I thought that having a SWG with a Fibre Tech (Fibertech) coated pool was not recommended, that it would erode the Fibre Tech surface. I also have a Fiber Tech coated pool and am about ready to have it re-gel-coated.
Noob SWG Question
- Thread starter Tom_Davis
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I am in Dallas, and I have had a fairly reputable pool guy (just does pool plumbing& electrical) say that saltwater generators are getting less popular. Among the other pool workman he knows, he says people are pulling out their SWG's and going back to basic chlorine systems.
He claims the issue is equipment corrosion. Especially where two different types of metals come in contact with each other in the pumps or the filters.
Has anyone else heard this? Are there any statistics on marketshare, gain or loss by saltwater generators? Or some other objective evidence?
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He claims the issue is equipment corrosion. Especially where two different types of metals come in contact with each other in the pumps or the filters.
Has anyone else heard this? Are there any statistics on marketshare, gain or loss by saltwater generators? Or some other objective evidence?
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I'm sure someone can answer this with more clarity than I but I will say that SWG do have their place in pool ownership and I would not jump on board with the hype he's selling just because he's in the business.
I hear more people converting from the basic chlorine system to the salt. I bet those he might be speaking of have had issues and spent money replacing cells and controllers and have had enough of it. I personally think salt is nice but if not maintained correctly will be a headache.
SWGs have an especially bad reputation in Texas. Apparently one of the most common kinds of natural stone coping used in that area is very sensitive to salt.
However, the specific claims he made are nonsense. None of the currently sold pumps or filters (in the US) have any problems with salt at SWG levels.
SWGs are on roughly 1/3 of in-ground pools nationwide and continue to gain market share. They are less common on above ground pool, though they are growing there as well.
However, the specific claims he made are nonsense. None of the currently sold pumps or filters (in the US) have any problems with salt at SWG levels.
SWGs are on roughly 1/3 of in-ground pools nationwide and continue to gain market share. They are less common on above ground pool, though they are growing there as well.
Thanks, all. In response to JasonLion, I think the natural stones that may be more affected by salt here in Texas are Oklahoma flagstone and/or Lueders limestone (comes from a quarry in...Lueders, TX...even local PBs can't seem to spell it correctly). But I had the estimator for G&B Tile & Plaster tell me yesterday that he personally has a SWG on a pool with OK flagstone and hasn't had any corrosion. So what to believe, I dunno.
It comes down to personal choice. Overall the cost average out, but what's your time worth and the lugging of bleach. I chose to go with a SWCG. You can always seal the flagstone/limestone. Keep us updated with what you decide.
Good luck in your decision.
Good luck in your decision.
I live in Austin and SWG are being recommended less and less, mostly due to their perceived corrosiveness to the natural stone often used in coping and water features. I'm not a stone expert, but I believe Colorado stone is the type - which I have on my pool. I've had it for 7 years and there is erosion that is very noticeable. I don't have a non SWG pool to compare it against, so it's very unscientific. I just had some professional clean up done and the contractor also mentioned that in about another 5-7 years I will have to replace all of the coping. Besides surface erosion, the edges are also disappearing leaving easy access for water to penetrate beyond/below the grout. It's my mini Grand Canyon. A future problem... But not today!
His recommendation for new pool builders is to either use a more substantial stone or concrete, or not to use SWG.
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His recommendation for new pool builders is to either use a more substantial stone or concrete, or not to use SWG.
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tmarcoux - Thanks. Lots and lots of people love their salt water systems, but it seems like it is getting harder and harder to justify one due to coping/deck erosion. Unless some really resistant man-made pavers or stamped concrete is used. And for the salt resistant materials (concrete, Artistic Pavers or simple quarry tile-type pavers) my question is how hot do they get in the Texas sun?
To me this feels misleading, though depending on what you meant it might be true enough. Plain old ordinary concrete is just fine with salt, same with plain old ordinary pavers. The materials that are sensitive to salt are the rare/unusual ones in most situations.
If you really want Oklahoma Flagstone and/or Lueders limestone, then yea skip the SWG. Still, there is a wide range of easily found choices that don't have any problems with salt.
Jason-I believe we are agreement here. SWG should have a solid material. Oklahoma (not Colorado) is very often used here in hill country in home building, so the pools often use them to match.
There are many hardy materials to be considered. Just mix/match appropriately.
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There are many hardy materials to be considered. Just mix/match appropriately.
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Newbie Renovation Panic
Hi TFPers - This is a great site. I can't tell you how many hours over the last 2 months I have spent searching and reading posts here.
First time owning a house with a pool. First time to figure out all the ins and outs of renovation. Turns out I have a 38 year old one coated with Fibre Tech (about 12 years ago). Pools is swimmable, but the gel coat is thin and shedding fibers, so I'm going to tear it off and get back to a gunite/plaster surface. Pool needs coping replacing (in my view-looks original-has held up pretty well, I think). Tile is not bad, needs re-grouting, but I guess it will be collateral damage in the reno process, so might as well replace it to match the coping....
My CYA is very high (~130-150), so I need to drain anyway. Somehow the current pool company has managed to keep the algae under control.
After interviewing several, I think I've found the tile & plaster people I want to use (G&B out of Lewisville). I've got 97 linear feet of coping. Mostly I have been quoted Oklahoma flagstone as a replacement. Also Lueders limestone (off-white) and travertine for about 25-30% more. OK flagstone seems to be the least expensive here. Also a real no-no if you are considering adding a salt system, which I am. Actually all the natural stone on offer seems to be a bad choice with a SWG, at least without sealing, which I don't really want to do both for aesthetic and cost reasons.
Here's my question(s): Is a SWG really worth it? Seems like there is a real trade-off between natural stone (without paying the shipping for something hard from far away) and SWG (even with sealant).
Should I just forget the SWG and get a local, natural stone that everyone is quoting? I'm not sure I want to be hosing off my deck after every swim.
If i go SWG, what other coping materials should I be looking at besides natural stone? Manmade pavers like www.artisticpavers.com seem like the best choice with a SWG. I have asked for a quote on this and don't know how high it runs. What are the least expensive manmade pavers?
I think I've got some pictures here somewhere. Thanks in advance for your comments!
Hi TFPers - This is a great site. I can't tell you how many hours over the last 2 months I have spent searching and reading posts here.
First time owning a house with a pool. First time to figure out all the ins and outs of renovation. Turns out I have a 38 year old one coated with Fibre Tech (about 12 years ago). Pools is swimmable, but the gel coat is thin and shedding fibers, so I'm going to tear it off and get back to a gunite/plaster surface. Pool needs coping replacing (in my view-looks original-has held up pretty well, I think). Tile is not bad, needs re-grouting, but I guess it will be collateral damage in the reno process, so might as well replace it to match the coping....
My CYA is very high (~130-150), so I need to drain anyway. Somehow the current pool company has managed to keep the algae under control.
After interviewing several, I think I've found the tile & plaster people I want to use (G&B out of Lewisville). I've got 97 linear feet of coping. Mostly I have been quoted Oklahoma flagstone as a replacement. Also Lueders limestone (off-white) and travertine for about 25-30% more. OK flagstone seems to be the least expensive here. Also a real no-no if you are considering adding a salt system, which I am. Actually all the natural stone on offer seems to be a bad choice with a SWG, at least without sealing, which I don't really want to do both for aesthetic and cost reasons.
Here's my question(s): Is a SWG really worth it? Seems like there is a real trade-off between natural stone (without paying the shipping for something hard from far away) and SWG (even with sealant).
Should I just forget the SWG and get a local, natural stone that everyone is quoting? I'm not sure I want to be hosing off my deck after every swim.
If i go SWG, what other coping materials should I be looking at besides natural stone? Manmade pavers like www.artisticpavers.com seem like the best choice with a SWG. I have asked for a quote on this and don't know how high it runs. What are the least expensive manmade pavers?
I think I've got some pictures here somewhere. Thanks in advance for your comments!
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You already have lots of advice above. I don't really see any new questions, so the answers are all the same as they were last time.
In the end you need to decide what you want to do, which things are most important to you and which things you don't care about as much.
In the end you need to decide what you want to do, which things are most important to you and which things you don't care about as much.
I'm looking for some more info on man made pavers. Why have none of the 7 PBs I've interviewed quoted them? More labor intensive? More costly? Don't look as good?
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