Thanks Torontonian...well said.
Pool Master, are you in the pool service industry by any chance?
First, most do not taste the salinity in the water. AND BY NO MEANS IS IT SEA WATER concentration (as implied by your "YUK" response). Most will comment that the salt water feels better on their skin than a non salted pool. Although some will also say that they don't feel a difference.
There are different types of systems, depending on if you're looking for basic salt chlorinators, inbetween, or bells and whistles (automation with regards to your chlorine and pH levels; pump control; remote interface, etc).
Then you have several model cells to choose from, within each manufacturer's offerings. The larger the cell, the more chlorine you can produce and the longer the cell will last. There is a cost with replacement cells when they wear out. Typically this is around 10,000 hours of operation. For So Florida and our 12 month seasons, this is about 3-5 years...I live in Coral Springs, FL.
Other than the initial cost of the system, your ongoing cost is very inexpensive. Replenish the salt and stabilizer when levels drop, which would be due to water loss from bather splashout, bathing suit dragout, filter backwashing (if you have a DE or Sand filter), rain fall overflow, and leaks. On a residential pool, this may be 2 -3 bags a year of salt. A bag of salt is anywhere from $5 - $10.
What's needed to convert your chlorine pool? Add the salt clorine generator equipment and salt directly into the pool. Depending on what your current salt level is (which may already have salt from bleach (sodium hypochlorite) usage. If your pool is new, or freshly refilled water, 50 lbs/2000 gallons gets you to 3000 ppm. This is the typical salt level for most systems offered in the US. Imported Australian systems run a bit higher in salinity.
You will still need to test your chlorine and pH levels, and adjust them as needed.
As stated, using a salt chlorine generator does not make your pool a salt pool, or a chlorine free pool. You're simply making your own chlorine, on site, and eliminating the need to have to run to the store to pick up chemicals week after week. It also creates a big convenience factor to maintaining your pool, giving you more time to enjoy it.
I DO WORK FOR AUTOPILOT CHLORINE GENERATOR SYSTEMS, www.autopilot.com, so you can take my response with a "grain of salt" as a salt industry rep.
Hope I've been unbiased.
Sean Assam
Commercial Product Sales Manager - AquaCal AutoPilot Inc. Mobile: 954-325-3859
e-mail: sean@teamhorner.com --- www.autopilot.com - www.aquacal.com
I switched to a SWG a few years ago and love it. The "conversion" is simply installing the SWG and adding salt, done. I can even use bleach and turn off the SWG any time I want, and I do that when opening in the spring and when shocking the pool (which isn't often). Other than using the SWG to produce chlorine, I'm BBB all the way.
I've done comparisons of the total costs of the SWG vs bleach and they all come out more or less even. Depending on what you count as part of the SWG expenses, and what you don't count, it can go either way. Having a SWG is way less work and it makes going away for the weekend much simpler. I'd be willing to pay more for that, but I don't have to.
-- Trouble Free Pool website administrator --
------ note added by PoolForum staff -------
PoolMaster:
You are entitled to your opinions but please do not state them as facts. You may wish to argue these points in "The China Shop"--that's what it's there for.
I have done the same arithmetic as you regarding the cost of installing an SWG system and came to a similar conclusion: That I could not justify the cost of the system.
HOWEVER, many, many of our members have them and love them and, for them, the CONVENIENCE is well-worth the cost. Nor have they complained about the salt in the water creating any problem. Your statement about that is simply inaccurate. Correct salt levels for SWGs do not create a salty taste or leave you feeling briny the way sea water does.
Since Salt Water Generators generate chlorine they are well within what we, at Pool Forum, consider "the right way of doing the pool". I would never state that using an SWG is "wrong" or a "bad" way to maintain a pool. There is nothing about an SWG that is incompatible with our philosophy expressed as the B-B-B method of pool maintenance.
Carl
I will grant that the upfront costs of installing a swg are high but the ease of maintenance once installed is priceless. My pool practically takes care of itself. The trick is a GOOD test kit and PROPER water balance. For a SWG I have found that keeping the salt at recommended level or slightly above, CYA at MAXIMUM recommended level (usually 80 or 100 ppm), FC at 3-5 ppm, pH at 7.6 (and not lower!), uncorrected TA at 60-80 ppm, CH 300-350 (for plaster and fiberglass, not an issue for vinyl as long as it's at least 100- 150), and finally, adding borates to 30-50 ppm makes for a very stable and easily maintained pool. I have used these numbers in my own pool and in the pools of my customers (when I was working in the industry) with great success. There are posts in the China Shop (and on some other forums that I can no longer support) that document and support these findings.
Hope this helps.
Retired pool store and commercial pool maintenance guy.
Evan,
Glad to see you around. I was mentioning you just the other day wondering where you wuz!
Retired pool store and commercial pool maintenance guy.
Sorry you took my post the wrong way. I can understand though because most of you have never experienced "the right way of doing the pool" I may have worded this wrong considering no one knows who I am and that this was my first post. I know there are a number of ways to chlorinate pools, and many do not have as many options as others. Here in the pool capitol of the world there are many options and I have seen and tried them all. Before everyone gets upset I just have a couple questions. How many of you have ever tried using PURE chlorine? How many of you know what PURE chlorine is? I am not talking about Sodium hypochlorite, Trichlor, Tablets, etc..... I am talking about what the swg is making. Would you all agree that if you allready have what the swg is making (when it works) then you have PURE chlorine? My whole point is this .....When PURE chlorine is availible, why wouldn't it be better and more cost effective than a swg?
I will agree that if PURE chlorine is not availible then a swg is the best alternative.
If you all keep an open mind here, we may teach each other a few things.
Yes, I am in the pool industry. You say "most do not taste the salinity in the water." keyword is "most"
Sorry , but I can. I will agree that a swg pool will feel better than a pool with soft water.
"On a residential pool, this may be 2 -3 bags a year of salt. A bag of salt is anywhere from $5 - $10."
This may be true in Toronto, Canada.... but not in a place like S. Florida. I keep all my salt pools at 3000 - 3500 ppm and use on average about 10 - 12 50 lb bags of salt per pool a year.
"Depending on what you count as part of the SWG expenses"
I am really not trying to sound abrasive but why wouldn't you count ALL of the SWG expenses? All equipment, installation and maintenance/replacement cost?
I never said it was like sea water. But I will say this again, I can taste, feel and even see the salt at night with the pool light on.
I have to go do 37 beautiful pools today so I will leave you with this......
A swg is trying to make (on a much much smaller scale) what I allready have. Sean If you do not believe me I will be in Coral Springs on Friday and would love to show you and talk pools.
Last edited by Pool Master; 06-01-2010 at 10:41 AM.
Pool Master,
Forum rules state that anybody who is in the pool industry must identify themselves as such and to what capacity on each and everyone of their posts. Thanks.
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