SWCG or Chlorine (liquid, tabs etc...)

[Donny]

Trying to get a feel what most pool owners prefer. SWCG or use Chlorine (liquid, tablets etc...)

 

[pwrstrk]

I use liquid chlorine "bleach". As for the tabs to use exclusively for chlorination, no way. Ok to use them when on vacation if your CYA is in acceptable range. You can also use them if you need to get your CYA to certain range but STOP when you reach that level. Too many side effects to use them all the time. There are lots of threads on here about long term use of them and it's only about the problems from using them all the time.

There are lots of people here using SWG. Liquid chlorine or SWG is the way to go. ?

 

[Donny]

Thx for the reply.

 

[Smykowski]

Some users report a better water "feel" with an SWG due to the salt levels required. In terms of maintenance the chemistry is the same. SWGs have a higher upfront cost (which likely won't get paid back). You get a ton of convenience for the premium. Bleach will likely be cheaper over the same time period, but requires some method of dosing, either manually or stenner pump.

 

[JasonLion]

Smykowski, a SWG is much more likely to break even than you might think. If you have a larger pool (15,000+ gallons), buy one of the less expensive SWG units and it lasts it's full rated lifetime you will normally save money compared to buying bleach. Conversely, small pools, luxury brand SWGs, or SWGs that fail for reasons other than wearing out will all make the SWG cost more than buying bleach. Overall, I think of the cost as a wash, it might be more, it might be less, and you can't usually know in advance.

The big advantage of a SWG is reduced effort buying, carrying and adding chlorine. Once you have the SWG percentage setting dialed in you can also go a little longer between testing FC levels than you can normally go with manual dosing. The disadvantages include the up front cost, risk of the unit breaking (both cost and annoyance), and the requirement to use salt. Mostly salt is a positive, but it can cause issues for softer stone and some people don't like the taste.

 

[Smykowski]

As a "manual pourer" myself, I was trying to come up with the pros and cons others have posted.

The expense alone will probably prevent me from ever going that route.

 

[bobodaclown]

I was manually dosing and testing twice a week when I first got my pool. It didn't take long (maybe 15 minutes or so). But the convenience of a SWCG has been really nice. I've had a few issues with my unit but overall very satisfied with it. I test monthly in the winter and every 2 weeks to every week in the summer.

If I didn't have the money for a SWCG I'd look at making a homemade liquidator.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/thre...light=Homemade+Acid+Chlorine+Injection+System

 

[Richard320]

As a "manual pourer" myself, I was trying to come up with the pros and cons others have posted.

The expense alone will probably prevent me from ever going that route.

I just see the HUGE number of threads with error messages and not producing and scaling and circuit boards frying and so on and figure that even if the cost works out the same, there isn't much that can go wrong with a plastic jug.

 

[pwrstrk]

+ 1 to nothing going wrong with the plastic jug.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Nothing wrong with a plastic jug but.. environmental issues of transportation and disposal/recycling do exist. I can also get a tad more lax with testing if needed (particularly with my odd work schedule) yet feel confident that all is well.
As to the original poster's question- I say BOTH! I use my SWCG for low level maintenance and use bottles for dosing up the CL level when I want immediate results. My SWCG runs on such a low setting because my CL level stays so steady with little loss (mostly from the use of an automatic cover) that I hope I get many years of service from it.

 

[chem geek]

Nothing wrong with a plastic jug but.. environmental issues of transportation and disposal/recycling do exist.

My local pool store reuses the plastic jugs for the 12.5% chlorinating liquid and for the Muriatic Acid so you just pay a deposit for them and for the 4-jug crate (for the chlorine). So no recycling or disposing of the jugs. Of course, the transportation issues remain and one is transporting mostly water.

 

[Vegas Kid]

SWG for the convenience. My builder said I could go either salt or chlorine...cost was the same.

 

[mrcarcrazy]

locally all but one of the builders I spoke with sell chlorine systems exclusively. Something to do with our water...I honestly don't know who/what/why...I just know that the majority of builders here won't touch a SWG. That alone was enough for me to stick with bleach. FWIW I like the idea of a SWG, and wish it was an option for me...just for now it isn't.

 

[chiefwej]

I had a chlorine pool when I lived in New England. But, when I built my current pool nine years ago, the pool builder said: "Salt or stone, you can pick either, but not both". We chose salt. Since it was designed as a SWG pool. We made very sure that there was no natural stone anywhere. No coping at all, the pool deck is concrete with textured acrylic coating and has a cantilevered edge. We love the salt pool. No chlorine to buy and haul. Just set a dial for my chlorine level. In over nine years of use here in Tucson where pools are open year round, the only maintence on the SWG sytem has been replacing the salt cell after seven years of service. So the cost has been a lot lower than buying and transporting bleach.

If you want or have stone around you pool DO NOT use a SWG. No matter what kind of stone it is or how you treat it, salt will eventually cause damage to the stone. But if you plan and build it as a salt pool, a SWG pool is great.

 

[laprjns]

12.5 Liquid Chlorine and the Liquidator!