Goldline Aqua Plus better for pool/spa than Pool Pilot DIG?

[JimM01]

After reviewing all the posts and manuals I could find on all of the SWG systems, I have concluded that the Goldline Aqua Plus is better for me than the Pool Pilot Digital because:
1. I have space to mount the Aqua Plus before the pool/spa return valve. The Aqua Plus allows you to set separate SWG rates for pool vs. spa mode. The Pool Pilot does not have this capability so it needs to be installed after the valve, which would require extensive repiping in my case.
2. For about the same price, the Aqua Plus provides a complete pool automation system plus a SWG. I can use it to control all of my equipment including the 3-way valves (with the additional purchase of two valve actuators), which gives me a one-button solution for switching between pool and spa mode.
3. Finally, compared with the other pool automation/SWG systems like Jandy and Pentair, I found the user interface of the Goldline Aqua Plus to be the most intuitive. Also, I was not interested in controlling the unit remotely, so the user interface at the control panel was important to me. (Note that both wired and wireless remote options are available for the Aqua Plus.)

Having said all this, I am still wondering about the one feature that the Pool Pilot Digital has that the other SWGs do not, namely the capability to automatically adjust chlorine generation to changes in the water temperature. How big a deal is this? I live in N. Virginia where the water temperature starts out in the 60s when I open the pool at the end of April to 80+ during the peak of summer, but the water temperature typically does not change much on a day-to-day basis. There will usually be one big spike in June when the water temperature will jump up from the low to high 70s and then pretty much stay there until the end of August.

For anyone who owns a non-Pool Pilot SWG, how often do you adjust your chlorine output level during the season to account for water temperature changes?

 

[Guest]

For anyone who owns a non-Pool Pilot SWG, how often do you adjust your chlorine output level during the season to account for water temperature changes?

I set my Goldline PS-8 for different pump run times and outputs for both the pool and spa for summer and winter. It takes about 5 minutes to do this so it's really a non issue. My testing determines when i need to do this. When the Fc level starts to rise sometime around Dec. I turn the unit down.
Ditto for when the FC starts to drop in the spring as the temps rise. My pool is open year round. I also picked Goldline over Autopilot because I wanted the automation and I am very pleased with my decision. BTW, I would look into the floating spa remote, it's been very useful to me for controlling the spa jets and bubblers without getting out of the spa. Also, make sure you have enough relays and actualtors for any future expansion plans. I though a PS-8 would be all I would ever need but i have added a cleaner and lighting and plan on adding solar one day to supplement the heat pump but when I do I will now have to add a separate solar controller because I have used up all 4 actuators and 7 out of 8 relays (and I'm saving that for when I upgrade to a 2 speed pump.). If I had realzied this when I had the unit installed I would have upgraded to the PS-16

 

[JasonLion]

The AutoPilot Digital has two features that I consider significant. One is the temperature compensation, which waterbear already touched on, not that much trouble to do manually, but does require a little effort. The other is the large digital display with helpful messages on the AutoPilot Digital, such as the exact amount of salt you need to add. Again the UI on the Goldline units is fairly good, so not a huge difference. The automatic calculation of the amount of salt needed is very cool, but then it really doesn't come up all that often.

 

[Guest]

The automatic calculation of the amount of salt needed is very cool, but then it really doesn't come up all that often.

And Jason's pool calculator really makes that unnecessary, Right Jason?

 

[JasonLion]

Indeed, my Pool Calculator makes figuring out the amount of salt easy.

I hadn't noticed what an attractive package the Aqua Plus has become. The price seems much lower than I remember from a year or two ago. The new price is very competitive with other SWGs, yet you get the main control unit of a 4 relay automation system. And on top of that, you can now add the Sense and Dispense options to get PH and ORP automation, without having to go up to the Pro Logic series.

 

[JimM01]

Thanks Waterbear and Jason. That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for.