Real cost for SWG use

[KurtV]

You also have to look at the convience factor that you get from using a SWG. It is hard to put a dollar amount on that but IMHO it far outweighs any additional costs that may be incurred.

Good post and good answers so far, but I think Gutbucket is asking a slightly different question than the one that's been answered. While (most) everyone acknowledges that SWGs are a great convenience, that convenience comes at a higher price, especially when compared to the "grocery store" school of pool water care. While for Waterbear and others, at the price he/she is paying (initial + operating + maintenance), the benefit "far outweighs any additional costs that may be incurred", that isn't the case for everyone (or anyone at some price point). That cost/benefit ratio breakpoint is pretty high for lazy spendthrifts like me but much lower for the more industrious, frugal types. What I (and I think Gutbucket) want to know is, what are your true total costs? What is the average daily electricty appetite of the SWC (if it's non-trivial)? How often do you have to add salt? We know that cell life is expressed in hours of operation, how does that translate into years of "normal" operation?

I know there were some very informative posts on this on the old forum. Did any of you who've done those calculations save that information?

Michael: Thanks for Bleachcalc (though you should probably rename it since it now does so much more); it's very helpful.