Advice on selection of SWGC

[u69911?!]

Hi All!

We have a 11 year old, white plaster, in-ground pool. Anthony and Sylvan did not offer Salt Water Generation in our area when we built our pool so we have a chlorine system that is now in need of updating. It seems everyone leans toward SWGS's these days. Our pool service recommends the Pool Pilot Digital SC48 system to replace the old chlorine system. Any advice? I'm still figuring out the forum thing so I haven't been able to complete my pool profile. Our pool is a mountain lake shape,white plaster, 3-6 ft depth, 39ft long, average width 17 ft, about 18000gal.

Thanks for your help!!

[PoolDoc]

For the future: if you will START your posts in the subscriber section, you'll likely get faster response, and we can move your post to the correct section, after.

Installing a salt system (SWGC) on an older pool can be problematic. If you have a heater not designed for salt, you will need to replace the heater, first. It would be worthwhile to check the rest of your pool for metal components that might suffer accelerated corrosion from salt.

[u69911?!]

Thanks for your advice!

Why must the heater be replaced? Our pool guys didn't recommend this step. Any opinion about the pool pilot system?

[PoolDoc]

Salt use is hard on copper heat exchangers. Hayward's Universal heater model comes with a salt-compatible cupro-nickel exchanger, but you have to pay extra from the other makers for a salt-compatible heater.

[PoolDoc]

Sorry, the pool pilot is one of the better SWCGs; we usually recommend either that or the Hayward unit.

I personally have a number of Intellichlors installed and do NOT recommend those. They consistently barely live to the end of the warranty period, and the power supplies have problems from day 1. They are completely unsuited for installation in really hot climates: I have a bank of 4 power supplies mounted in a shaded pump room with a 20" window fan mounted against them to ventilate them and prevent the heating that otherwise occurs!

I've had a bit of a run-in here with the "Saltcells.com" guy, but he's stood up for his Asian made product and has honored warranties . . . and his units are cheaper.