Considering SWG - Advice Appreciated

[Beach94Ag]

I have what I believe is approximately 28k pool. Have been looking at circupool core55. I see it seems recommended size is "at least 2x".

1) So, would the core 55 work ok for 28k? I'm in Houston, so pretty brutal heat. Plus my neighbor has tons of trees that drop alot of stuff.

2) currently I use mix of pucks and liquid chlorine. Obviously, would no longer use pucks at all, but during mid summer, can I still on occasion use liquid chlorine for shock (ideally wouldn't even need to)?

3) I already use a lot of acid for ph. Will SWg increase acid use to keep pH down?


Thanks,
Bran

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hey there Toby, welcome to TFP
I would venture to say 99.9% of that have salt systems would never go without them if given a choice.

The Core55 is pretty neat, IMO, but I haven't yet seen what options there are to change the percentage of chlorine made but about 5 choices?? I could be wrong, of course, and with a big pool it will be fine I'm sure. My simple salt system lets me go up and down by 10% each setting, but if I want to go down by half that amount I just have to pick "winter mode" (i.e. 30% in winter mode is now 15%. Voila!) Just a handy trick.

If ever I need a new cell I will be giving the Core cells a serious look.

You also can get more or less chlorine production just based on your pump run time. Longer pump run = chlorine production.

My pool doesn't require much acid. A new plaster pool usually does, but that has nothiing to do with a salt cell. Some folks find their pH hovers around 7.8 with a cell.... but easily addressed if desired with a bit of acid.

Maddie

 

[YippeeSkippy]

p.s. At TFP, we have NO need to routinely "shock" our pools. That said, if I need/want an instant rise in FC I will use liquid chlorine. Salt cells excel at maintaining your FC level, but work slowly to bring too-low chlorine up as fast as one may want.

 

[dfwnoob]

A decade late welcome to TFP! Great looking pool!

2) currently I use mix of pucks and liquid chlorine. Obviously, would no longer use pucks at all, but during mid summer, can I still on occasion use liquid chlorine for shock (ideally wouldn't even need to)?

We really don't "shock" here, barring some bad water chemistry leading to algae, in which case the fix is a SLAM Process. Shocking is not a regular event in the TFP methodology of pool care the way it is in "pool store" methods. That being said, you'll still use a little liquid chlorine for the colder months when the cell is unable to produce.

I'm not super up to speed on Circupool's line, but what does the CORE provide over, say, the RJ-60? It looks like it lacks the power box on the wall, which could be a plus for some people, but it does cost a bit more (the RJ-60 looks to be $1399 on DiscountSaltPool if you use the "$20 upgrade" route, the CORE-55 is $1609).

Big question: do you have a variable speed pump?

 

[proavia]

Being in Houston with a 28k pool, you would be better served by the RJ60+
At DSP, look at the RJ45+, chose the upgrade to the RJ60+ for $20 more.

Update your signature with your current pool, pool equipment (including manufacturers and model numbers) and test kit info - yours shows an above ground pool.

Suggest you also get a Taylor K-1766 salt test kit if your current kit doesn't have a drop based test for salt. You may be surprised at how much salt is already in the pool water.

 

[jark87]

I’m in DFW with a similarly sized pool. I’ve had a Jandy Aquapure 1400 since day 1 - more than 15 years ago. Not the same cell, but the same model. It has worked fine. Our pool is surrounded by trees so we constantly get stuff dropped in it. Yes, you can add LC while running the SWCG. I keep FC kinda high - in the 8-10 range. If the sun beats down so much that my FC drops, I’ll add a jug of LC or bleach for a quick boost. As far as acid goes, I’ve just grown accustomed to adding a pint or so once a week, as my pH has always drifted up. I’ve removed the spa fountain to try to contain it, but it still rises. I now keep TA in the 50-60 range and that helps lengthen the time between pH doses.

You’ll love your SWCG! No lugging chlorine in whatever form, no storage, no daily dosing, etc. Need to go out of town for a couple weeks? Go away with no concerns about your FC and no need to hire a service. I wouldn’t own a pool without a SWCG.

 

[Beach94Ag]

Hi all,

Thank you for the great replies and belated welcomes!! Due to the effort I have put in over the years, I am probably still considered quite "new" in proper maintenance -- I used to check my chemistry about every few weeks, which obviously resulted in issues that I then had to fight (scaling, algae (the black stuff is pure evil))

To answer some of the questions:

1) Not sure if my pump is variable (ugh, I should though :-( ) . I am going to try an upload a photo and will google to see if I can properly answer.
2) Regarding, "shock" I mispoke as yes the idea is to just keep my FC higher than guidelines (1-3?) in the summer by hitting with a little extra chlorine (maybe throw a couple gallons in on the weekend) just so I don't have any unplanned guest in my pool (algae) as I have frequently through the years. btw, I'm sure this is blasphemy here, but it seems shock is one part of SLAM, no?
3) I'm not set on the CORE line, just need something I can install myself and that is easy to operate. Would I be able to connect the RJ line into my Pentair control panel (see photo)? My preference would be to connect into the control panel, but that is going to take some further research, as I don't have the knowledge/skills to do so at this point.

Thanks,
Brandon

 

[gkw4815]

Beautiful pool!

I'm also in Houston, with a similarly-sized pool, just installed a 60k SWG (Pureline PL7703) and am very happy with it so far. Currently I've got it set at 10% output and am keeping chlorine right around 3-5 ppm with 18 hours/day of pump runtime. I haven't been through a Houston summer with it yet, but expect to ramp it up a fair bit during July and August. I gave all my liquid chlorine to my next door neighbor but kept my stash of Cal-Hypo shock in case I have issues with the SWG or face an extended power outage and can't run the SWG.

I haven't seen a significant change to my acid demand since switching from predominantly liquid chlorine to the SWG. You'll definitely use more acid vs running a pool entirely on trichlor tablets.

You do not have a variable speed pump - may want to consider upgrading to one to save on electricity. VS pump + SWG = the cheapest way to run a pool in terms of monthly chlorine/electricity costs.

 

[Beach94Ag]

For you guys in Texas, do you have flagstone coping? I know there is alot of controversy regarding the impact that the saltwater can have and although at this point I tend to believe the ones saying it doesn't do any additional harm, to say I'm not still nervous would be a lie. I thought I read someone on TFP said the Flagstone in Texas flakes more, which I have seen on some of mine. I mean any damage to the coping would really kill the benefit of saltwater to say the least. I guess since my kids are older and don't use the pool much the infrequent contact of water on the coping partially mitigates that concern.

Also, did you install it yourself or hire someone? Just curious as I would like to know how difficult it is to install since the installation cost would probably be just as much as the unit.

Regarding the variable speed pump, I would have to work up some figures to estimate the breakeven point for that investment.

 

[Jimrahbe]

B,

Here is my flagstone story...

I bought a rental home with a pool that was in pretty bad shape. New plaster, tile and flagstone coping. Within weeks some of the flagstone started to shed very thin layers of sand. Some stones did it and some did not. Keep in mind the pool at this point is a standard chlorine pool. It did this for almost two years before I replace all the equipment and converted to saltwater. That was about 9 or 10 years ago.. Nothing changed... the bad stones still shed a little and the good stones are still not effected. Good stones and bad stones are right next to each other. Not sure of the actual thickness of the flagstone, but assume it is 1.5 to 2" thick. Even after 10 years, you can't notice any difference in the thickness.

If your current flagstone is not shedding, then I believe that going with saltwater will not make any difference.

In any case, if my pools could not be saltwater pools I'd seriously think about just filling them in.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[dfwnoob]

My theory is that some flagstone is just utter rubbish and would fall apart no matter what touches it. The "OMG A SALT POOL WILL DESTROY YOUR COPING AND PATIO" is so pervasive I almost argued with the dweeb at Pinch a Penny when he tried feeding me this line of nonsense after I called up for the price on a SWCG. This was the guy who literally owned that particular franchise, too. I realized it was a waste of my breath since this lie is so widespread in TX at this point that it just simply cannot be reasoned with. It may as well be a gospel to these people.

Every pool is a salt pool, it is what it is. If you chlorinate your water long enough, you will always end up with salt as a leftover (or needing to be added in some indirect way). There are multiple posts on here from just the last month where people went to install a SWCG and realized they already had 2500-3000 PPM of salt. I was at 1400 before installing mine and I think the only reason it was that low is because I pumped out a LOT of water a few months ago after my overflow failed and the pool nearly overflowed.

Also, did you install it yourself or hire someone? Just curious as I would like to know how difficult it is to install since the installation cost would probably be just as much as the unit.

If you can handle the most basic plumbing you can install a SWCG. There's no chance I'm paying some ding dong $1000 to cut out 16" of PVC and glue in some unions. I'm an idiot and I managed to install mine, even with a vertical installation. Since you're going Circupool you don't have to worry about it affecting your warranty, either. If you can apply PVC primer and glue, and buy some Liquid-Tight conduit and THHN wire, you can install it yourself.

Regarding the variable speed pump, I would have to work up some figures to estimate the breakeven point for that investment.

I can run my VSP at low speed 24 hours a day - getting all of the benefits of constant skimming and chlorination - for cheaper than I could run my old one for four hours (and it was scheduled to run 8 total). It'll take me over three years to amortize the cost, but at current electricity rates, the savings are absolutely there.

 

[Dirk]

It's not the salt that tears flagstone apart. It's the water. Plain and simple. Flagstone is just compressed sand. Water gets in there and messes with whatever is keeping the sand from coming apart. The salt doesn't increase or decrease that process. The more water, the bigger the problem. And as pointed out, all chlorine pools are saltwater pools eventually anyway. In addition to chlorine use, muriatic acid and those pesky humans also leave salt behind after they do their thing in your pool. And there is likely salt in your fill water. Unless you change all your water a couple times a year, you have a saltwater pool.

Your flagstone will come apart, or it won't, regardless of the use of an SWG.

You can minimize the deterioration through the use of chemicals. Sealing only helps a tiny bit. There's other stuff you use that keeps the sand from delaminating, but it's expensive. That's a topic for another day.

Get an SWG, you'll be glad you did.

It was mentioned, but be aware that an SWG works only down to about 50° (water temp). So for some number of months of the year you won't be able to run it. You then treat the water with liquid chlorine until the pool warms back up. Because algae doesn't really get going at that temperature, your liquid chlorine maintenance will be minimal. I get away with a few cups, once a week (in a 12K pool), for about three months. So that's 12 doses of LC a year. And that's easy.

 

[Dirk]

B,

Here is my flagstone story...

I bought a rental home with a pool that was in pretty bad shape. New plaster, tile and flagstone coping. Within weeks some of the flagstone started to shed very thin layers of sand. Some stones did it and some did not. Keep in mind the pool at this point is a standard chlorine pool. It did this for almost two years before I replace all the equipment and converted to saltwater. That was about 9 or 10 years ago.. Nothing changed... the bad stones still shed a little and the good stones are still not effected. Good stones and bad stones are right next to each other. Not sure of the actual thickness of the flagstone, but assume it is 1.5 to 2" thick. Even after 10 years, you can't notice any difference in the thickness.

If your current flagstone is not shedding, then I believe that going with saltwater will not make any difference.

In any case, if my pools could not be saltwater pools I'd seriously think about just filling them in.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I have almost the same story. Some stones are worse than others. Some stones are untouched. But the vast majority of my damage occurs right in front of the steps. Like a lot more damage than anywhere else. That's always the wettest part of my deck, and those stones get far more water on them than any others.

Also, I have flagstone "spokes" that radiate out, perpendicular to my coping. So my deck is literally a test subject for flagstone damage due to pool water exposure. Plus I have the same stone elsewhere in my yard and patio. Without exception, the spokes and all the other stone in my landscaping are like new. Only the stones that get regularly splashed by the pool water delaminate.

The damage to my stones was occurring years before I had an SWG installed. It made no difference. As I mentioned, it's the water, not the salt. The more water, the more damage.

 

[Dirk]

Spokes:

 

[gkw4815]

No damage to flagstone coping yet, but I've only had my SWG a few weeks.

My pool originally had a SWG when it was built in the 90s, but the previous owners switched to tablets after the original cell failed. So it's likely had years of SW exposure with no ill effects.

Does SW tear up your pump bearings, etc? I replaced the original 25+ year old waterfall pump last year, not because it was leaking or dead - but just because it was old.

My water tested at ~1000ppm before I started adding bags of salt.

 

[Dirk]

No damage to flagstone coping yet, but I've only had my SWG a few weeks.

My pool originally had a SWG when it was built in the 90s, but the previous owners switched to tablets after the original cell failed. So it's likely had years of SW exposure with no ill effects.

Does SW tear up your pump bearings, etc? I replaced the original 25+ year old waterfall pump last year, not because it was leaking or dead - but just because it was old.

My water tested at ~1000ppm before I started adding bags of salt.

Are you giving us a go? Seems like you've known the answers about what salt does (rather, doesn't do) to coping and pool equipment all along...

 

[MikeFL]

B,

Here is my flagstone story...

I bought a rental home with a pool that was in pretty bad shape. New plaster, tile and flagstone coping. Within weeks some of the flagstone started to shed very thin layers of sand. Some stones did it and some did not. Keep in mind the pool at this point is a standard chlorine pool. It did this for almost two years before I replace all the equipment and converted to saltwater. That was about 9 or 10 years ago.. Nothing changed... the bad stones still shed a little and the good stones are still not effected. Good stones and bad stones are right next to each other. Not sure of the actual thickness of the flagstone, but assume it is 1.5 to 2" thick. Even after 10 years, you can't notice any difference in the thickness.

If your current flagstone is not shedding, then I believe that going with saltwater will not make any difference.

In any case, if my pools could not be saltwater pools I'd seriously think about just filling them in.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Hi Jim - I also have a rental property with a pool and I am considering converting to salt water which I have at my place (My signature contains specs on my personal pool)

I handle balancing chemicals at the rental which uses chlorine tabs as I do no trust the tenants to add LC and I am not going to go down daily. Chlorine tabs have worked well and my only motivation to convert is long term cost savings just not sure it is justified.

I do not have a variable speed pump, current pump was replaced 3 years ago, tenants cover electricity so saving on that utility bill is not a motivator.

what would you do?