Salt generator for spa

[TacticalSpalsh]

Hi Everyone!
We have a Sundance 880(optima) and doing some basic research on SWGs for hot tubs. Has anyone ever switched to a SWG for a hottub? What are the issues to switching to salt for a hottub?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Lots of members here use the Saltron Mini for their hot tubs.

The biggest issue I have run across in the forum posts is that people who switch to salt tend to burn out heater elements faster because tubs often come with the cheapest possible heater installed, ie, stainless steel jacketed heater. If you are going to run a salt water tub then you really want a heater that is made with a titanium jacket. Those are typically more expensive and you might need a pro to do the swap if you’re not handy.

 

[TacticalSpalsh]

Lots of members here use the Saltron Mini for their hot tubs.

The biggest issue I have run across in the forum posts is that people who switch to salt tend to burn out heater elements faster because tubs often come with the cheapest possible heater installed, ie, stainless steel jacketed heater. If you are going to run a salt water tub then you really want a heater that is made with a titanium jacket. Those are typically more expensive and you might need a pro to do the swap if you’re not handy.

thanks! yeah, Sundance "claims" they use a titanium heater per their website, for what we paid for the tub. I hope that it has it! Thanks again and i looked on Amazon and thats not a bad price for that unit. lot less then i was expecting too!

 

[A.O.]

I switched to the Saltron mini about a year ago and have had no issues at all, made it so much easier to take care of! My tub did come with the titanium heater so if there is a problem with a stainless one I have not had that issue.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The salt isn’t going to harm anything else other than the heater really. Assuming they don’t use any cheap low grade steel components anywhere else in contact with water then I’d say you’re a great candidate for a Saltron. Just realize that a drape over SWG is NOT a replacement for good testing and manual additions of chlorine. SWGs add chlorine slowly so they are great for maintaining a low level of chlorine between tub uses. However, after a tub use you will most definitely have to bump the FC back up using liquid chlorine or else you risk leaving the water with too little FC in it as the SWG struggles to bring it back up. You can certainly crank the Saltron unit up to 100% output and try to do that but it’s going to severely shorten the life of the cell plates. I would also highly suggest maintaining your CH at the lowest value possible for your fill water. That will keep any scale build up to a minimum.

@Mdragger88 has a good routine for tubbing with an SWG.

 

[Mdragger88]

I have had a saltron mini for as long as I’ve had my little “cheap” roto molded tub, 5+ years. I am almost certain it doesn’t have a titanium heating element nor the most robust parts (it has a friction heater/pump) & its still going fine.
My saltron mini cells last about 18 months & it runs about 2/3 hours a day on average in my 250 gal tub. I have had to replace 1 saltron controller box. Currently I have a spare cell but when it dies I think I will switch to a controlOmatic unit. They cost a little more upfront but they seem to have a longer lifespan. They’re only con is that the contoller isn’t supposed to be in the weather so I would need a weatherproof box for it.
The swcg’s main job is standby chlorination. I dose with liquid chlorine or dichlor (if i’m in need of cya) after using the tub for most all but the shortest of soaks. I have mine on a timer, the unit comes on if the power goes off & is then reapplied so the controller is set for 1 hour & the timer is set to remove then reapply power for 2,3, or 4 times a day depending upon the season(whether i’ll be using the tub alot or a little). This allows for a steady level of fc vs a whole bunch at once then nothing. It also means i can just press the controller & turn it on for an extra hour without messing up the rest of my schedule or having to remember to go back & change it.
You’ll still follow this guide

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa (or pool)?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.google.com

But the swg will be handling the standby needs.

 

[A.O.]

I have had a saltron mini for as long as I’ve had my little “cheap” roto molded tub, 5+ years. I am almost certain it doesn’t have a titanium heating element nor the most robust parts (it has a friction heater/pump) & its still going fine.
My saltron mini cells last about 18 months & it runs about 2/3 hours a day on average in my 250 gal tub. I have had to replace 1 saltron controller box. Currently I have a spare cell but when it dies I think I will switch to a controlOmatic unit. They cost a little more upfront but they seem to have a longer lifespan. They’re only con is that the contoller isn’t supposed to be in the weather so I would need a weatherproof box for it.
The swcg’s main job is standby chlorination. I dose with liquid chlorine or dichlor (if i’m in need of cya) after using the tub for most all but the shortest of soaks. I have mine on a timer, the unit comes on if the power goes off & is then reapplied so the controller is set for 1 hour & the timer is set to remove then reapply power for 2,3, or 4 times a day depending upon the season(whether i’ll be using the tub alot or a little). This allows for a steady level of fc vs a whole bunch at once then nothing. It also means i can just press the controller & turn it on for an extra hour without messing up the rest of my schedule or having to remember to go back & change it.
You’ll still follow this guide

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa (or pool)?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.google.com

But the swg will be handling the standby needs.

I think I've had mine for 15 months now and it runs about 8 hrs a day, 2 sessions of 4 hours each, still going strong as far as I can tell. Not sure I'm allowed to do this here, but I'd be interested in your spare cell if you are wanting to part with it. PM me I guess.

 

[TacticalSpalsh]

The salt isn’t going to harm anything else other than the heater really. Assuming they don’t use any cheap low grade steel components anywhere else in contact with water then I’d say you’re a great candidate for a Saltron. Just realize that a drape over SWG is NOT a replacement for good testing and manual additions of chlorine. SWGs add chlorine slowly so they are great for maintaining a low level of chlorine between tub uses. However, after a tub use you will most definitely have to bump the FC back up using liquid chlorine or else you risk leaving the water with too little FC in it as the SWG struggles to bring it back up. You can certainly crank the Saltron unit up to 100% output and try to do that but it’s going to severely shorten the life of the cell plates. I would also highly suggest maintaining your CH at the lowest value possible for your fill water. That will keep any scale build up to a minimum.

@Mdragger88 has a good routine for tubbing with an SWG.

Thanks! I was hoping for that kind of answer. I agree, I think a SWG is not a fire-and-forget, but it seems to me that it's not as labor intensive either, not that adding a whopping four tablespoons of bromine is very hard either. We have a salt pool and really like how that "feels" and how it is "cleaner" than a chlorine type of feel. I hope that makes sense. My thought was if it's a better feel, less chemical purchasing, and less chemical adding to ourselves. Then it's a win. Now I just have to convince the wife of it, and I am pretty sure she would go for it since she was the one that mentioned it. We don't have much scale or any that I have seen, we try to use the tub 1-3 times a week for about 20- 40 minutes. for testing, we have Taylors; the pool company uses them, and if it's good enough for them, well, it's good enough for us. Thanks for the tips too!

 

[A.O.]

Thanks! I was hoping for that kind of answer. I agree, I think a SWG is not a fire-and-forget, but it seems to me that it's not as labor intensive either, not that adding a whopping four tablespoons of bromine is very hard either. We have a salt pool and really like how that "feels" and how it is "cleaner" than a chlorine type of feel. I hope that makes sense. My thought was if it's a better feel, less chemical purchasing, and less chemical adding to ourselves. Then it's a win. Now I just have to convince the wife of it, and I am pretty sure she would go for it since she was the one that mentioned it. We don't have much scale or any that I have seen, we try to use the tub 1-3 times a week for about 20- 40 minutes. for testing, we have Taylors; the pool company uses them, and if it's good enough for them, well, it's good enough for us. Thanks for the tips too!

Just remember you will have a Chlorine hot tub if you do this, the SWG just turns the salt into chlorine.

 

[Mdragger88]

A pool/hot tub with a saltwater chlorine generator is a chlorine pool/tub.
There are no less chemicals it’s just that the swg makes/ adds the chlorine for you instead of you manually doing it.
Technically there’s actually more chems because you must add the correct amount of salt initially.
You can use the chlorine produced to reactivate a bromide bank but its a convoluted method & its much simpler to just forego bromine all together if you have a swcg.
To switch from bromine to chlorine you must drain & refill.
A properly managed chlorine pool/spa should not have any funky smells or feels whether it has a swcg or not.

 

[Newdude]

A properly managed chlorine pool/spa should not have any funky smells or feels whether it has a swcg or not.

*Confirmed on my new pool in the week or so I was jug lugging before adding salt. The TFP balanced water made all the difference VS every other liquid chlorine pool I'd ever been in that was harsh.

With my original salt pool I was comparing the feel to everyone else's. When I compared my pool, TFP-style, to my pool, TFP-the-other-style, it was a dead on tie.

 

[Mdragger88]

*Confirmed on my new pool in the week or so I was jug lugging before adding salt. The TFP balanced water made all the difference VS every other liquid chlorine pool I'd ever been in that was harsh.

With my original salt pool I was comparing the feel to everyone else's. When I compared my pool, TFP-style, to my pool, TFP-the-other-style, it was a dead on tie.

I will say that in my area i have extremely soft water so the whole “silky” effect of salt being added doesn’t really change much for me. I have been In mismanaged pools that are also using the same soft water & the harshness was due to low ph & elevated cc’s not the presence or absence of salt.
(I know this because I tested the water)
In my own pool & spa i use a variety of chlorine types- trichlor, dichlor, liquid chlorine, & swcg based on my testing at the time.
When used properly & if their effects on other parameters are taken into consideration none should cause these issues. Its the blind use without testing or regard for impact on other parameters that gets folks in trouble & leaves them with a less than stellar experience.
@TacticalSpalsh if you test often with a proper test kit
Test Kits Compared
&
follow TFP recommendations
Pool Care Basics
you will have a comfortable trouble free pool & spa no matter which sanitation source you choose.

 

[A.O.]

I will say that in my area i have extremely soft water so the whole “silky” effect of salt being added doesn’t really change much for me. I have been In mismanaged pools that are also using the same soft water & the harshness was due to low ph & elevated cc’s not the presence or absence of salt.
(I know this because I tested the water)
In my own pool & spa i use a variety of chlorine types- trichlor, dichlor, liquid chlorine, & swcg based on my testing at the time.
When used properly & if their effects on other parameters are taken into consideration none should cause these issues. Its the blind use without testing or regard for impact on other parameters that gets folks in trouble & leaves them with a less than stellar experience.
@TacticalSpalsh if you test often with a proper test kit
Test Kits Compared
&
follow TFP recommendations
Pool Care Basics
you will have a comfortable trouble free pool & spa no matter which sanitation source you choose.

So do you do anything to try to alter the soft water? I too have very soft water from my well and I don't seem to have any ill effects from it. I guess that would be different with a concrete or gunnite pool.

 

[Mdragger88]

So do you do anything to try to alter the soft water? I too have very soft water from my well and I don't seem to have any ill effects from it. I guess that would be different with a concrete or gunnite pool.

Nope, I don’t do anything-
I have a vinyl pool & a plastic hot tub so I just sit back & enjoy not buying ch reagent or ever really having to clean my salt cells
I have never had a foaming issue in my tub with my 25-50ppm ch so I just let it ride!

 

[A.O.]

Nope, I don’t do anything-
I have a vinyl pool & a plastic hot tub so I just sit back & enjoy not buying ch reagent or ever really having to clean my salt cells
I have never had a foaming issue in my tub with my 25-50ppm ch so I just let it ride!

Ok, same with me..