Opinions on SWG

[wireform]

To summarize it in short would be "set it and don't forget it". It takes time to figure out your new pool life, learn its behavior in order to recognize its misbehavior.

 

[Dirk]

To be clear about an SWG, it's not a magic machine. You don't turn it on and never have to worry about chlorine again. You still have to test the water regularly. And many times a year you'll adjust the SWG to maintain a proper level of chlorine. It basically meters out a consistent amount of chlorine each day, but that amount is still subject to how many swimmer are in the water, and their, uh, "behavior" while swimming, how hot or cold the air temperature is on any given day, how much sun is hitting the water, etc. All the things that affected how much liquid chlorine you added each time can affect how well your SWG will keep up with demand. And even with an SWG, I keep a few gallons of chlorine on hand to make fast FC adjustments (something an SWG cannot do), or to "pre-dose" for a big party, or to help the pool recover after one. So you'll very likely still have to stock some liquid chlorine, depending on how your pool gets used.

But SWG owners tend to figure out these parameters relatively easily, and start to enjoy a simpler pool maintenance routine soon after installation.

What it does do is make the freshest chlorine available, onsite, and eliminates the need to find, buy, lug and store cases of liquid chlorine. And reduces drastically the number of times each week you have to deal with keeping your pool properly sanitized. It is that convenience that us SWG users are raving about.

 

[unbrokenlink]

You will be happy, hardest part for me as letting CYA go back to 70ish after spending years trying to make it go away
2nd gotcha is thinking It’s constant so I can keep my FC low to keep the water smooth.

It’s smooth with a FC of 12 or more but it’s like going on a 300 mile car trip with the exact amount of gas one small issue and whoops

Is that the rule there? I don’t know much about the water chemistry with it.

 

[wireform]

Contrary to a chlorine pool you'd keep the CYA level at 30-40 but in a SWCG pool you'd be looking 70-80 depending on your local.

 

[Mdragger88]

Sorry I thought I did it. I’ll look again. I have a Jandy vsp with iAquaLink automation. Was going to install aquapure plc1400. I believe that’s good for 40k gallons. I have 15k gallon pool.

With that unit & running the vsp on low rpms 24/7 here’s what your output would look like

The average algae free pool consumes
2-4 ppm +/- of fc daily so you would have some wiggle room to up the % if needed.

Water Balance for SWGs

Saltwater pools are becoming more and more popular. We discuss How salt generators work and water balance tips for SWGs to run them.

www.google.com

BEFORE adding any salt be sure to test your current salt level. All other forms of chlorine add salt so the current level may be higher than u think.

 

[Metalman23]

Literally the best thing you could do for your pool, tfp method is easy already, but with the SWCG, it's so easy it's ridiculous, no worries about forgetting to add chlorine, no worries about going on vacation, I'm at the point now where I just measure chlorine every 2 weeks to make sure it's close, and make fine adjustments if needed to run time or power level.

Its not more expensive than liquid chlorine, it's just your paying upfront, I got the 40k circupool universal series, it's the best thing ever period.

Just do it.

 

[unbrokenlink]

With that unit & running the vsp on low rpms 24/7 here’s what your output would look like
View attachment 437143
The average algae free pool consumes
2-4 ppm +/- of fc daily so you would have some wiggle room to up the % if needed.

Water Balance for SWGs

Saltwater pools are becoming more and more popular. We discuss How salt generators work and water balance tips for SWGs to run them.

www.google.com

BEFORE adding any salt be sure to test your current salt level. All other forms of chlorine add salt so the current level may be higher than u think.

Ok but I don’t normally run the vsp 24/7. Is that something you need to do with swg? Doesn’t seem very economical! Lol

 

[reggiehammond]

Ok but I don’t normally run the vsp 24/7. Is that something you need to do with swg? Doesn’t seem very economical! Lol

At 146 watts, I run 1400 rpm’s on my Intelliflo VSF 24/7.

 

[Mdragger88]

Ok but I don’t normally run the vsp 24/7. Is that something you need to do with swg? Doesn’t seem very economical! Lol

It is not a requirement but Running a vsp all the time at low rpms (1200-1500) is often more economical than say 10- 12 hrs at full speed. Many w/ swg’s & vsp’s choose to do this so they are getting constant fc & can just adjust swg percentage when needed. It also means you are always skimming.
To get that same amount of fc from that unit you could also run it @80% for 12 hrs.
U can use PoolMath effects of adding in the hamburger menu of the app & play around with different run times & percentages- select swg then use the search to find the swg from the list.

 

[Mdragger88]

Here’s some pump runtime info

Determine Pump Run Time

To figure out how many hours you need to run your pump, you need to know how fast your pump works. You can find this here.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[markayash]

At 146 watts, I run 1400 rpm’s on my Intelliflo VSF 24/7.

To put 146 watts into context my desktop computer uses 100 watts.

 

[PoolStored]

If you are into Excel, this is a great resource:

SWG Run Time Calculator

What is the SWG Run Time Calculator? A tool that is designed to answer the common question of "how long should I run my pump/SWG". It calculates the run time of your SWG and Pump based on your pool size, the output of your SWG and your daily FC PPM loss. It is designed as a starting point...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[wireform]

Just got off the phone with one of my last RJ60 installs of 2 weeks back. 32k gunite, no automation but running a calimar 3hp vsp @1500rpm 24/7 and the SWCG set @30% and the FC is holding @9.5 ppm.

 

[PoolStored]

Just got off the phone with one of my last RJ60 installs of 2 weeks back. 32k gunite, no automation but running a calimar 3hp vsp @1500rpm 24/7 and the SWCG set @30% and the FC is holding @9.5 ppm.

Wonder where they are located and if they have a solar cover? In Ohio, solar cover, RJ-60+, 29K, no automation, 1.5hp VSP, 1600rpm 24/7, set at 20%, increases FC by .5 about every 36 hrs.

 

[wireform]

Wonder where they are located and if they have a solar cover? In Ohio, solar cover, RJ-60+, 29K, no automation, 1.5hp VSP, 1600rpm 24/7, set at 20%, increases FC by .5 about every 36 hrs.

No solar cover, lower Hudson Valley, NY region

 

[Dirk]

Ok but I don’t normally run the vsp 24/7. Is that something you need to do with swg? Doesn’t seem very economical! Lol

No, is the short answer. You're getting a lot of numbers thrown at you, and perhaps overthinking things a bit, but that's OK if that's your process (I would know, 'cause I do the same thing).

There are no set rules for running a pool, or an SWG, or what your pump runtime should be, or what RPM setting you should use. Every pool is different, and there are many factors to consider, also unique to your pool. So you don't need to sweat this too much. It's learn as you go, and you can experiment with the different parameters (and should) to see what works best and costs the least. That said, here are some scenarios.

There are a handful of things that determine your pump's runtime. And a few things that determine your pumps RPM settings, and those two lists are related. And both might change based on the season. There is usually one or two things that determine your minimum runtime, but others can't tell you what they'll be. In your case, it may be the new SWG. There will be a minimum amount of hours it must be on to make the chlorine your pool needs. Of course, you can run it longer, and perhaps dial down it's output, but that may or may not be the most cost effective solution. Other pools, like mine, need 12 hours of pump runtime for my solar heater. My SWG doesn't need 12 hours, but it's on for 12 because the pump is on for that long anyway. Come fall, when I don't use my solar heater, I can lower my pump's runtime, for just what my SWG needs.

During the two different runtime schedules (based on season) my skimmer keeps my surface looking great. Some other pool, maybe one that gets a lot of leaves, might need 24/7 skimming. Still other pools might skim quite well at 1200 RPM. But a pool down the street, with a different kind of tree overhead, or perhaps with a skimmer that was installed on the upwind side of the pool, might have to go 1800 RPM to get those stubborn leaves out of the corner.

See where I'm going (and I could go on and on with the scenarios)? That's why there are no set schemes, and no one (and no spreadsheet) can really advise you about how to run your pump, or your SWG, or your heater, or your skimmer, or your cleaner. It's a bit chicken/egg and trial and error. And while it's fine to collect what others are doing, and what works for them and their pool, ultimately you'll be developing your own scheme, one that works for you and your pool.

 

[unbrokenlink]

I appreciate everyone's guidance here!! It means a lot. One more question, as far as monitoring PH, is acid still needed regularly as well? Alkalinity? Does the SWG help maintain those balances too? I am in South Florida where its super hot all the time, not sure the effect this has on it, I am certain it has to be some!

 

[Mdragger88]

The only thing a salt water chlorine generator does is add chlorine to your pool for u.
All parameters still need to be regularly tested & adjusted.

 

[Homebrewale]

There is a need to add muriatic acid. How often depends on your pool. My old pool was a basic vinyl lined pool with no water features. My pH was pretty steady. It could take a month for it to creep up from 7.6 to 8.0 so I didn't have to add acid very often. My new pool is a fiberglass pool with no water features. I hope it is the same way but I only had it for two weeks.

 

[unbrokenlink]

Please fill out your signature in your profile with your pool equipment and specs. We can’t help you make good decisions without knowing anything about your pool. In some situations, a specific brand of SWG recommendation may be warranted based on how your pool is configured, what other equipment you have, etc.

Ok now it is done, I think!