Any reason not to go with SWG?

[dfwnoob]

Without any sources cited, I struggle to take it seriously.

There's a reason no citations are listed: it's a "list" of abject lies, half-truths, and dishonest rhetoric written by a company who sells chlorine-free pool "sanitation" solutions that lead to water that is unsafe for people to be in.

"Salt water corrosion" in a pool is a myth. All pools require chemicals (and CYA is not "cyanide based".. wow). SWCG cells absolutely last longer than "2-3 years". pH is a concern in all pools. Your sweat is significantly, significantly higher sodium than the water in a SWCG-equipped pool. The water in a SWCG pool is not "brine".

The facts are very clear: the EPA lists THREE acceptable sanitizers for swimming pools. Period. Three. They are chlorine, bromine, and biguanide. Magic "minerals" do not santize your water, copper and silver do not santize your water, and UV does not sanitize your water. There is no magic bullet besides chlorine. There have been many, many, threads about this over the years and Richard Falk (@chem geek) organized a lot of this if you look through his post history, such as in this thread here, where he discusses the efficacy of sanitation methods. Long story short: you need chlorine for safe water.

 

[markayash]

Reading through these posts made a lightbulb go off. I think one difference is we learn here how to balance your water for a SWG.
I imagine if you just threw one in without testing your chemistry, you may have headaches.
Thanks to the folks here who teach us and to the forum for allowing honest feedback!

 

[Newdude]

I think one difference is we learn here how to balance your water for a SWG

+1. A pool builder saying 'here's your system, good luck with it' doesn't usually end well. And then no kidding they don't like them from all the headaches that ensue.

Or the user *does* know how to use it and the pool store that the PB also owns gets next to no future business with swamps or replacing pseudo science equipment like ionizers, ozone or UV that can't be tested to know they are even working to their capabilities.

 

[Chuckiechan]

Our pool builder offers it but said he doesn't recommend it. He said we will be back in 10 years because our equipment will be corroded etc. I have researched a little but the internet is cluttered with pros/cons for anything lol. Hoping for some experienced information from TFP friends. I see plenty of forums praising SWG and I feel like I am missing out if I don't go this route. I also love that it seems a lot more user friendly and less time consuming. Is it really "that bad"? Thanks in advance!

My guess is they don’t want to go to the hassel of getting the SWG dialed in, and many new pool owners are unaware of sites like this and soon on the phone with the builder crying “My salt thing has a red light on! Can you come out and fix it?”
So there’s an hour or so labor out the window.

 

[markayash]

My guess is they don’t want to go to the hassel of getting the SWG dialed in, and many new pool owners are unaware of sites like this and soon on the phone with the builder crying “My salt thing has a red light on! Can you come out and fix it?”
So there’s an hour or so labor out the window.

Is does require a few weeks of adjusting and learning and some folks aren't up for that..Lot of folks would rather just pay a pool company $200 a month

 

[Newdude]

Lot of folks would rather just pay a pool company $200 a month

My neighbor a few doors down said he didn't replace his SWG when it died because the pool service 'only wanted, like $140 a week'.

I spit up a little and forced a smile.

 

[dkw27]

Thank you to everyone who has added value to this thread! We are going with SWG for sure. The wealth of knowledge on these forums is unmatched! Thank you all again! My list of notes continues to grow!

 

[markayash]

My neighbor a few doors down said he didn't replace his SWG when it died because the pool service 'only wanted, like $140 a week'.

I spit up a little and forced a smile.

You say “ that’s a no brainer, that’s only $7200 a year”

 

[Chuckiechan]

What ever you do is don’t go over on salt. Go low and work your way up to spec. If you over do it you have to drain some water. Some time the salt PPM meter on your SWG is slow to stabilize.