Discouraged by Pool Store to Convert to SWG

[Brian PacNW]

When you purchase liquid chlorine at $40, how many gallons do you get, and what percentage is it? Do you also know the date stamp on the bottles? Something like 23 123.

Trying to save you a few bucks by possibly shopping elsewhere for liquid chlorine while you make your SWCG decisions. My own local pool store overcharges like crazy on their LC, so I’m projecting a bit.

 

[PoolStored]

$6.99 a gallon, shows "in stock" at Gazaway Lumber Co Inc - Paragould, AR
https://www.acehardware.com/store-details/07908

CDS Liquid Chlorinating Chemicals 1 gal Mfr# CD160001 - Ace Hardware

CDS liquid chlorinator (pool shock) for swimming pool water disinfection provides instant gratification when added to pools and has no wait time to swim. Less expensive to use than granular chlorine. No scaling when compared to granular products that can lead to excessively high...

www.acehardware.com

 

[2neuges]

You can contact different pool builders. Just make sure you know what you want in advance (we can help with that - just tell us about your current equipment/automation etc.)

Great! Thank you so much!!!

 

[2neuges]

$6.99 a gallon, shows "in stock" at Gazaway Lumber Co Inc - Paragould, AR
Gazaway Lumber Co Inc in Paragould | Hardware Store in Paragould, AR 72450

CDS Liquid Chlorinating Chemicals 1 gal Mfr# CD160001 - Ace Hardware

CDS liquid chlorinator (pool shock) for swimming pool water disinfection provides instant gratification when added to pools and has no wait time to swim. Less expensive to use than granular chlorine. No scaling when compared to granular products that can lead to excessively high...

www.acehardware.com

Thank you! I did know this...but I get the 12.5% at $9.95. SO...Ace would be cheaper!

 

[2neuges]

When you purchase liquid chlorine at $40, how many gallons do you get, and what percentage is it? Do you also know the date stamp on the bottles? Something like 23 123.

Trying to save you a few bucks by possibly shopping elsewhere for liquid chlorine while you make your SWCG decisions. My own local pool store overcharges like crazy on their LC, so I’m projecting a bit.

Thank you...I purchase four 1 gallon jugs at $9.95/piece...so that works out to be about $40 for four. I currently use the 12.5% but it looks like I could get it cheaper at our local Ace and use the 10%

 

[2neuges]

You can contact different pool builders. Just make sure you know what you want in advance (we can help with that - just tell us about your current equipment/automation etc.)

What is the best time of year to convert? We live in the mid-south, so likely will be closing sometime in October and re-opening in early May of next year.

 

[BDY]

Chlorine Date Code Decoder - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

This is helpful when buying the jugs to avoid a spoiled batch


I like Ace too. Lowes and HD will also have it. Best price seems to Walmart. If you have a Menards they get recommended a lot too

 

[2neuges]

2,

What is your current salt levels in your pool??

Your pool store lady has no clue what she is talking about...

I agree that you will have to replace the cell itself about every 5 to 7 years, but that is far less than the cost of liquid chlorine over the same period.

Thanks,

Jim R.

I just went in to the pool store. They tested my water and it came out as 209 ppm???

 

[2neuges]

Get the SWCG. Depending on your pool size the payback is 1-2 years. @Newdude will be along with the calculations. Your payback is 2 years with $800/yr on chlorine.

My pool, Liquid Chlorine, was 2200 ppm salt before conversion to 3000ppm for SWCG. No need to seal anything. Salt pool = chlorine pool. Chlorine pool = salt pool.

I started with TABS until I was "pool stored" for $1500. Then converted to LC with stenner pump, worked great. Lugging jugs was ok, and the expense was too. After converting to SWCG, I will fill in this pool before you will take it from me. SWCG is boring and WORKS!

Do it, NOW.

I just went to the pool store and they tested my water for salt and it came back at 209 ppm...

 

[1poolman1]

I just went to the pool store and they tested my water for salt and it came back at 209 ppm...

Was the pool recently filled? Not sure what kind of tester would test that low. Are you sure it wasn't 2090PPM?

 

[2neuges]

I'm looking into converting to a SWG instead of liquid chlorine and am wondering what I need to know before I take the plunge...what should I know so that I steer the pool store in installing the right one, etc?
Thank you!

 

[2neuges]

Was the pool recently filled? Not sure what kind of tester would test that low. Are you sure it wasn't 2090PPM?

Ha well I was surprised myself. It came back at 209 ppm. I added water yesterday due to evaporation, but only had a single hose on for 45 min.

 

[BDY]

That just shows you not to trust pool store tests … no machine can be that accurate down to single digits

 

[1poolman1]

Ha well I was surprised myself. It came back at 209 ppm. I added water yesterday due to evaporation, but only had a single hose on for 45 min.

You can't see it, but fresh pool water sits on top of the rest of the water until it all mixes. Water with all its TDS is heavier. Whenever I add water to my pool my SWG will soon report low salt for about 2 hours until the fresh water has mixed with the rest.

To get more accurate results from any water test you need to reach about 18" into the pool with the test vial inverted then turn it upright to get water from that depth. Most people just test the surface, which is OK if the equipment has been running a few hours. That's one reason good service techs set their customer's pools to be running a while before the service visit.

 

[Mdragger88]

What is the best time of year to convert? We live in the mid-south, so likely will be closing sometime in October and re-opening in early May of next year.

You’re a little north of me - i close around Halloween & open around late March/early April to ensure my water is 60 degrees or less while closed.
Most swgs have a warranty so to get the most out of it installing right before opening would be ideal so you’re not burning up 5 or 6 months of your warranty period on the front end

 

[generessler]

Looks like Paragould Walmart Supercenter has 10% LQ for pickup at $5.67 a gallon. But you'll like the SWG.

 

[SJPoe]

I spend $800/year at her store for liquid chlorine during the pool season?

The pool lady immediately discouraged me

You don't say ?

I just did this exact conversion. Right now, with my new Variable Speed Pump and SWG, I'm saving close to $150/month. With only a 6 month swim season here in Michigan, 2 seasons will basically see me pay off the upfront cost and be 'saving money'. LC is fairly cheap here, $4.99/gal for 12.5%, so the math would be even better if it were more expensive. Even if you added $1000 for installation, I'd break even in 3 seasons, not 2.
The 'intangible' saving is not having to go get cases of LC, store them, pour them, the disposal of the containers, collateral damage from splashes and so on. It's not like it's a car payment, but my ex-accountant wife looks at it as accruing for a little more heater time into October, and maybe a little sooner heater time in April

I still use my pool store, I just don't use them for day-to-day things and maintenance. I have them open/close my pool because I'm not 25 anymore, and the covers are heavy and the water/weather is cold in April/October. I bought my heater through them, and had them install it, which was fairly reasonable. The SWG I did myself because I am somewhat handy, but if I had called them, I'm sure they would have installed it for me.

 

[Mdragger88]

I am a diy kinda gal so this is just for the equipment but here’s some math I did with a budget friendly model - this unit is still the same price but liquid chlorine has increased in price by $1/gal since I did my calculations

 

[Newdude]

The 'intangible' saving is not having to go get cases of LC, store them, pour them, the disposal of the containers, collateral damage from splashes and so on.

He sent me a PM a few days in asking what he and his dog should do with all their free time. This 'intangible' simply cannot be overstated and nobody fully 'gets it' until after they switch.

Then they kick themselves for waiting.

Hard.

On the daily.

 

[BDY]

Write yourself a big note for vacation planning to check salinity before leaving. That was my error earlier this year. Otherwise it’s quite…..boring? Uneventful?