SWG, Chlorine or Nature's Pure?

[Dawnand]

We just bought a home with a small inground fiberglass pool. Since it was new to us we had a local pool company come out to open it up and the Pentair Ichlor SWG is leaking. They are telling me that because of where it is leaking it can not be repaired and will need to be replaced. Instead of a new SWG, they are recommending that I purchase a Nature's Pure Ionizer & Borates Mineral Salt System. $70 for this little device that goes in the pump basket and then the borates that they claim will last for years.

I first found TFP years ago because I was tired of being sold the wrong chemicals by this same pool company, so I am hesitant to believe them, to say the least. I can't seem to find any information about the Nature's Pure system and after just buying a new house and am not in the mood to spend more money on a new SWG

Our choices seem to be:
1) Replace the SWG for $$$$
2) Just let the drip go and keep filling the pool
3) Take the SWG out of line and use chlorine
4) Take the SWG out of line and try this Nature's Pure system.

Any insight on the Nature's Pure system or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
You want to stay with a SWCG. Post some pictures of what you have and the issue. We can provide some guidance.
Stay far away from the magic -- chlorine is the only thing that properly sanitizes and keeps your pool clean and clear.
I suggest you read through Pool School - Trouble Free Pool and even look at a few of our videos TFP-TV - Trouble Free Pool

 

[proavia]

You've been a member since 2018 - I think you already know the answer.
You will still need to use chlorine as a sanitizer. Stick with the SWG for ease of use.

Fill out your signature with pool, pool equipment (manufacturers and model numbers) and test kit info.
This assists us in providing accurate information and answers without needing to ask about your pool specifics each time.

 

[dfwnoob]

First, I would never call that pool company again, ever. They're snake oil salesman.

You already have everything plumbed and ready for the best possible sanitation method, a SWCG. If I were in your position, I would replace the old one, no questions asked.

That being said, do you have any pictures of where it's leaking?

 

[Newdude]

So. I have this friend. I don't like to discuss private convos, but I can tell you he was pool stored. *cough cough*.

So me and my friend were going over him switching to a SWG and he couldn't justify it as he already had a chlorone dosing system that worked very similar. He did have to buy the jugs and fill a tank, but after that it was a tweak of a few buttons and smooth sailing.

He sold me on keeping his system. I was 100% behind him that it worked for him and he wouldn't see enough benefit for the cost to switch.

Then he somehow used me as his excuse to buy it anyway. I jumped and hollered that I thought was a terrible idea and his system worked great for him. Nope. Newdude made him switch.

I got a PM from my friend the other day that said that just a few weeks in, if he ever had to lug another gallon of chlorine, he'd fill in his pool.

Sometimes the intangibles are just, well intangible. I vote for keeping the SWG if the finances allow it. If not, we'll help you be one of the best jug luggers in the land. Either way, we got you.

 

[PoolStored]

Hey @Dawnand! Welcome to TFP!

I'm the guy @Newdude is talking about. Yeah, I got the stories! Why am I called Pool Stored? Take a guess. I trusted the pool store and they took me for over $1500 in about a month. Came here and never looked back.

I'll give you the simple answer, if you want minimum issues, you want to minimize the amount of time you spend lugging jugs, testing, and $$$...do this.

1) The mineral/ionizer system is snake oil. I put it up there with the $1000 UV system the pool store sold me. The only way to sanitize the water is with Chlorine. Either Liquid Chlorine or SWCG.
2) If you can afford it, fix or replace the SWCG. As newdude said, I wasn't sold on SWCG last year, and the shortest path for me, because I understood it, was to get a liquid chlorine dosing system (put LC in a tank and run a pump for a period of time). It worked great, but at the time I didn't realize how much time I was spending lugging chlorine, testing the pool, adding chlorine every day. FF to the fall last year, we joke, but newdude convinced me to convert, truth be told, he told me NOT to do it because I had a system that was working. I did it anyway. THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD EVER GO BACK. This SWCG is the NUTS. I set it and forget it. I test every day, for now, as I've only been running it for a week. After 3 days, it was working so good, I almost forgot to test! Had a business trip for 3 days, turned it up a bit and left. Came back, pool perfect.

As Charlton Heston said, "I'll give you my SWCG when you pry it from my cold, dead hands"

 

[AK-]

1) The mineral/ionizer system is snake oil. I put it up there with the $1000 UV system the pool store sold me. The only way to sanitize the water is with Chlorine. Either Liquid Chlorine or SWCG.

BTW, that ozone and UV light are going to burn your chlorine, so more chlorine usage.