Strongly considering SWG

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mitch08

mitch08

0
Jun 30, 2008
405
Suffolk County, NY
Hey all.

After years of resistance, I think I'm finally fed up with dumping bleach and pucks into my pool :)
So highly considering a SWG at the start of this swim season. Just have a few questions...

I run my pump / filter 24/7 May - September. I know its overkill, but Ive done it for 10 years and am very comfortable with maintaining it this way.
Will doing this become an issue with a SWG? Is there an issue with burning out the cell quicker because of this?

My pool has an attached spill over spa. Before switching to bleach a few years ago I used a chlorinator. The problem I was having was that when I switched to spa mode, the chlorine level in the spa became much too high. So when switching to spa mode, I had to turn the chlorinator down to its lowest setting or off completely. Will this also be an issue for a SWG? If so, is it possible to turn it off or down so the CL level in the spa doesnt get out of hand?

My last question is a little silly but a concern. Ive swam in a few SWG pools and they had a very heavy taste of salt. Even though I know we arent supposed to be drinking the water, it was pretty gross :D Are there SWGs that require less salt? My thinking is less salt will equal less salty tasting water? Is this somehow controllable?

Thanks a million everyone!!!
 
No problem running 24/7 with a SWG, you just turn down the SWG % on time.

If you have automation, the SWG can be set to operate at a lower level automatically while in spa mode. I don't have automation and when I turn my valves to run in spa mode I just turn the SWG down to 0% and then turn it back on after we are finished with the spa.

Most SWGs in the USA use about 3000/3500 ppm of salt while some others do require 4000+. The less amount of salt in the water means you will not taste it as much, but the SWGs do need a minimum amount and that tends to be 3000 for most units.
 
Running the pump 24/7 is no problem. You will be able to run the SWG at a lower percentage setting and the SWG will last just as long as usual.

Do you have an automation system? An automations system will take care of turning down the SWG percentage when in spa mode automatically. If you don't have an automation system you will need to do this manually, which can be mildly annoying.

Nearly all of the current crop of SWGs require salt levels around 3000. Most people don't find that objectionable, but that varies. Some older units required higher salt levels. I don't know of anything that works at lower salt levels.
 
Thanks so much guys!!! Appreciate it. I do not have automation. But that is not going to stop me from moving forward. The annoyance of turning down the SWG can't possibly be greater than the annoyance of pouring endless amounts of bleach into the pool :)

No issue with concrete pavers right?
 
I know you say you are comfortable with it, but would you be more comfortable with $$$ in your pocket?
24/7 is certainly overkill, 6 hours is likely plenty. But, if you want to run all the time, I would hope you have a 2-speed or VS pump and are running it at low speeds. You could likely pay for your SWG within a year or so by reducing your run time and paying less for electricity.

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jblizzle said:
I know you say you are comfortable with it, but would you be more comfortable with $$$ in your pocket?
24/7 is certainly overkill, 6 hours is likely plenty. But, if you want to run all the time, I would hope you have a 2-speed or VS pump and are running it at low speeds. You could likely pay for your SWG within a year or so by reducing your run time and paying less for electricity.

Please add your location (City, State or City, Country) to your profile as described HERE as it will help us help you.
Click to expand...

I do have a 2 speed pump, but I keep it running at 2.5 all the time instead of turning it down.
I completely understand Im wasting power and $$. But I like the fact that my water is always circulated. :)
 
For whatever its worth to you. I keep my salt level at about 3000-3200 ppm. At that level you can taste the salt a little, but I wouldnt say it was overly salty tasting and certainly not grossly so. Of course everyones tastebuds are a bit different...so.... your mileage may vary.
 
I have a SWG inground pool and I run my pump 24/7 from May-September. I have no spa or automation so I find that it is easier to run it 24/7 than mess with timers trying to turn on/off both the pump and SWG and heater etc. I am on 3 years and no issues yet.


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bdex said:
I have a SWG inground pool and I run my pump 24/7 from May-September. I have no spa or automation so I find that it is easier to run it 24/7 than mess with timers trying to turn on/off both the pump and SWG and heater etc. I am on 3 years and no issues yet.


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Click to expand...

Thanks. So you just keep the % down? Thats exactly what I will be looking to do.
 
mitch08 said:
Thanks. So you just keep the % down? Thats exactly what I will be looking to do.
Click to expand...

Yep. In April/May when I open I pretty much SLAM it with LC to get the FC levels up. Then I keep my SWG at about 70%. Where you keep your SWG set depends more on the capacity of your cell and the size of the pool.

Always oversize the cell pretty significantly. I have a 22,000gal pool and got a 24,000 cell and wish I had done the 36,000 cell.

I keep a case of LC in the garage and when it gets really hot and sunny and the pool gets used a lot I will sometimes dump a little in to keep the levels up and save the cell. I never use the super chlorinate.

We have an APC automatic cover that helps dramatically.


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