Last fall, the old liner ruptured, 21ft above ground, so before closing I put a new liner in, and filled it with clean local tap water. i didn’t add anything before closing and the water is still perfectly clear. currently we have a cartridge filter, but we want to go with a SWG setup, so I understand I will be getting a sand filter, pump, and SWG unit itself. I basically want to know what is recommended, I want the most economical option, but at the same time don’t want to buy a bad product. Amazon has intex sand filter with SWG for less than $500. I also need to know if I need to do anything special with the water, since it is at this point completely untreated.
New liner, fresh water, going SWG, what to buy?
- Thread starter JL5086
- Start date
Flying Tivo
TFP Guide
- Jan 24, 2017
- 2,926
- Pool Size
- 7500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You need to add FC and CYAFC/CYA Levels. There are several threads in here with AGP and upgrades like sand filter,swg and even a through the wall skimmer which in my opinion is very nice. You can also hard pipe your setup.
If you currently have an Intex pool, then getting an Intex SWG might make sense as Intex uses a proprietary plumbing fitting. Mixing Intex equipment with non intex pools and pumps can still work because there are adapters, but it can be a pain.
There is also no need to switch to a sand filter to go with a SWG. Intex and other companies make stand alone SWG units which can be used with any type of filter. As long as your pump and filter are working for you then I don’t see any reason to replace them.
All that said, according to your signature your pool is 10,000 gallons. The general consensus is that a SWG should be rated for at least twice the capacity of your pool. The biggest SWG that Intex makes is rated for 15000 gallons and I think that will be too small for your pool.
Instead I would keep your current pump and filter and look at one of the Circupool SWG units from DiscountSaltPool. Look for one rated for about 20,000 gallons. You’ll pay more than $500 for it, but it will be a better match for your pool and you’ll be happier in the end.
There is also no need to switch to a sand filter to go with a SWG. Intex and other companies make stand alone SWG units which can be used with any type of filter. As long as your pump and filter are working for you then I don’t see any reason to replace them.
All that said, according to your signature your pool is 10,000 gallons. The general consensus is that a SWG should be rated for at least twice the capacity of your pool. The biggest SWG that Intex makes is rated for 15000 gallons and I think that will be too small for your pool.
Instead I would keep your current pump and filter and look at one of the Circupool SWG units from DiscountSaltPool. Look for one rated for about 20,000 gallons. You’ll pay more than $500 for it, but it will be a better match for your pool and you’ll be happier in the end.
Also, as far as your water now, you definitely want to get some CYA and Chlorine into the water immediately or it will very quickly start growing algae.
Congrats on the new pool liner. Replaced my inground pool liner 18 month ago and just seeing a new liner makes me a proud owner!
I suspect your pool water is still clear as you likely filled it late in the year and now opened the pool before the temperature has risen above ~65F when algae can grow.
After installing my liner, I took the opportunity to switch to a SWG from Circupool.
I am a bit confused why you feel the need to install a sand filter to replace the cartridge filter. The 2 are not exclusive of one another and in fact, you probably just need to add a SWG after your current filter. The sizing of the SWG is largely dependent on the size of the pool and the hr's you run your pump per day. Generally, double sizing the SWG than your pool size is a good rule of thumb but if you want to run your pool pump even less, than larger may be needed. You need to consider flow rate and that your current pump puts out enough flow to trigger the SWG flow safety sensor.
You may want to consider looking for other above ground pool SWG. Seems inyo pools have some less expensive but I could not speak to their quality. Personally, I've used a Circupool which is above your price range but has worked well.
I suspect your pool water is still clear as you likely filled it late in the year and now opened the pool before the temperature has risen above ~65F when algae can grow.
After installing my liner, I took the opportunity to switch to a SWG from Circupool.
I am a bit confused why you feel the need to install a sand filter to replace the cartridge filter. The 2 are not exclusive of one another and in fact, you probably just need to add a SWG after your current filter. The sizing of the SWG is largely dependent on the size of the pool and the hr's you run your pump per day. Generally, double sizing the SWG than your pool size is a good rule of thumb but if you want to run your pool pump even less, than larger may be needed. You need to consider flow rate and that your current pump puts out enough flow to trigger the SWG flow safety sensor.
You may want to consider looking for other above ground pool SWG. Seems inyo pools have some less expensive but I could not speak to their quality. Personally, I've used a Circupool which is above your price range but has worked well.
Thanks, I will read those. To be clear, this is a traditional, metal side, above ground pool, so it already has a through the wall skimmer. I was looking at the Intex sand filter w/pump and SWG cell/controller on Amazon, I don’t expect them to be great, but the price is really hard to beat. One version has the SWG cell connected to the 3 way valve, and the controller is on the pump, and the other has the entire SWG unit separate. The specific unit I’m considering is a 16” sand filter,holds 120lbs of sand, has .75hp pump, 2,450gph system rate. They sell ones a little smaller, but, they use a 1/2hp motor, and are only 12”, plus they aren’t much less money, and I have solar collector between filter and pool, so that, combined with the fact that these are probably not very great quality, I figured the bigger one may be logical. The cost for the whole system,(minus sand) is $550 and free shipping. I’m interested in opinions, thanks.
Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
I don’t think that’s a good fit for you for a number of reasons. First, the Intex equipment has non standard hose fittings, so you will need to get adapters to connect it to your plumbing. Second, you should put the SWG after a heater or solar system. If you have a solar system then you don’t want the heavily chlorinated water coming from the SWG to be going through it as it can damage the solar system. Third, the Intex SWG is simply too small for your 10,000 gallon pool.
I think you will be much happier keeping your current pump and filter and adding a standalone SWG unit. You might pay a little more than $500, but you will wind up with a much more reliable and better sized system in the end.
All good info, I suppose I could keep my filter and pump, but they are both 20 years old, and have got alot of sun in that time, although they do get put indoors each winter. I just figured if that Intex setup was sufficient, it could be a good way to just get it all swapped out at once here, it does have a 2 year warranty
So it sounds like you really think these SWG needs to be far bigger than the mfg specifies? This Intex one claims it is for up to 15,000gal. but you said I should use one rated for double? also that Intex one is separate, and my collectors are above the pump unit so I suppose it could always be installed after them. Plumbing is not super concerning, since I have done mu whole system in pvc, so I have, and will likely continue to use adapters anyway.
Yes, they rate the SWG cells based on running the system flat out at 100% for 24 hours a day. Most people do not run their systems like that, especially with a single speed pump. It will be a huge waste of electricity to do so. Additionally, Intex tends to be pretty optimistic with their ratings.
For example, the Intex system rated for 15000 gallons can produce .56 pounds of chlorine gas a day (assuming it runs 24 hours a day). A circupool EDGE-15 system, which is also rated for 15000 gallons can produce .75 pounds of chlorine gas a day. Even though they have the same 15000 gallon rating the circupool SWG will produce nearly 1.5 times as much chlorine.
Intex has all in one units as well as separate systems. The separate system would allow you to put the SWG after your solar, so that would be good, but like I said, I really think that you’ll find the Intex system to be too small for your pool.
In the end you get what you pay for. The Intex stuff is pretty cheap and they stretch their ratings by a lot. I’m not really against intex. I have recently recommended Intex systems like that to people with smaller 6,000 or 7,000 gallon pools, but in your case I think your pool is just too big for it.
Last edited:
Ok, so before I really go looking, what should I be looking at for a size rating, because my current cartridge filter setup is a sta-rite pl100, with 1hp motor, I can’t find exactly what the flow is, but, it says in the documentation max 37gpm, which would be 2,220gph, plus I have 4x6ft solar collector, sitting about 7ft above the pump. Most SWG seem to be adjustable, so what would the minimum I would want to consider, and I’m assuming it’s pretty standard that they will be rated on total gallons they can handle. keeping this old pump certainly means I will only be running it for about 8 hrs a day.
Like I said, the general recommendation is getting one rated for twice the capacity of your pool, so with a 10,000 gallon pool I would be looking for a SWG rated for 20,000 gallons.
Pump runtime is one thing that affects this. If you had a variable speed pump that you could run at low speed 24 hours a day, then you could have a longer runtime on the SWG and get by with a lower rating. However, if you want to limit the pump runtime to 8 hours a day, then that indicates a SWG with a higher rating so it can produce enough chlorine during your short runtime.
Weather (in particular sun, and UV) is the other thing that affects it. More direct sun means more UV and UV will burn off chlorine, so in a location with a lot of direct sun your SWG will need to work harder to make up all the chlorine that the sun burns off. Since you’re in Maine this should be less of a concern for you, so that indicates that you could get by with a lower rating on the SWG.
The final factor to consider is that a higher rated cell will not need to work as hard and as such should last longer than a lower rated cell.
So with all that considered the standard recommendation of a system rated for 20,000 gallons should be perfect for you.
Pump runtime is one thing that affects this. If you had a variable speed pump that you could run at low speed 24 hours a day, then you could have a longer runtime on the SWG and get by with a lower rating. However, if you want to limit the pump runtime to 8 hours a day, then that indicates a SWG with a higher rating so it can produce enough chlorine during your short runtime.
Weather (in particular sun, and UV) is the other thing that affects it. More direct sun means more UV and UV will burn off chlorine, so in a location with a lot of direct sun your SWG will need to work harder to make up all the chlorine that the sun burns off. Since you’re in Maine this should be less of a concern for you, so that indicates that you could get by with a lower rating on the SWG.
The final factor to consider is that a higher rated cell will not need to work as hard and as such should last longer than a lower rated cell.
So with all that considered the standard recommendation of a system rated for 20,000 gallons should be perfect for you.
Well, this unit here is rated at only 15,000gal, and says it generates 1.05 pounds per day, but it also specifically says they recommend even if you have a VS pump, that you not run it for more than 8 to 10hrs a day.
thoughts?
thoughts?
Amazon.com : BLUE WORKS Pool Chlorine Generator Chlorinator BLH20 | for 15k Gallon Pool | with Flow Switch and Salt Cell (Clear) : Garden & Outdoor
Amazon.com : BLUE WORKS Pool Chlorine Generator Chlorinator BLH20 | for 15k Gallon Pool | with Flow Switch and Salt Cell (Clear) : Garden & Outdoor
www.amazon.com
I know nothing about that company, so I can’t speak to their reputation or longevity, but based on the output of just over a pound a day (nearly double the output of the Intex unit), and given your northern location, I think that could be a good fit for you.
Sorry to be persistent, but, do you know if, let’s say I got a 15,000gal unit, and it just didn’t keep up, can you replace the cell itself with a higher rated cell? I did read in the comments, that that unit requires you to select the particular model number of which cell you are running, just curious. Although that blue works model had much better reviews compared to the Intex.
I think that’s very dependent on the brand and the model. For at least some of the brands the control unit is the same and you can change some settings to select a different cell size and for others they are a matched set.
However, it’s worth noting that the cell is probably 75%+ of the cost of the unit, so even if you could just replace the cell it would be several hundred dollars to do so.
But that said, if that production capacity of 1.05lb/day is accurate then I think it would work fine for you. The Circupool RJ-20+ which is rated for 20,000 gallons only produces 0.9lb/day. And no one would hesitate to recommend an RJ-20+ for a 10,000 gallon pool.
Little background on the function of a SWG. Each SWG only operates at a specific production rate, when the unit is adjusted to 25% the unit goes from a 100% duty cycle. In other words, it runs at 100% for 15min per hour. The only time one can produce chlorine is when the pump is flowing. As such, if the unit is rated for 1 lbs chlorine/day and the pools chlorine demand is 1lbs/day then the pump needs to run 24hr.
Over sizing the unit allows a shorter run time thereby saving energy and theoretically elongating the life span of the generator cell. Generally, spending more money on the generator will save money as the electricity bill will be lower with less pump run time assuming a single speed pump!
One can lower their electricity bill and reduce the generator cost by replacing their single speed pump with a variable or 2 speed pump. Both pumps can be run at a relatively low flow rate, dramatically saving electricity, I saved $50-70/month. If your pump is old and near expiration, great savings can be found with a VS pump.
SWG really should not be seen as a capital cost which is one time. Really you are foward paying for the chlorine. If the units expected life is 5 years and you spend $150/year on chlorine, the present value of the SWG is $750 minus interest. I point this out as the generator cell will eventually degrade and expire requiring replacement. As such, one should include warranty life, cell quality and lower duty cycle to expand life into the cost equation. Essentially, spending a little more upfront can save money in the long run. Buying a larger unit you run for 5-8 hr at 15% should extend the life maybe from 5 year to 10 thereby reducing total cost of ownership nearly in half.
I would consider all these components in your decision making and budgeting. Buying the cheap intex will likely not be able to keep up with pool cleaning and/or have early death. This case will result in a high life time cost and low enjoyment/.satisfaction.
I'd personally recommend keeping the cartridge filter if the housing is usable, replacing the pump with a VS pump and then buying a good quality SWG. You'll probably spend close to 1,000 USD but I anticipate your total cost of ownership will drop and enjoyment and pool water quality superiority vs the intex.
A Cirrcupool unit like the edge 25 would cost $760 usd but comes with a 7 year warranty. Your annual ownership would be ~110$/year which may be less than your replacement cell is currently $330, assuming the head unit survives 20 year, your cost will then decrease to less than $50/year.
Regards,
Over sizing the unit allows a shorter run time thereby saving energy and theoretically elongating the life span of the generator cell. Generally, spending more money on the generator will save money as the electricity bill will be lower with less pump run time assuming a single speed pump!
One can lower their electricity bill and reduce the generator cost by replacing their single speed pump with a variable or 2 speed pump. Both pumps can be run at a relatively low flow rate, dramatically saving electricity, I saved $50-70/month. If your pump is old and near expiration, great savings can be found with a VS pump.
SWG really should not be seen as a capital cost which is one time. Really you are foward paying for the chlorine. If the units expected life is 5 years and you spend $150/year on chlorine, the present value of the SWG is $750 minus interest. I point this out as the generator cell will eventually degrade and expire requiring replacement. As such, one should include warranty life, cell quality and lower duty cycle to expand life into the cost equation. Essentially, spending a little more upfront can save money in the long run. Buying a larger unit you run for 5-8 hr at 15% should extend the life maybe from 5 year to 10 thereby reducing total cost of ownership nearly in half.
I would consider all these components in your decision making and budgeting. Buying the cheap intex will likely not be able to keep up with pool cleaning and/or have early death. This case will result in a high life time cost and low enjoyment/.satisfaction.
I'd personally recommend keeping the cartridge filter if the housing is usable, replacing the pump with a VS pump and then buying a good quality SWG. You'll probably spend close to 1,000 USD but I anticipate your total cost of ownership will drop and enjoyment and pool water quality superiority vs the intex.
A Cirrcupool unit like the edge 25 would cost $760 usd but comes with a 7 year warranty. Your annual ownership would be ~110$/year which may be less than your replacement cell is currently $330, assuming the head unit survives 20 year, your cost will then decrease to less than $50/year.
Regards,