorine?

I'm a little worried with this approach, .
I was operating it at 25% all day yesterday, and by end of the day, I had shock level choline in the pool.
I know I can reduce it further (Which I promptly did to 15%), but I'm concerned that when generating chlorine, it generates too much ie too concentrated in small bursts that it could effect the swimmers in the pool.

Are my concerns warranted?
what do others think?

I also reduced the pool pump operation, so now a timer that is connected to both pump and AQR shuts off between 8:00 PM and 6:00 PM
hope this would be enough to bring it to a good level

I was gradually bringing up the CYA to the recommended 80 (I'm at 50 now) but seeing how much chlorine I have at the end of the day, should I just leave it at 50?

Thanks