Thanks to everyone who fielded my barrage of questions over the last week. I don't know why, but I have to research things, then research my research, then continue with this process until mental paralysis sets in. Either that, or I just continue my research until my lovely wife says "just order the dang thing and be done with it." 
I'll certainly keep the forum updated on my experience with this chlorinator. After all of my research, this is why I chose this particular unit:
1. I must admit, the current promotional price of $549 (Irma) was very appealing, particularly on a unit that outputs 2lbs/day of chlorine. There are competitive units specified for 60K gallon pools that have the same output (Pentair IC60 and AutoPilot PPC4), and are significantly more expensive.
2. There are a number of companies selling this very same unit under their own brand name, but the current CircuPool price was at least $100 less than the others.
3. Because many other companies, including large web retailers, are offering the same exact unit with different branding, it seems that availability of parts should be excellent. The Hayward T-15 cell is evidently also compatible.
4. The Hayward AQR15 is a highly respected unit, and I have a strong suspicion that it too is made by the same manufacturer, because I have seen import data, by Hayward, from this specific manufacturer. Adding to this is the cell compatibility, and although the panel layout is different, the data displayed and controls are the same as well.
5. At the price, even if I had to replace the entire system every year, I'd still be ahead by over $500 in annual chemical expenses. If I can get just 2 years out it, my savings double.
6. I've seen cells for this unit as low as $299, so if I have to replace the cell every year, I'll be at 1/3rd of my current annual chemical expenses, and that doesn't include the unrealized value of not having to buy bleach every week, which is almost priceless! If I can get 2 or 3 years out of it, I'd be thrilled to death.
7. Individual parts, such as the PCB's, are readily available for this system, so out-of-warranty DIY repair should be easy.
8. The CircuPool folks were very helpful and responsive, so I figured I'd give them the business, even if I did find it for less.
9. I was close to buying the RJ-45, but the Universal 40 is evidently the same unit, with a shorter warranty, 10,000 hour cell (versus 11,500), LCD vs LED display, and manual versus touch controls. I saw no added benefit of spending the extra money on a machine that's designed to do a simple task. Not that alone, but the touch control pad on my 2-year-old Pentair pump is already broken, so I'm not a fan of touch pads at the moment.
In the end, I decided to avoid exotic calculations such as figuring out over-sizing to a point where I'm running the pump "X" number of hours a day, and getting an SWG that I can run at 60% to extend its life. As I mentioned, my annual chemical expenses would equal the cost of almost FOUR cells per year, so I'm not concerned about the life of the cell unless it dies every 6 months. Heck, even if it did die every 6 months, I'd still be ahead financially, and wouldn't be dealing with bleach on a weekly basis. After picking up bleach today, I'd be content with breaking even! I'll run the unit at 100%, and adjust my pump time accordingly to get the chlorine I need. Done.
By the way, it seems the same manufacturer is coming out with a 60K unit that will output 3lbs per day of chlorine. INYOPOOL has it on their website under the brand PureLine. It's not shipping until March of 2018, but it looks like a great deal for someone that needs that kind of output. Also, if you look at the PureLine 40K unit on the INYOPOOL website, you'll see a note that it's being sold under a different brand, BlueWorks, so there's plenty of evidence that there's a single manufacturer behind all of these systems, which provides a wide range of options for buying cells and other parts. More options equal more competition which results in better pricing!
And that's a wrap!
I'll certainly keep the forum updated on my experience with this chlorinator. After all of my research, this is why I chose this particular unit:1. I must admit, the current promotional price of $549 (Irma) was very appealing, particularly on a unit that outputs 2lbs/day of chlorine. There are competitive units specified for 60K gallon pools that have the same output (Pentair IC60 and AutoPilot PPC4), and are significantly more expensive.
2. There are a number of companies selling this very same unit under their own brand name, but the current CircuPool price was at least $100 less than the others.
3. Because many other companies, including large web retailers, are offering the same exact unit with different branding, it seems that availability of parts should be excellent. The Hayward T-15 cell is evidently also compatible.
4. The Hayward AQR15 is a highly respected unit, and I have a strong suspicion that it too is made by the same manufacturer, because I have seen import data, by Hayward, from this specific manufacturer. Adding to this is the cell compatibility, and although the panel layout is different, the data displayed and controls are the same as well.
5. At the price, even if I had to replace the entire system every year, I'd still be ahead by over $500 in annual chemical expenses. If I can get just 2 years out it, my savings double.
6. I've seen cells for this unit as low as $299, so if I have to replace the cell every year, I'll be at 1/3rd of my current annual chemical expenses, and that doesn't include the unrealized value of not having to buy bleach every week, which is almost priceless! If I can get 2 or 3 years out of it, I'd be thrilled to death.
7. Individual parts, such as the PCB's, are readily available for this system, so out-of-warranty DIY repair should be easy.
8. The CircuPool folks were very helpful and responsive, so I figured I'd give them the business, even if I did find it for less.
9. I was close to buying the RJ-45, but the Universal 40 is evidently the same unit, with a shorter warranty, 10,000 hour cell (versus 11,500), LCD vs LED display, and manual versus touch controls. I saw no added benefit of spending the extra money on a machine that's designed to do a simple task. Not that alone, but the touch control pad on my 2-year-old Pentair pump is already broken, so I'm not a fan of touch pads at the moment.
In the end, I decided to avoid exotic calculations such as figuring out over-sizing to a point where I'm running the pump "X" number of hours a day, and getting an SWG that I can run at 60% to extend its life. As I mentioned, my annual chemical expenses would equal the cost of almost FOUR cells per year, so I'm not concerned about the life of the cell unless it dies every 6 months. Heck, even if it did die every 6 months, I'd still be ahead financially, and wouldn't be dealing with bleach on a weekly basis. After picking up bleach today, I'd be content with breaking even! I'll run the unit at 100%, and adjust my pump time accordingly to get the chlorine I need. Done.
By the way, it seems the same manufacturer is coming out with a 60K unit that will output 3lbs per day of chlorine. INYOPOOL has it on their website under the brand PureLine. It's not shipping until March of 2018, but it looks like a great deal for someone that needs that kind of output. Also, if you look at the PureLine 40K unit on the INYOPOOL website, you'll see a note that it's being sold under a different brand, BlueWorks, so there's plenty of evidence that there's a single manufacturer behind all of these systems, which provides a wide range of options for buying cells and other parts. More options equal more competition which results in better pricing!
And that's a wrap!
