I start digging first week of August

[kywildcats]

Hi everyone, I'm new here as you can tell by number of posts. I'm gonna have a zillion questions coming up!!! We start digging in a couple weeks, and I am still torn on which way to go.......salt or chemicals? What would be the groups choice of the two? I've googled it to death, and both have pros and cons. Pool will be 20x28 feet, and will be 3.4 to 5.6 feet deep (no real deep end). I get a $250 chemical credit from my dealer, or they will take the $250 off my SWG if I decide to go that way. The SWG will cost me about $600 if I go that way.
I have never owned a pool before, so this is going to be a challenge for sure. I've already got lots of good info from Pool School, and I am still reading! Thanks in advance!

 

[Divin Dave]

Hi Welcome to TFP

teh difference between SWG and chemicals, is more of convenience than anything. Over the course of years, th cost about equals out. Just pay for it up front with a SWG vs a little bit weekly with liquid chlorine.

as for the convenience factory,you dont have to add chlorine to the pool daily. Lug jugs of it from the store contantly or worry about what to do with the empty bottles. With a SWG, its just a matter of adding a bag of salt maybe once or twice a summer to replace what got backwashed out, or diluted because of too much rain.

It should be mentioned, that some of the softer stone used around pools, such as travertine, flagstone etc, may be subject to extra errosion over time because of salt. However thats easily enough remedied with a bit of stone sealer every couple or 3 years.

there are no negative effects of sw on concrete decks, or plaster pool surfaces.

I have a SWG and could not imagine being a pool owner without it.

 

[Casey]

Welcome to TFP! So glad you found us before you start! You can bounce ideas off us 24?7 and someone will always answer. I hope you start a thread in the Under Construction Forum so we all can watch your progress.

As far as SWG or chemicals... If I had an in ground, I'd go with a SWG.

 

[kywildcats]

Well, I got the call today that they are finally going to start digging this coming Thursday (2 weeks late). They brought all the pool pumping and filtering equipment yesterday. I went with the 1.5 HP, 2-speed, 220v pump, 26 inch, 400LB Sand Filter, and Pool Pilot SWG. I will be watching them like a hawk, and taking lots of pictures, and post on the building thread.