SWG , basic or total control or Liquidator

[mneal]

I am newbie pool owner. Actually about a year and half into owning 1st pool. I am getting more tired and slack with chlorine testing/adding. I stopped using pucks a while ago to keep CYA in check and been Am i just being a lazy pool owner?

Anyhow, So I have the green light from the boss (wife) to spend some $$ (she feels badly I a working so much OT and tired of me complaining [edited by SeanB] about pool) so I am thinking SWG. I have read tons and learned tons here but have a couple questions. First, I am on the fence trying to decide if I want to do a basic system or go total control route. I fear if I just add a basic system I will get tired of adding acid, adjusting duty cycle etc. sort of defeating the reason for doing it in the 1st place. Thoughts from those who have done it, regrets, opinions etc.

I was also reading the positive posts about the liquidator and was thinking of trying that 1st.

We have a spill over spa and one concern with basic SWG is the way the plumbing is constructed for our pool it would be very difficult to add the cell to the pool only return (and get required straight run before cell) . So I worry if I plumb the cell where puck dispenser currently resides (easy) I will super chlorinate the water when running in "spa only" mode. Obviously the total control system solves that by adjust cell output real time right? Sorry for long random thoughts post.

What do you think?

 

[JasonLion]

With any of the approaches you mentioned there will be a dramatic reduction in the daily work you need to do. As you spend more money you can cut the amount of work required further, but the big improvement comes right at the beginning.

The Liquidator is inexpensive and has good reviews. You do need to refill it occasionally, more often when the weather is hot and many people are using the pool. After the initial adjustment of the flow rate and gaining some familiarity with the system you should only need to test the water every several days and refill the bleach tank as needed.

A SWG eliminates the need to refill the bleach tank. With some attention at the start to getting your water balanced it is possible to almost or completely eliminate PH drift as an issue. Getting the SWG percentage right can take several days at first, but once you are familiar with your system that becomes a seasonal issue rather than a constant issue.

The Total Control system can further reduce your routine chores by managing the PH. This is actually a fairly small difference compared to a properly balanced pool, but it does simplify the initial balancing of the chemistry (you don't have to worry too much about any tendency for PH drift). The TC system does add some additional seasonal chores, the sensors need to be cleaned occasionally and winterizing is slightly more complex.

In almost every case it is possible to plumb the SWG cell in an appropriate place, though it may involve adding some pipe that wouldn't otherwise be needed. Simply diverting the pipe run off to the side for an appropriate distance and then coming back creates a place to put the cell. That isn't elegant, but it works. Alternatively, most automation systems can take care of turning off the SWG when in spa mode.

 

[Poolscout]

Related question as I am in the same "Choosing" position...

Is a Liquidator still useful for very slow but continued Bleach addition to the TOTAL CONTROL pool that is adding acid and making Chlorine from Salt??

Kevin

 

[JasonLion]

I am not sure why you would want both a Liquidator and a SWG. Either one is capable of adding all the chlorine you will need and both can have the rate at which they add chlorine adjusted over a reasonably large range.