So I think I want a Liquidator...

[doublewide6]

Hello All,
I like the LQ option because it is cost effective, simple to install and operate, does not require electricity or pumps, and only requires 2 holes to be made into the existing plumbing. But I still have a few questions for you.
My pool is a 20,000 Gallon Vinyl pool
Is there only one brand of Liquidators?
How many gallons would be the best for my pool. I live in PA 4 month season.
Where is the best place to order it from Including shipping?
What other accessories will I need to order with the LQ (hoses fittings valves)?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Hasa is the only mfg.
You need the 8 gal model with the 3/8" upgrade.
Just find the best price and order it.

 

[doublewide6]

Thanks for the help Bama.
Just in case anyone else is looking to do the same thing and following this thread>>>

Here is where I ordered my kit from. They have a summer special and Free Shipping on the unit.
http://pstpoolsupplies.com/liquid-chlorinators.aspx
I'm going to get high tech and post some pictures of my pump layout to figure out where the lines tie in.

 

[RobbieH]

Here are some tips for you. I used to have a Liquidator, but I travel too much for even the LQ to keep up on my large pool, had to go SWCG. I've installed it on a friend's pool, they work really well.
1. Keep your TA in check. If it gets too high, you can get calcium inside the LQ (some call it "white stuff")
2. If you still have white stuff, adding borates to your pool will almost certainly clear it up, it did for me.
3. Use pool lube on the ends of the LQ hoses before you make the connections. If you don't, you may have air entering the system.

I also noticed the hoses that come with the system have an OD a bit too small for the connectors. Although the pool lube solved air/bubbles for me, when we put it on the new pool we sourced some new lines that fit more snugly.

Putting the lines on your pool is clearly illustrated in the instructions. You'll get a laminated sheet that shows exactly where they go. Don't be surprised when it appears to be backward from what you'd expect. The "In" side is fed from the output of your filter, the "Out" side goes in front of your pump, what you would think of as "in". But if you give it some thought, it makes sense because you want clean water going into the LQ, and you want a small dose of chlorine going back into the filter to keep things sanitary and so the filter can clear anything that's possibly gotten into the LQ unit.

If you have to put it in full sun, you will need to paint the LQ tank white, or come up with some sort of cover for it so the chlorine inside doesn't get eaten.

 

[doublewide6]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions Robbie.

You mentioned that I should paint it white. Judging by the picture the tank looks like it is white? I also read to tape a strip so I can see the bleach level before I paint it. Do most people leave their automatic chlorinator in line or remove. I am not currently using it, as I have just switched to the BBB. Also what type of connection does the liquidator use (hose clamp saddle port?)

 

[RobbieH]

You can leave the chlorinator there, just don't put anything in it. You are right, they are hose clamps with a plastic connector that presses into the existing PVC. I couldn't find a picture that illustrated what it is.

I never really checked my bleach level from the outside, I check it from the inside. The funnel that feeds the bleach to the bottom is black at the top and white at the bottom. When you refill, you just fill to the bottom of the black portion. The bleach is pretty easy to see because it is green.

The tank is white, but it's translucent. My friend hasn't painted his, and it seems to be holding chlorine, but LQ suggests no full sun in the directions.

 

[mggarcia23]

I'm also leaning towards to buying the LQ. If anyone has any pictures of this installed I would greatly appreciate it especially with the hose clamps. I was also thinking of replacing my chlorinator with the LQ.

Thanks

 

[RobbieH]

Here's mine installed.

 

[doublewide6]

Here is a quick video of my pool pump setup and where I am planning on installing the Liquidator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4j_6Qw0wXM

 

[RobbieH]

Good video!

The clamp you see in my picture above is the "Out" side of my LQ, when it was there. You can just barely see my "In" clamp, on the bottom of the 3 pipes coming out of my sand filter.

You have them marked correctly. You could use that existing clamp for the "In" side if you don't want the auto chlorinator anymore. In fact it should work by using the two of them. LQ recommends you put the return (out) in front of the pump, but since you already have that clamp there, you could try it.

 

[doublewide6]

Robbie,
Thanks for the pic. It looks to be pretty simple to me (knock on wood). So how long does the LQ last before you have to refill it? My pool is about half the size of yours. Also does the 8 gallon unit hold 8 gallons of bleach plus water on top?

 

[RobbieH]

Installation is simple.

Too hard to say, honestly. I don't think we'd be comparing apples to apples. I haven't had the LQ installed on my friend's pool long enough to know how much he's using either, I just installed it there less than 2 weeks ago. I'm betting we get a lot more direct sun here than you do there, then you add the volume of my pool, and you can see why I'd only get a week to 10 days out of mine.

As far as how much it holds, I just filled until it was full to that white/black line on the funnel, then stop. I was buying the big 182 oz bottles from Costco. I know it'll take 4 bottles even with some still in it, so I'm betting 8 gallons of bleach and 8 gallons of water is correct.

 

[carlh]

I'm thinking about a Liquidator as well - few more questions if the OP doesn't mind me re-using the topic instead of starting new? TIA.

1. My location has full sunlight. I can imagine paint on plastic peeling off. What kind of paint works best?

2. About removing salt from the bottom... can the salt be scooped out without empting the tank? Or do you wait until the chlorine is used up and then disconnect/remove the tank for cleaning?

3. How long does it take to get a 2" accumulation of salt in the bottom (mentioned in the manual as the clean-up threshold)? I use around 3-4 gallons of 6% bleach per week for a 25,000 gal. vinyl pool.

4. What's the deal with the 3/8" upgrade kit - what problem does that solve?

5. Should I expect to use more bleach in the Liquidator than I would pour into the pool without it (after painting the tank)?

6. When properly maintained & cleaned, will this thing hold up over the long haul (5+ years)? Do the valves require regular replacement? Does the tank eventually rot and fall apart? etc...

 

[doublewide6]

I don't know anything about the salt. I am assuming you have a saltwater pool?

 

[carlh]

I don't know anything about the salt. I am assuming you have a saltwater pool?

No. Read the manual, bottom of page 4, and page 5. When free chlorine is removed from bleach, what remains is salt and water. The salt is heaviest and builds up in the bottom of the tank.

 

[bibeaud]

Before you drill your pvc pipes, you can use a quick disconnect connector to connect the liquidator hoses to your filter pumps drain plug hole (LQ out hose ) and if you have a heater, the drain plug hole (LQ in hose).
Definitely worth looking into and quickens the install and makes disconnecting the LQ easy too.

 

[doublewide6]

I don't know anything about the salt. I am assuming you have a saltwater pool?

No. Read the manual, bottom of page 4, and page 5. When free chlorine is removed from bleach, what remains is salt and water. The salt is heaviest and builds up in the bottom of the tank.

I don't have the manual yet, unless it is available on-line? But now I'm very interested in your question as well. Maybe someone will chime in on it for us. Have a good one.

 

[iam4iam]

I'm thinking about a Liquidator as well - few more questions if the OP doesn't mind me re-using the topic instead of starting new? TIA.

1. My location has full sunlight. I can imagine paint on plastic peeling off. What kind of paint works best?

2. About removing salt from the bottom... can the salt be scooped out without empting the tank? Or do you wait until the chlorine is used up and then disconnect/remove the tank for cleaning?

3. How long does it take to get a 2" accumulation of salt in the bottom (mentioned in the manual as the clean-up threshold)? I use around 3-4 gallons of 6% bleach per week for a 25,000 gal. vinyl pool.

4. What's the deal with the 3/8" upgrade kit - what problem does that solve?

5. Should I expect to use more bleach in the Liquidator than I would pour into the pool without it (after painting the tank)?

6. When properly maintained & cleaned, will this thing hold up over the long haul (5+ years)? Do the valves require regular replacement? Does the tank eventually rot and fall apart? etc...

I can only answer #5:
I would expect to use less bleach, since you can keep the FC level closer to its "minimum" and the higher the FC level, the faster it depletes (for a given CYA), but it will probably not make a significant difference. Then again, I'm basing my answer on theory, not experience. (I'm considering one myself.)

I like the LQ option because it is cost effective, simple to install and operate, does not require electricity or pumps, and only requires 2 holes to be made into the existing plumbing.

I can't argue with the simplicity of LQ (compared to other methods of automated chlorination), but unless you spend less than $100 per year on bleach, SWG might be more cost effective in the long run. I'm considering automated chlorination methods and I estimate the SWG will end up costing me about $100/yr in the long run.

 

[proginov]

Only problem I have is adding more bleach, since the unit is full to the overflow. It will take about 1 1/2 gallons at a time before the water level is at the top of the funnel.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I'm thinking about a Liquidator as well - few more questions if the OP doesn't mind me re-using the topic instead of starting new? TIA.

1. My location has full sunlight. I can imagine paint on plastic peeling off. What kind of paint works best? I've had good luck with Krylon paint for plastics. I painted the sky light in our RV shower about 5 years ago and it's still in pretty good shape.

2. About removing salt from the bottom... can the salt be scooped out without empting the tank? Or do you wait until the chlorine is used up and then disconnect/remove the tank for cleaning? I used the LQ for over a year and now my sis has used it for over a year and neither of us have ever seen enough salt buildup to even notice. It gets cleaned once a year and there's not even an eigth of an inch in the bottom. Some bleach has less salt than others and maybe we're just lucky.

3. How long does it take to get a 2" accumulation of salt in the bottom (mentioned in the manual as the clean-up threshold)? I use around 3-4 gallons of 6% bleach per week for a 25,000 gal. vinyl pool. See #2.

4. What's the deal with the 3/8" upgrade kit - what problem does that solve? Some people (myself included) had a problem getting enough flow through the unit due to low suction and discharge head pressures and the 3/8" upgrade helps solve that problem. The tubing is larger but more importantly the control valve is easier to adjust and the check valve is a larger but lower cracking pressure model. I also upgraded the control valve to a Hayward needle valve and it makes fine tuning the flow much easier.

5. Should I expect to use more bleach in the Liquidator than I would pour into the pool without it (after painting the tank)? You should use exactly the same as manually dosing it.

6. When properly maintained & cleaned, will this thing hold up over the long haul (5+ years)? Do the valves require regular replacement? Does the tank eventually rot and fall apart? etc... The unit I had is now 3 years old and sits right out in the full sun and it's showing no signs of degrading. The float valves have been changed a couple of times, but they have a lifetime warranty and Hasa ships them right out.