I am considering the switch from 3 inch pucks to an SWG. Having researched and read online as much as I could find, I narrowed my choice to an Autopilot Digital with an over sized generator the 52,000 gallon unit.

Does anyone have experience with this unit pro or con?

Do you need the full auto-pilot add on to automate the chlorine production or will the digital unit plus ORP sensor do the job?

Is automating the chlorine production with an ORP sensor worth the time and money?

Are the SWG units as bad as some say (Ecosmarte comes to mind here)?

Will the SWG backwash from a DE filter, say 5 or 6 times a year, kill the grass it vents to?

Does anyone have experience with Ecosmarte - pro or con?

Thanks for your time.

Paul

Welcome to TFP

I personally do not like the ecosmart system, but you can google search on this forum (bottom left of this page) to read through past discussions. I love using a SWG and have no problem with backwash water impacting plants/grass.

I'm not an ORP expert, so I'll let someone else answer that, other than I have read multiple times that ORP systems are often not worth the additional cost.

ORP is more than useless with the CYA levels a swcg requires. I'd just go with the swcg of your choice and maybe add a pH control system. You don't need anything else.

We have used an AutoPilot Digital for three years and have not experienced any problems. Your mileage could differ. I did not think that the expense and maintenance of the ORP was wise for us. I set the % run time in June and rarely have to make a change. Our Cl loss does not vary during the summer so we do not have to change the % run time. The AutoPilot temperature sensor increases the % run time as the water temperature increases.

Pauljahn,

I think you picked the right one, but I can be a bit biased!

You can always start with the #75003, Digital Power Supply for Total Control; #75005, 220 volt acid pump with 15 gallon tank; and manifold assembly with cell and tri-sensor. When programmed for pH Control Mode, it allows you to manually adjust the Purifier % output and the Acid Feed dosage (in oz per day or per week).

If you feel the need to go to full automation, using the ORP and pH sensors, just add #75001, Pool Chemistry Controller.

I have an inground 27000 gal pool and I installed a Pool Pilot Digital when I first built the pool 7 years ago, switched it on set it to 11% and done nothing to it. It is currently set to 11% which I know is too low and I should change the power level and I run the pump 20 hours per day, but for the first 6 years ran it 24 hours a day 365 days of the year. I have emptied the strainer gauze twice and that is it. It just generates loads of chlorine if I need to shock it, and I could not be more pleased with it. I have it installed in pool house so I don't know if keeping it dry helps but I have been on the verge of buying a spare unit just to be sure. My unit has the biggest sell, the 60, and I believe that it is the same as the 52. I have no intention of adding any more control as the pH does not seem to change that much.

I would recommend this unit to everyone and I certainly feel I have got value for money.

Ian

I have the large AutoPilot with the Total Control option. This year I disconnected the Total Control ORP/PH sensor portion because it was too much trouble to maintain and wasn't improving anything, but I totally love the main unit (equivalent to the Digital model) and would never give it up.

Jason,

For the autopilot is the amount of chlorine produced controlled by setting a level on the controller (5 ppm) OR is the chlorine output controlled by the combination of the percentage setting and pump run time?

Do you still use the acid pump even though you disabled the ph/orp sensor?

For the the normal Autopilot one sets the percentage and that represents the percentage of each hour it generates chlorine per hour. Then if you only run your pump for 12 hours per day your output is halved. Ian

i have installed the autopilot, it is a great system. i would also suggest the hayward aquarite pro.