Questions about SWG conversion

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NormF

0
May 5, 2015
22
Cheswick, PA
Hello All,

I have a few questions regarding a conversion from chlorine to a salt water system, due to some family health reasons. Any help is appreciated!

First, some info on my pool. Its an above ground 24' round, 4' deep (approx 13,500 gallon), age unknown but i would guess about 10-12 years old. I have a 1 hp pump with a cartridge filter, approx 1 year old. Vinyl liner that i replaced last summer, also.

Now, for some questions...

1) Am i able to use my existing pump and filter with the salt water generator, or will they have to be replaced also?
2) Recommendations for salt water generators (high-end, low-end, middle-of-the-road)?
3) What type of regular testing is involved?
4) Any other maintenance required?
5) I plan on replacing my decking this year also, does regular pressure-treated lumber hold up well to salt water? I know it can be corrosive to metals, but i have plastic steps so that should not be an issue.

Thank you in advance for your help
 
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

1. Your existing pump and filter will be fine
2. Recommend sizing for 1.5-3 times the size of your pool. So I would look for a 20k cell at a minimum.
3. You should be doing all the normal testing the same as is done without a SWG. The addition of a salt test is good though. You should have one of the Recommended Test Kits.
4. You should inspect and possibly clean the SWG cell every 3 months or so.
5. I would think the increase salt level would not affect the treated wood any worse that regular pool water.

Now that the question have been answered ... my turn :D

What are the family issues you are concerned about? Do you realize that a SWG pool is still a chlorine pool?

All a SWG does is add the chlorine to the pool every day so you do not have to manually add it. If someone is having an adverse reaction to the pool, then likely that is a chemistry problem that could be corrected without the need for a SWG. And even with the SWG, if you are not testing and adjusting things, the health problems may continue. A SWG is not a magic bullet.
 
jblizzle A family member has a condition called Interstitial Cystitis (or painful bladder syndrome). While i understand the similarities of both systems, research and the opinions of other women affected with the condition state less irritation, or "flare-ups" after being in SW pools compared to chemically chlorinated pools. As i am not the one affected, i cannot give an opinion either way (you know what they say; happy wife, happy life). That being said, thank you for your answers! Besides *hopefully* providing better swimming conditions, I think i will be better off with all of the other benefits to salt water.

Some other questions...
1) I plan on draining the pool due to the condition of the water after this winter, with approx 13,500 gallons of fresh utility water, how much salt should i expect to add on the initial start-up?
2) I also plan on replacing the flexible hoses from the skimmer-to-filter and from pump-to-return with PVC piping. Are there any good sources for layouts & placement of components, or some general rules-of-thumb to follow?
 
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Again, the chemistry in a SWG pool is IDENTICAL to that of a non-SWG chlorine pool. You can add salt to your pool without a SWG and get the same "soft-water" effect.

I just want you to understand this before you invest in a system that may not make any difference.

Either way, you need to learn about the chemistry and use one of the good test kits to maintain the water. If you follow the methods we teach, your wife will enjoy the pool whether you get a SWG or not.

There is also no reason to have to completely drain your pool. In fact, that could destroy it. What kind of pool do you have?

What does the water look like?

Have you discovered Pool School yet? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

To answer your specific question; use PoolMath to calculate how much salt you will have to add to get a desired rise.

Please add your location (City, State or City, Country) to your profile and pool details to your signature as described HERE as it will help us help you.
 
Hi Norm,
I suspect the SW experience by those other women may be similar to the effects of epsom salt. But who knows?
Rumors *most untrue* abound... anyways...

Jason touched on getting a recommended test kit. We arent try to twist your arm too hard, but other methods of testing such as strips, or pool store are notoriously untrustworthy. The chemical balance of a pool provided too many benefits to list... and reliable testing is a requirement in maintaining it.

At the top of the page is a tab called pool math. It will be your best friend, along with a good test kit.
If you have 0 salt and are aiming for a target of 3400 ppm, into a 13.5K pool, you will need to add 384 lbs of salt.

We also highly recommend clicking the Pool School button to learn some of the basics about what the water parameters are and how they effect the water.
Start with the ABC's. There are also recommended levels in there as well as all sorts of other info.

No one expects anyone to be able to understand it all right of.. So if you have any questions about any of it, then just ask.
We are here to help.
 
I am not sure of the brand of the pool, if that is what you are asking for. Like I said above, I personally cannot comment on the difference, but if the affected people agree there is a difference in swim quality and it lessens the effect on the condition, i will have to take their word for it.

Condition of pool water: GREEN. I closed it this winter following the normal closing procedure i have used for the past couple years. The winter cover gets some leaves on it, and while i tried to keep up with cleaning them off, i was unable to. After some rain water and melted snow accumulated on the cover, it basically "tea-bagged" all of the leaves into the water. I peeked under the cover this week, and found what looked like a few tiny tadpoles swimming around, despite my best efforts.

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Can you recommend some specific brands/units to start to research? Which ones are quality, and what to avoid?
 
Sorry, re-reading your first post I see it is an above ground vinyl pool.
Please see the last link in my previous post to update your signature.

If the liner is more than a year or so old, if you drain the pool, the liner will shrink and be ruined.

You can clear up that pool by following the ShockLevelAndMAINTAIN Process ... assuming you get one of the Recommended Test Kits. There are worse pools that what you have described that have been cleared up.

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You need to get the pool cleaned up and balanced before you worry about installing a SWG.

I like Hayward as a nice mid-level no frills SWG.
 
So after some research online, and taking jblizzle's advice to stick with hayward, this looks like it would be a good fit for my pool...

Hayward AquaTrol RJ
http://www.poolsupply4less.com/Hayw...K4Kly4NLP0d40Y9IUQPDyCX5YcbFwnNmy6RoCXszw_wcB

Any thoughts...?

One thing i didn't see in the manual is if the SWG should be mounted vertically, horizontally, or it doesn't matter? With this upgrade I'm planning on switching from flexline to 2" PVC (which the manual says can be done with this unit). I also didnt see any specifications like distance of straight-run pipe into the unit (like the 12" from an elbow ive seen with other units) or how much distance between the SWG unit and the pool return fitting? (if that even matters)?
 

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From my research and limited knowledge, i assume i would be better off with a unit with the flow switch? Is there a similar model to this equipped with one?

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Sorry for rushing my response, looks like the AQ-Trol-HP would be the model. But back to my previous question, is the flow switch something i would definitely want, or not necessary if run accurately from the timer?
 
NormF said:
5) I plan on replacing my decking this year also, does regular pressure-treated lumber hold up well to salt water? I know it can be corrosive to metals, but i have plastic steps so that should not be an issue.
Click to expand...

The wood will hold up fine, it's the fasteners that will be the problem. I have wood stairs that lead up to our pool slide and over the past 8 years Iv'e gone through galvanized nails, and two sets of deck screws. I rebuilt the stairs this winter and used stainless this time, I'll see how they hold up.
 
Thank you all for your input. I decided to go with the Hayward AquaTrol SWG. Last question i have, am i better off with the AQ-Trol-HP or AQ-Trol-RJ. Main difference it seems, besides the mounting, is the flow switch. Anyone have suggestions...? The price difference is something like $10 so thats not much of an issue. Is having the flow switch personal preference? Are there any arguments for or against it?
 
let me ask this...should i decide to go with the AQ-Trol-RJ, can you see any downside of not having the flow switch? I am assuming since the pump runs of the internal timer of the control, the cell runs off the same timer? I think the AQ-Trol-RJ would allow for a cleaner installation, as i have a simple system (pump & filter, no heater) and would be easy to plumb in PVC piping.
 
The control has a built-in timer, with a 115v plug for output power to the pump, so i am assuming as long as the pump is plugged into this outlet that the cell and pump will both run off of said timer. I believe will order the RJ model today. I have a seal kit on the way for my pump, so in a few days i should be ready to hook everything up.

Just a side-question, i am thinking it would be a good idea when i run my PVC to make up a "dummy" piece; so that i can have the salt cell removed, and this straight pipe in its place. For occasions like my start-up, when im shocking all of the murky green water from the pool, just so its not circulating through the un-activated salt cell???
 
You keep mentioned "the control", but I have no idea what that means. Is it just a timer?

There is no need to remove the cell for a SLAM ... in fact, just keep the chlorine maintained and there will not be any green water.
If you winterize, then removing the cell is good.
The unions that the SWG use are proprietary ... Hayward sells dummy cells, but I am not sure they are worth it.

Please add your location (City, State or City, Country) to your profile as described HERE as it will help us help you ... I have no idea where Cheswick is.
 
By control, i am referring to the electronic control box that runs the unit...Aqua-Trol.jpg

The green water is already present from this past winter, so i need to SLAM it upon opening the pool this year. I do winterize, and like to move all of the pool equipment indoors.
 

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