Thoughts on Hayward AquaRite Low Salt SWG

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I would have to think it is less efficient. You would have to run it at higher output and longer periods of time to generate the same amount of chlorine.

But, depending on filter type and where you backwash to, any salt build up would be slower. Although if you get a fair amount of rain, I am not sure I have read of the salt build up being a problem.
 
This unit is available in Canada only for now. The market was asking for a low salt unit. The low salt unit is designed to make chlorine at low salt level without the unit showing a low salt level service light. It is only good on pools up to 25,000 gals. With low salt the unit will make less chlorine at the same set point as the standard model. You can also run the low salt unit at the same salt level as the standard unit. Hope it answers your question.
 
Hayward Pool said:
This unit is available in Canada only for now. The market was asking for a low salt unit. The low salt unit is designed to make chlorine at low salt level without the unit showing a low salt level service light. It is only good on pools up to 25,000 gals. With low salt the unit will make less chlorine at the same set point as the standard model. You can also run the low salt unit at the same salt level as the standard unit. Hope it answers your question.
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Thanks for taking the time to reply. So as noted by jblizzle above, is the downside then that you have to run the SWG longer therefore possibly costing more in electricity usage?
 
Is the low salt unit the same as the regular AquaRite other than a software change that changes the low salt warning level?

Could you do the same thing by using a T-15 cell with the box set to a smaller cell size?
 
Good day, this low salt unit was designed per the trade asking for something different. I have not heard of any regulations in Canada about salt water discharge into the sewer system, but I have asked for clarification. The low salt unit works with one cell that comes with the unit. You can not use other cells.
 
Just an update on the low salt for Canada. It seems that certain communities in the Ontario area have passed low salt requirements for discharge into the sewer system. Toronto being one. This is one of the reason for the low salt unit.
 
ekadd said:
Thanks for taking the time to reply. So as noted by jblizzle above, is the downside then that you have to run the SWG longer therefore possibly costing more in electricity usage?
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The unit should run at a lower amp level because the salt level is lower so net net, it should use about the same power for the same FC level.
 
mas985 said:
The unit should run at a lower amp level because the salt level is lower so net net, it should use about the same power for the same FC level.
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I can understand that it would use lower amps to generate and thus for a given FC level the SWG would use the same amount of power ... BUT ... it is going to make the FC slower and if you have to run the pump longer to generate enough FC, then that is going to cost you more in power (not for the SWG, but for the pump).

Now, if you can just turn out the SWG % output enough to generate the required FC in the same amount of pump time, then I would agree that the total power consumption would be nearly identical.
 

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Yes I assumed the pump run time was the same and the % changed to compensate for the lower salt level.
 
^Road salt runoff during snowmelt, and as far as Toronto is concerned, for the aquatic health of the Lake Ontario watershed, pools that discharge into storm sewers are believed to be an issue. Regular chlorine pools must also be dechlorinated.
 
It's been more than 13 years that I lived in Canada, but at the time I left, there was also a movement to reduce the use of road salt to protect the watershed. I don't recall the research that precipitated it, but can recall several watershed organizations discussing it.

I pulled ths from an article to give you an idea:
Environment Canada: Should road salt be banned?
Amid mounting concern about the impact of salt-laden runoff on wetlands, Environment Canada is considering whether road salt and calcium chloride should be declared toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

While road salt has already been proven to be harmful to fish, Environment Canada says the effects are just as dire for the benthic, or bottom, layer of aquatic ecosystems. A study of a pond near Hwy. 401 in Burlington, Ont., found that when salt-water runoff sinks to the bottom of a pond or lake, it prevents the normal water-mixing process and deprives benthic organisms of a fresh supply of oxygen.

The water within the sediments can also attain high concentrations of salt, which, in turn, increases the concentration of heavy metals, such as cadmium.
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For the OP -- I found this article linked below on a Canadian pool store site. Its really quite comprehensive in evaluating suitability of salt in general, and posts links to by laws in the cities where there are storm water discharge bans.

I suspect the low-salt generator is designed to address this, but thought this article might be helpful.

It seems to me that since you are a new build, the matter is resolved by designing your discharge system to plumb into the sanitary sewer line and avoid stom water drain discharge. In this case I'm not sure there's an advantage to a low salt unit, but might not have all the facts ;)

I'm sorry we at TFP can't help you assess this product yet, because it hasn't been available to the US market that I know of. You may get to be a pioneer ;)

Is a Salt Chlorine Generator right for my pool? | The Pool Shoppe
 
At lower chloride concentrations, the efficiency of the chlorine production process will be reduced due to the formation of oxygen at the anode. I don't know exactly how much the efficiency is reduced.
 
I have one of these Low Salt systems (see signature) installed since 1year now.
As I live in Europe (Belgium) it is promoted here but not mandatory.
When purchasing I got a little scared of the typical salt rumours floating around "It'll destroy your deck and your heater and ..."
The sales rep dismissed those claims bit did point me towards a Lower Salt version saying "It can't hurt to have less salt and there, the unit operates equally well"

What I understood is that these are regular Hayward cells that have had a software upgrade to continue working under low salt conditions.
The range in which they operate is very large, so you could operate it at (much) higher (regular) salt levels.
But it is true, I've seen jumps in efficiency when adding more salt.
It is also telling that Hayward only allows the largst cells in this system (T cell 15),
maybe it is an attempt to ward of competition as they are making after market regulare cells ?
 

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