Looking for Advice - Possible SWG Convert

[CarlD]

I keep toying with the idea of an SWG because it SO cool to re-gen chlorine, but I just can't get past the cost/benefit analysis. The simplest ones run about $1000--and that's at a minimum 10 seasons' worth of bleach. Plus they DO require weekly maintenance and monitoring. I usually add between a 1/2 gallon and a gallon every other day. If we go away, and the pool isn't being used (I cover it) I simply have whoever is watching the house add the 1/2 gallon every other day and ALWAYS come back to a perfect pool.

Since I try to follow my own motto (see below) I just cannot see enough benefit to justify it.

[CanuckPool]

Hey CarlD, I think the best times to get an SWG is if you are

A) buying a house with a pool and you are new to pool maintenece
B) Getting a new pool
C) a convert from baq
D) if you like the idea of having one less thing (bleach) to buy from the store and maintain.

I don't think you can necessarily look at it as a cost saving item... its more of a "less maintenece" thing. If you are on top of your pool every week.. and enjoy doing so, there should be no reason to change.

[JoshU]

In addition to the benefits mentioned above you also get superior water quality. It eliminates "chlorine skin". When you leave a chlorine pool your skins feels very dry. Whereas when you leave a salt pool your skin will feel rejuvenated.

If you've spent $30,000 or more on building a pool then why wouldn't you want the best and most comfortable water.

Josh

[CanuckPool]

Oh yea! Better water, or what it really is, is more consistant chlorinated water. There is less ups and downs. Having the salt also really helps the water feel softer. The only drawback i have and other people is that some cheaper stainless screws will rust.

Like you mentioned, you're going to drop 30,000+ easily, not including landscaping, whats 1,000? But like I said, its much easier to do when you are building a new pool. If you have had a pool built before they were popular and are used to doing it "the old fashioned way" then I can see how you would have to weigh the costs vs. benefits senario.

[CarlD]

In addition to the benefits mentioned above you also get superior water quality. It eliminates "chlorine skin". When you leave a chlorine pool your skins feels very dry. Whereas when you leave a salt pool your skin will feel rejuvenated.

If you've spent $30,000 or more on building a pool then why wouldn't you want the best and most comfortable water.

Josh

Yeah, I've heard that--it makes a great sales pitch for an expensive add-on. But I've noticed that ocean swimming leaves my skin feeling briney--AND dry. You must keep your salt level between the body's natural salinity level but within the SWG's range for the unit. Too high a salt level and you get sea-water--which IS irritating and drying.

SWGs work at using lower chlorine levels by keeping a very, very constant Free Chlorine level to stay ahead of contaminants. Also, saline is less hospitable to most organics that appear in your pool. But you STILL must do weekly checking of FC and CC levels and shock as necessary.

Chlorine irritation is a myth. Chlorine gets blamed for bad maintenance habits, inadequate testing, and mis-understanding what the 5 basic tests mean (Chlorine FC/CC, pH, Total Alkalinity, Cyanuric Acid/Stabilizer, and Calcium Hardness).

What we seek to do at this forum is help people understand these things, and how to make pool maintenance easy and simple, with no mystery and no magic cures.

I spend 2-5 minutes per day, if that much, on pool maintenance. I run quick OTO test on chlorine and pH. Once a week I run 4 of the 5 tests (since I have a vinyl pool I only check Calcium a few times a season). That takes 15 minutes. But if I find something that is NOT right, I act immediately to counter it.

We never have a problem with "chlorine skin" despite my CONSISTENTLY keeping my FC between 4 and 8ppm. That's because "chlorine skin" is due to high levels of Combined Chloramines, or CCs. Combined Chloramines dry and irritate your skin, burn your eyes, giving you "chlorine eyes". They also smell bad and give the characteristic "chlorine smell". I can have my pool at 8 or even 10ppm and you won't smell chlorine because I have NO Combined Chloramines.

Furthermore, high levels of Combined Chloramines indicates your pool water is fighting something--bacteria, viruses, algae, excess suntan lotion, something. Your Free Chlorine (FC) is being used up metabolizing it, leaving behind irritating CCs, and, whatever is being metabolized may be an irritant as well.

To get rid of those Combined Chloramines you must shock your pool with more chlorine until ALL the CC is gone.

But if you CONSISTENTLY test your water and keep your FC where it belongs the Combined Chloramines will never be a problem. And nobody's skin will be irritated. GENUINE sensitivity to chlorine is a VERY rare condition. Almost all cases that people THINK are chlorine sensitivity are due to improper chemical levels and poor maintenance.

Salt in your water has a HIDDEN problem nobody talks about: People with high blood pressure or other low-sodium diets must be VERY careful not to ingest the water. Even a house-hold water-softener is a risk. My mother-in-law cannot drink our house water because of the softener and must drink salt-free bottled water. I'm not against SWGs--But they are not a cure-all. My maintenance effort is so low I personally won't get much bang for the buck.

Please do not come to this board and tell us that chlorine is responsible for skin irritation. It is not. Poor water maintenance is the cause of that irritation, poor maintenance and ignorance about chlorine. All 4 of the monitors, as well as the board owner use bleach at high levels to keep our pools sweet and sanitary, without problems for any of our swimmers.

[aquarium]

Agree with Carl on this one. We bought a house that came with a pool (first pool we've ever owned) last April and it took me a couple of months to get up to speed. It turned out there were several things wrong with the equipment and previous maintenance. After switching to BBB I looked closely at both SWG and liquid chlorine dosers. I'm now glad I didn't bother with either.

While adding chlorine in the summer can be a bit of a chore, keeping the pool over the last few months has been a breeze with twice a week dosing and very minimal pump runtimes. At this point, I wouldn't want another piece of equipment to maintain, nor another water parameter to test. And, you can always add salt if you just want that feel.

[JoshU]

Carl,

Thanks for the feedback. I certainly didn't mean to make it sound like Chlorine will cause "skin irritation". I was just saying that many people who we deal with feel the difference between the two methods.

Thanks,
Josh

[CarlD]

Josh,

I have nothing against SWGs--as I've said I've looked and looked at them but just cannot justify them in MY installation when I do the cost versus the benefit for ME.

In my pool the water feels very soft--I accidentally added about 160 lbs of softener sea salt to it (don't ask...) That "feel" can be gotten with a few bags of sea salt--40lb bags are, what?, $5 each.

If the idea is the "feel", it's STILL a lot less expensive to just add some salt and to stay ahead of your water. There's no compelling reason not to (unless you have a low-sodium swimmer).

The two main advantages I see to SWG is GREATLY reduced chorine purchases (meaning taking the time and effort to buy and carry the stuff home--lots of gallons, jug disposal, handling, etc) and less maintenance--you can pretty much leave your pool for a week if you go away without worry, and if you schedule is SO crazy you can't always get to the pool, it can help to have an SWG.

Of course, the obvious third reason is if you plan on selling your house in the near future an SWG already installed makes a pool FAR more attractive to a novice ("you don't need to add chlorine--it makes its own").

If these reasons are compelling enough for you and your lifestyle, by all means, install an SWG. There are lots of good ones out there.