SWCG?

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Itsjustme0770

0
Nov 22, 2014
165
Dallas Texas
Hi all-

Someone suggested I post here with this question. The PB is suggesting an in-line chloronator. I have heard pros and cons of SWCG and would love to know or be pointed in the right direction for some reading material on the plusses and minuses of the options.

Thanks very much.

Just for the record, the pool will be built in Dallas, Texas and the dimensions are:
• Perimeter: 146 Linear feet
• Area: 863 Square feet
• Depth: 3’5" – 8’5”
• Dimensions: 16’ x 50’
 
Hello :wave:and welcome,

Well, there are numerous threads about swg. I have one and I really like it. The initial upfront cost is a minus. In the long run I believe the costs even out. It comes in handy if you'll be away for a couple of days. Once you have it set right, you know your chlorine will stay constant.

The other option is a liquid inline chlorinator, which I'm not familiar with, but someone with experience will comment on it.

As far as what brand to buy, I think it's what works the best for you. Please don't let them install a puck (tablet) chlorinator.

There will be others along shortly that can give you a much better view of your options. Again Welcome
 
As far as I can tell, there are 3 "problems" with a SWG.

1.) They are not cheap
2.) At some point the cell will go bad and need to be replaced. Research models and warranties, and make sure you oversize your purchase to make it last long. The replacement cell, also expensive.
3.) SWG can lead to laziness. With the SWG, it is easy to let your mind think that the pool chemistry becomes maintenance free. You still need to check the chemistry, make sure you are producing enough FC and check PH as PH can go high easily with a SWG.

But there are no real true problems. They work very well, and will make sure that you have good FC in your pool, and as long as eh expense is OK with you, then it will be a good purchase.
 
I think the upfront cost is a little bit more, but if you average the cost out per month for the life of the first cell, its pretty similar to bleach. but you are paying for the controller, etc on the upfront. after that you are paying for just the cell. the T-15 for the Hayward is $400. if you then average that out over the life of the cell you are probably ahead. also, you aren't paying for fuel/gas and the pain of having to go to the store and having a place to store all the bleach/chlorine.

from the other thread, the OP was concerned about the corrosive nature of salt water to his pool decking, equipment and outdoor furniture. he is building a new pool. i didn't see an issue with any of those, i know certain stones are no-no with salt pools, but if its a new build that can be addressed with the PB easily. others care to provide input on these items?

you can figure out a rough life span on these cells. if you look up a Hayward T-15 cell for example, they will tell you how many pounds of chlorine the cell is good for. then figure out how many lbs of chlorine you need to raise the pool up 3ppm in FC. then take that and divide it by the total and you will get roughly how many days. yes, this is very rough, but gives you an idea.
 
Yev is absolutely right, As a TFPer I'm always checking my levels, so I must remember to tell people that even though the SWG keeps you from having to carry a jug or two of bleach to the pool that doesn't mean you don't have regular tests to run. If setup and maintained properly, an SWG will always keep your FC level where it should be. If the chlorine demand goes up you adjust for that or just add a little bleach to compensate for the increased load and you're good to go.

I think the most important thing to do, whether you go SWG, liquid chlorinator, or the good ole way of adding bleach yourself is to get a good test kit and control your new pool, so you are on top of it and can spend your time in the water, not worrying about it ;)
 
Hello Itsjustme,

I just signed contracts on a new pool (first pool) in Austin Tx and all 5 PB's I met with and got quotes from over the last 6 months strongly recommended against SWG in Austin due to the damage over time the salt does to the native stone available in this area and the reaction of the salt with the type of lime used in cement in this area. One of the builders gave me a document showing and explaining why salt water pools are not recommended here in Austin. I'm not sure but you may have the same issue in the Dallas area.

I'm having the inline chlorinator installed, but will only use it for those times we are not home for extended times (and when my CYA needs a boost).
 
TexKSAH said:
Hello Itsjustme,

I just signed contracts on a new pool (first pool) in Austin Tx and all 5 PB's I met with and got quotes from over the last 6 months strongly recommended against SWG in Austin due to the damage over time the salt does to the native stone available in this area and the reaction of the salt with the type of lime used in cement in this area. One of the builders gave me a document showing and explaining why salt water pools are not recommended here in Austin. I'm not sure but you may have the same issue in the Dallas area.

I'm having the inline chlorinator installed, but will only use it for those times we are not home for extended times (and when my CYA needs a boost).
Click to expand...

depends on the stone being used. plenty of people in texas have saltwater pools. certain stones are a no-no, others are fine, you just have to select the right materials. if you are having concrete decking definitely no issue at all.
 
The main con for SWG users is if the pool has soft natural stone work. Texas seems to have a lot of soft natural stone available so you do have to be aware of it and keep it sealed.

The main pro is convenience. You will not have to buy and store bleach and you can be away from the pool on vacations without having to worry about the pool.

Do some more research about Stenner pumps for chlorine injection if you decide to not go with a SWG.
 
I have a SWG near Royse City, not far from Texas. I also have stone. We sealed our stone. We have had it three years and so far no problems. I love the convenience of it. As others have said, you do still have to test your water and be sure it is keeping up during different seasons. As a busy mom of two teenagers, it saves me from those times I can't get out there to test. And we are currently out of town and I'm not too worried about my pool (but I still dosed it extra with bleach before leaving just to be safe).

I'm glad we have it, but I don't know anything about other automatic chlorinators.

It's easier to maintain than our other pool was that didn't have it.


[emoji176] Lisa P.
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Because concrete as shown in this link absorbs water and salt so can have problems similar to moderately soft stone. For concrete to last, it should be sealed as well with a penetrating sealer so that it is not slippery. It's really only very hard stone that doesn't need to be sealed -- the kind of stone (sometimes polished) that beads up water. Anything else is at risk of splash-out and evaporation cycles that re-crystallize the salt causing pressure in the material. This isn't an issue in areas with regular summer rains that dilute any such splash-out nor in very humid areas that are always wet. It's hot sunny areas with evaporation that are more at risk.

We don't have an SWCG but we still seal our troweled concrete that is made to look like flagstone. We use Glaze 'N Seal multi-purpose sealer (Dupont Stonetech would be a better product for stone).
 
I have a SWG with exposed aggragate concrete deck.
After having one for a couple years now, I can safely say, I would not have a pool that did not have a SWG. The convenience of it and peace of mind to know the pool is being chlorinated is well worth the little bit of up front cost + a sealer on the deck every couple or 3 years.
 
I am 3 years in with the Pentair Intellchlor and the dreaded oklahoma flagstone. :shock: I love my SWG, I will buy another the day it fails. My unsealed flagstone is doing fine. No regrets. :)

+1 on getting lazy, I had to SLAM a few weeks ago. For the first time in 3 years. We came back from vaca and it was finally hot and sunny, we swam every day and didn't test for a week, tested on Saturday and FC was 1.5, got in and saw algae spots! :crazy:
 
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