NEW BUILD; DIY transition to SWG from Chlorine as soon as pool is installed

[jarcher89]

Good afternoon!
So we are scheduled to break ground next spring and our contract is currently for chlorine. After finding this place it it pretty obvious that salt is the way to go. Our pool builder wants to charge us over $2,500 to do a change order for a SWG. I have already learned so much from this forum and think I have mustered up enough confidence to purchase the Hayward AQR15 40,000 gal SWG on amazon for under $1k and install ourselves. I told the pool builder that we were pretty sure we were going to have them transition us to salt sooner or later in hopes that they would plumb it where it would be easy to transition. Does anyone want to give me any pointers or do's and don'ts?

 

[Jimrahbe]

j,

I would buy the SWCG now and ask the pool builder to not install the Nature 2 system and instead plumb in the SWCG cell and flow switch... Maybe you can talk him into mounting the control panel also, but even if the only thing he does is install the cell and flow switch, you will be way ahead.

You can then wire up the control panel.

I would look at the Plus version that is a combination of automation and salt.. see this link... AquaPlus | Automation | In Ground Pool Automation - Hayward Pool Products

You will need about 18" of straight pipe to mount the salt cell and flow switch...

You will also want to wait about 30 days before adding salt and turning the salt system on.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jarcher89]

ok would I wait 30 days to turn on the salt system even if no chlorine was ever added?

 

[Jimrahbe]

j,

Most pool builders do not want to add the salt when the plaster is less than 30 days old... In any case, I would just follow your pool builder's advice until he turns the pool over to you.

Just to make sure that we are both on the same page... a saltwater pool is a chlorine pool.. The both use chlorine to sanitize the water.. With a normal chlorine pool you must add the chlorine manually, either by using 3" pucks or by adding Liquid Chlorine/bleach... With a saltwater pool, the Saltwater Chlorine Generator (SWCG), uses the salt in the pool water, along with electricity, to make chlorine gas... The salt is not consumed, and is just used over and over to make the needed chlorine.

You will not regret going with a saltwater pool... If I had to build another 100 pools, they would all be saltwater pools..

If you plan to maintain your own pool, you will need a "real" test kit, not what the pool builder's give away, as well as a salt test kit. I recommend the TF-100, for the pool water tests and the Taylor K-1766 for determining the actual salt level in your pool.

Here is a good link... http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjR87fY54HeAhUKtlMKHQRiDA0QFjAAegQICxAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftftestkits.net%2FTF-100-Test-Kit-p4.html&usg=AOvVaw21JDQWbe_fSszS6vWoimTL

Thanks,

Jim R.