What does it cost to add a salt system, and how long will it take to pay for itself in savings on chlorine?
What does it cost to add a salt system?
- Thread starter TomAtlanta
- Start date
From what I've read.....The saving's aren't much if any for the chlorine itself. There's the upfront cost of the machine itself, plus the new cells every so many years. If it ever "pay's for itself" I'd be shocked. The true benefit of a SWG is the ease of pool maintenance. Knowing that there's chlorine being added to your pool daily without you lifting a finger is worth expense for many.
I was quoted $1,500.00 for parts, labor, and initial salt setup. To figure payback on chlorine only (in months), you would take the initial cost and divide it by the average $ amount you currently spend on chlorine each month. But...
...There are other factors you need to figure in your payback analysis such as periodic salt additions (will not be as frequent as manual chlorine additions), increased electrical usage of the SWG, and cell replacements about every 3-5 years. In addition, extremely hot weather, pool parties, and major storms may require that you manually add some chlorine to supplement the chlorine produced by the SWG. With Atlanta having a similar winter climate as Dallas, you may keep your pool operational year-round. If so, you need to factor in that the SWG is very inefficient when the water is cold. In fact, many SWGs shut down at cold temperatures. Therefore, you will need to revert to manual chlorine dosing during the winter. Granted, chlorine demand will drop in colder temperatures so you will not use as much chlorine in the winter as you do in summer. As you can see, a true payback analysis can get complex and the results obtained are only as good as the accuracy of the inputs.
As Leebo stated, the main benefit of a SWG is the ease of maintenance with regard to chlorine levels, not necessarily cost savings. If you travel frequently and the pool is routinely left unattended for significant periods of time (especially during the summer), a SWG makes good sense in that situation. It did not make sense for me since someone is always here and the pool is rarely left unattended even when we go on vacation.
...There are other factors you need to figure in your payback analysis such as periodic salt additions (will not be as frequent as manual chlorine additions), increased electrical usage of the SWG, and cell replacements about every 3-5 years. In addition, extremely hot weather, pool parties, and major storms may require that you manually add some chlorine to supplement the chlorine produced by the SWG. With Atlanta having a similar winter climate as Dallas, you may keep your pool operational year-round. If so, you need to factor in that the SWG is very inefficient when the water is cold. In fact, many SWGs shut down at cold temperatures. Therefore, you will need to revert to manual chlorine dosing during the winter. Granted, chlorine demand will drop in colder temperatures so you will not use as much chlorine in the winter as you do in summer. As you can see, a true payback analysis can get complex and the results obtained are only as good as the accuracy of the inputs.
As Leebo stated, the main benefit of a SWG is the ease of maintenance with regard to chlorine levels, not necessarily cost savings. If you travel frequently and the pool is routinely left unattended for significant periods of time (especially during the summer), a SWG makes good sense in that situation. It did not make sense for me since someone is always here and the pool is rarely left unattended even when we go on vacation.
You also have to be sure that your pool will support that. Your heater may not be salt safe, ladders, etc. Also look at rock surfaces, they can be affected.
I never heard of a heater actually having any problem because of salt. Occasionally the warranty is void if you use salt, but that is becoming rare and the heater it's self doesn't care. With ladders, very rarely there are bad bolts that need to be replaced, but again that is becoming rare. Natural stone work that is regularly splashed is more of an issue, especially in areas where it doesn't rain very often.
With a little DIY effort, a SWG can be under $300 (Intex) or $600 (CompuPool), and can break even with bleach usage over the long run, especially for larger pools. Don't expect to save any significant amount of money, and often the SWG will end up being a little more. Overall, across many pools/SWG the costs end up being fairly similar, though some pools one way (beach/SWG) is a little less and other pools the other approach is a little less.
With a little DIY effort, a SWG can be under $300 (Intex) or $600 (CompuPool), and can break even with bleach usage over the long run, especially for larger pools. Don't expect to save any significant amount of money, and often the SWG will end up being a little more. Overall, across many pools/SWG the costs end up being fairly similar, though some pools one way (beach/SWG) is a little less and other pools the other approach is a little less.
Is there any difference in water quality with the SWG? My wife has sensitive skin and thinks a SWG will be better for her. Is there any truth to that?
The water quality in a properly maintained pool is good to begin with. It's a little better in a SWG pool. With it's higher CYA level and lower needed Chlorine level, SWGs are somewhat milder as far as active Chlorine on the skin. Then there's the salt. Salt water is generally therapeutic for the skin.TomAtlanta said:
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