why should anyone get one of these???

[JasonLion]

The other reason to get a large cell is if you want to have a short pump run time. A cell just large enough for your pool is going to need a pump run time of at least 8 hours, propbably 12 hours at the peak of the summer. With an oversized cell you can run the pump for a much shorter time. Depending on the relative size of your pump and pool that may or may not be an issue.

 

[Strannik]

The other reason to get a large cell is if you want to have a short pump run time. A cell just large enough for your pool is going to need a pump run time of at least 8 hours, propbably 12 hours at the peak of the summer. With an oversized cell you can run the pump for a much shorter time. Depending on the relative size of your pump and pool that may or may not be an issue.

actually if you take the cell just large enough for you pool - it will need to work 24/7
majority of USA manufacturers seem to rate their cells for 24 hour operation.

 

[New2Me]

majority of USA manufacturers seem to rate their cells for 24 hour operation.

I think that the majority of manufacturers rate them in POOL SIZE, in an effort to sell them to uneducated buyers. Most people can easily find out how many gallons(liters) their pool is, but have absolutely no idea what their chlorine demand is. Most models have the production capacity buried in the owners manual. I have read several of the manuals to put together this little list of 24 hour outputs - [attachment=0:1bvjwcnd]SWG comparison.doc[/attachment:1bvjwcnd]

Maybe we can start a thread and list all of the models, and their hourly outputs, so when somebody asks "How big should I get?" they can be told to pick a unit that meets their pump run time needs?

 

[Strannik]

I think that the majority of manufacturers rate them in POOL SIZE, in an effort to sell them to uneducated buyers.

they rate them in pool size based on a fact that it will be operating 24/7

for example our SMC30T makes same amount of chlorine as SC-48 which is rated for 40k gallons, but there is no way I would recommend Australian customer to put SMC30T it even on a 30k gallon pool. For a pool like that I would be recommending a unit with double the output.

 

[ianspector]

I installed a 27000 gallon pool at my house in South Western France. My challenge was the pool needed to maintain itself for months on end when I live in England. Seven years ago I bought the biggest Autopilot SWG, a 1.5HP Hayward Northstar and the biggest sand filter that I could buy (Hayward 36"). I use an Aquamatic cover that keeps all the dirt out of the pool. I set it all up, switched it on with everything running 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I set the Autopilot at 8% and increase it to 13% when we are using the pool. That is it. It has run like that untouched for 7 years. I have not checked the cells (sorry Sean) and I know I should adjust the Autopilot so that I increase the percentage (sorry again Sean) and I have never had to clean the strainer. I have not been there for 4 months but I know that when I arrive this week the water will be clear, the chlorine will be 7 or 8ppm and I will have to dump a couple of sacks of salt in for the year. When I am in France I monitor the chlorine daily and run it at 1.5ppm or lower with very little stabiliser. The filter, by the way, has very little increase in pressure over 3 months so backwashing three or four times a year is more than enough. The Northstar is howling loudly and I am taking an Intelliflo down to France with me this week to retire it. I would but a spare cell but I would be eating into my warranty period so I hope that it gives me a little warning when the SWG does finally say enough is enough.

Ian

 

[Davegvg]

I installed a 27000 gallon pool at my house in South Western France. My challenge was the pool needed to maintain itself for months on end when I live in England. Seven years ago I bought the biggest Autopilot SWG, a 1.5HP Hayward Northstar and the biggest sand filter that I could buy (Hayward 36"). I use an Aquamatic cover that keeps all the dirt out of the pool. I set it all up, switched it on with everything running 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I set the Autopilot at 8% and increase it to 13% when we are using the pool. That is it. It has run like that untouched for 7 years. I have not checked the cells (sorry Sean) and I know I should adjust the Autopilot so that I increase the percentage (sorry again Sean) and I have never had to clean the strainer. I have not been there for 4 months but I know that when I arrive this week the water will be clear, the chlorine will be 7 or 8ppm and I will have to dump a couple of sacks of salt in for the year. When I am in France I monitor the chlorine daily and run it at 1.5ppm or lower with very little stabiliser. The filter, by the way, has very little increase in pressure over 3 months so backwashing three or four times a year is more than enough. The Northstar is howling loudly and I am taking an Intelliflo down to France with me this week to retire it. I would but a spare cell but I would be eating into my warranty period so I hope that it gives me a little warning when the SWG does finally say enough is enough.

Ian

Sounds really cool. Id love to take on the challenges of a second pool in the SW of France! (need an invite Ill cover airfare!)
The cover keeps evap from losing your water and the dirt out, and the lack of dirt keeps the filter flowing.

What happens to your ph during this time?
Did you get the autopilot with the acid injector and have it tapping a 55 gal drum?

I'd ditch the Northstar and go with something variable using the new perm magnet motors- you could save lots of bread really quick against an old 1500 watt motor. Leaving much more for food and wine.

Got any picts?

Uncle Dave

 

[ianspector]

I installed a 27000 gallon pool at my house in South Western France. My challenge was the pool needed to maintain itself for months on end when I live in England. Seven years ago I bought the biggest Autopilot SWG, a 1.5HP Hayward Northstar and the biggest sand filter that I could buy (Hayward 36"). I use an Aquamatic cover that keeps all the dirt out of the pool. I set it all up, switched it on with everything running 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I set the Autopilot at 8% and increase it to 13% when we are using the pool. That is it. It has run like that untouched for 7 years. I have not checked the cells (sorry Sean) and I know I should adjust the Autopilot so that I increase the percentage (sorry again Sean) and I have never had to clean the strainer. I have not been there for 4 months but I know that when I arrive this week the water will be clear, the chlorine will be 7 or 8ppm and I will have to dump a couple of sacks of salt in for the year. When I am in France I monitor the chlorine daily and run it at 1.5ppm or lower with very little stabiliser. The filter, by the way, has very little increase in pressure over 3 months so backwashing three or four times a year is more than enough. The Northstar is howling loudly and I am taking an Intelliflo down to France with me this week to retire it. I would but a spare cell but I would be eating into my warranty period so I hope that it gives me a little warning when the SWG does finally say enough is enough.

Ian

Sounds really cool. Id love to take on the challenges of a second pool in the SW of France! (need an invite Ill cover airfare!)
The cover keeps evap from losing your water and the dirt out, and the lack of dirt keeps the filter flowing.

What happens to your ph during this time?
Did you get the autopilot with the acid injector and have it tapping a 55 gal drum?

I'd ditch the Northstar and go with something variable using the new perm magnet motors- you could save lots of bread really quick against an old 1500 watt motor. Leaving much more for food and wine.

Got any picts?

Uncle Dave

Dear Dave,

Please find three images. The pumphouse is the small building with the traditional canal tile roof and lime plaster walls that we built for the purpose, and a custom door 40 inches wide in case I ever need to replace the filter. The Northstar is going this week as I am driving my new Intelliflo down. I used 2" pipe throughout so the Intelliflo should do well. I do not have the acid injector and the pH has remained constant for 5 years. I suspect that I am losing water out of the overflow and is being filled up again from the autofill. This explains why my stabiliser seems to disappear. I think that when it rains on the cover the weight pushes the water out before the cover pump can remove it. I intend to block the overflow up this week and see what happens. I use an Aquacal heat pump I imported from South Africa and that has worked flawlessly for 7 years as well. We often have 20 friends and relatives over in the summer, many of them from the US. The price of entry is often bringing something heavy over for me, my brother in law once brought me a new Little Giant cover pump in his luggage. Sadly the liner has lifted, probably from ground water even though I fitted a hydrostatic relief valve. Shame we cannot get gunite in Europe.

Ian

 

[jdskycaster]

Very nice Ian!!! Let me know when you would like to house swap for a week or two :-D

Best Regards,
JD

 

[Davegvg]

Sweet. Crib. Sorry about the liner job.

Any pumphouse picts? (Now Im just getting greedy)


Uncle Dave

 

[ianspector]

Sweet. Crib. Sorry about the liner job.

Any pumphouse picts? (Now Im just getting greedy)


Uncle Dave

Dear David,

No problem. You can see the hydraulic pump in the pumphouse for the Aquamatic cover. Pump has given me good service, sad to see it decomissioned this week.

Ian

 

[ianspector]

And one of the pump house itself