Before I consider installing a SWG, few qualifying questions plz

[tstex]

Hello to all,

Finding reasonably priced bleach is becoming a PITA on steroids. Before I would install a SWG, would like to hear from those w the following:

-I have over 1700sqft of tumbled travertine that is not sealed
-8 stainless steel doors, cabinets and gas grill top
-two 8'x 5' windows w metal trim btw pool and main living room
-copper fire-bowls
-outdoor tv and other electronics

All of the above are mainly N of the pool and 98% of the time the wind is from the S, meaning whatever evaporates off the pool, it's going the direction of all the above. They are all in close proximity.

Has anyone installed a SWG and had many of the above materials directly in line of the evaporating pool water and what impact did it have 1-2 yrs later, if any? Houston mainly has S SE winds and A LOT of evaporation w year round heat.

If you have any questions, pls let me know. thank you in-advance for your time.

 

[Newdude]

If they could handle the elements before, specifically the Texas sized humidity levels, they will handle it just fine after. Any weathering noticed afterwards would have happened at that time either way.

 

[proavia]

The salt and other dissolved solids (CYA, Calcium, etc) will remain in the liquid water. The evaporated water doesn't contain these dissolved solids.

The "stories" you may have heard are from those with less than adequate flagstone (which will flake even if it's high quality) and improper chemistry in their pool water. I suppose a lower quality travertine might have issues - but that isn't from the salt either.

 

[W.J.Christy]

Have a salt water pool in Katy. Just converted 3 months ago. My pool has travertine coping and Turkish limestone time that extends below the water line. Also have two fire bowls with copper scuppers. So far not a single issue has come up.

 

[tstex]

Thank you all for your replies.

The humidity levels in Hou are high, yes, but it results in more mold/mildew issues, not corrosion or similar.

My concerns are the mixture of NaCl and CaCarbonates and NaCl w Stainless Steel. If you have been down to the coastal areas, salt corrosion is every prevalent and it eats everything.

Our travertine is from Turkish quarries and it 1.25" thick on the deck and coping. We have 6 different kinds, including 6" travertine tiles on the waterline. No other type of stone except granite countertops & granite benchtops in the summer kitchen. We have a S-Steel refridge, sink, gas grill and 6 s-steel doors. A flat-screen is mounted on the wall and the electronics for the stereo system/tv is behind one of the s-steel doors.

WJ, that's encouraging so far. Did you ask around the same questions on salt pool and Calcium Carbonate based stones? Did you find anyone that had converted 1-2+ yrs ago?

Thanks again for everyone's feedback....

 

[dfwnoob]

A chlorine pool is a salt water pool and vice versa. Given enough time with chlorine being added, a "non-salt water" pool can easily meet or exceed the sodium levels of a pool with a SWCG. Salt water pools hang around the 3500 PPM salt level.. it's not exactly seawater we're dealing with here.

 

[reggiehammond]

If they could handle the elements before, specifically the Texas sized humidity levels, they will handle it just fine after. Any weathering noticed afterwards would have happened at that time either way.

Agreed - I've got a zillion feet of unsealed flagstone. It weathers and fails the same near the pool, as it does an acre away.

I'd have zero hesitation installing one where OP intends.

 

[W.J.Christy]

Thank you all for your replies.

The humidity levels in Hou are high, yes, but it results in more mold/mildew issues, not corrosion or similar.

My concerns are the mixture of NaCl and CaCarbonates and NaCl w Stainless Steel. If you have been down to the coastal areas, salt corrosion is every prevalent and it eats everything.

Our travertine is from Turkish quarries and it 1.25" thick on the deck and coping. We have 6 different kinds, including 6" travertine tiles on the waterline. No other type of stone except granite countertops & granite benchtops in the summer kitchen. We have a S-Steel refridge, sink, gas grill and 6 s-steel doors. A flat-screen is mounted on the wall and the electronics for the stereo system/tv is behind one of the s-steel doors.

WJ, that's encouraging so far. Did you ask around the same questions on salt pool and Calcium Carbonate based stones? Did you find anyone that had converted 1-2+ yrs ago?

Thanks again for everyone's feedback....

You don't need to worry about the NaCl and its affect on the surrounding area unless its in direct constant contact with the water. Salt does not evaporate with the water and then deposit on the surrounding surfaces. In the three months i have had a saltwater pool, there have been no deposits formed an any surfaces including the coping.

The issue you relate to regarding the coast is due to the NaCl water carried in the air most likely from the waves crashing in on the shore. Considering the number of miles of coast line and the amount of wind it would take to transport those droplets, Your pool shouldn't have that issue. Even with the splashing and whatnot. Case in point, the NaCl level in my pool has neither increased nor decreased significantly since it was converted. I have an autofill so my pool is constantly having water added especially during the hot months and i have yet to see a decrease in level since the NaCl doesn't evaporate.

Regarding the stone, texas sourced limestone and flagstone are terrible. They dont last regardless of pool type. Most of the instances of severe stone degradation i have found have been due to inferior materials. Both CaCo and NaCl are mildly basic in nature (roughly a ph of 7 when dissolved in water) and shouldn't affect each other. Its going to be the acidity of water that would be the main concern.

Yes, after talking with a co worker and reading around on here, I found that there were few if any issues they had experienced that were directly related to the salt water.

 

[tstex]

Nice response and thank you for your feedback WJ !! The dial is moving towards a SWG.

 

[bertschb]

Has anyone installed a SWG and had many of the above materials directly in line of the evaporating pool water and what impact did it have 1-2 yrs later, if any?

My pool is surrounded by travertine and our patio (that we walk on when getting out of the pool) is travertine. Stainless steel BBQ. Windows with metal trim. Outdoor TV, etc.

No issues whatsoever. The fear of salt water pools is fake news.

 

[proavia]

Given that you have Hayward automation, look at the Hayward line of SWG that will integrate with your automation and pump.
We recommend a SWG that is at least 2x your pool volume. With a 15k pool, the 40k SWG would be a good fit for Houston area.

 

[tstex]

thanks Bert and pro !!!

My brother lives in Chandlier, and it's a hot tamale there, Phoenix too.

I have been reading some literature and am I mistaken that a SWG can function independent of the automation type? Or is that if you do not have any automation at all?

 

[jeffchap]

The salt content in a saltwater pool is only 1/10th that of seawater.

 

[tstex]

The salt content in a saltwater pool is only 1/10th that of seawater.

Yes Jeff, I have found that salt w/in pools is approx 3500ppm and seawater is 35000-38000ppm ...pretty huge deltas. I made an erroneous comparison.- thank you.

I have considered myself fairly savvy in the mgmt of CL-bleach based pools and all its dynamics, but when it comes to the other side of the field, I have rarely, if ever, ventured to read what did not concern our pools dynamics...

 

[jeffchap]

Other than maintaining the proper salt level, everything else is the same. We do encourage SWG owners to target higher CYA levels, as the chlorine gets added slowly and consistently throughout the day.

Also, SWGs tend to cause pH to creep upwards constantly. But other than that, the only real difference is in the method by which the chlorine gets added.

 

[HermanTX]

Yes Jeff, I have found that salt w/in pools is approx 3500ppm and seawater is 35000-38000ppm ...pretty huge deltas. I made an erroneous comparison.- thank you.

I have considered myself fairly savvy in the mgmt of CL-bleach based pools and all its dynamics, but when it comes to the other side of the field, I have rarely, if ever, ventured to read what did not concern our pools dynamics...

Have you checked the salt level in your pool if you have been using LC for any length of time?
My salt level was 800 in Feb 2021. In July 2022 it is now 2600ppm that a 1800ppm increase in just about 18 months. I have used LC exclusively with the exception of TriChlor pucks when on vacation for 7-10 days.
Use a Taylor K1766 test kit to verify.

 

[reggiehammond]

Other than maintaining the proper salt level, everything else is the same. We do encourage SWG owners to target higher CYA levels, as the chlorine gets added slowly and consistently throughout the day.

Also, SWGs tend to cause pH to creep upwards constantly. But other than that, the only real difference is in the method by which the chlorine gets added.

CYA management is fairly important. I got a little lazy and let my CYA slip a bit. As soon as the summer heat arrived, my FC production took a huge dip. Scratched my head a bit, then realized I hadn't been testing CYA much since Winter. At 40-50-60 CYA, I couldn't maintain FC well. Got back to 70 CYA and bam, stable and increasing.

Lesson learned.

 

[tstex]

Thanks for everyone’s replies.

I have never tested my salt level. I will get tear kit for salts

Assuming pH’s creep upward bc you have to run the pump more to generate FC from SWG. That add’l aeration does it.

What is the target CYA w SWG? I keep mine at 30-50ppm CYA

THE only CYA i have ever added is by pucks. Gives me a bleach break and gets my CYA where i want it

If i convert to SWG, few questions:

-What’s the new CYA range?
-Can I still add pucks periodically to raise CYA? If so, do I just cut back FC output on SWG, or is making adjustments not a good idea? Assuming w swings in high rains, high pool usage, I’ll be adjusting the cell anyway
-Are all the other Chem additives going to be the same (baking soda, acid, CA)?

Finally, since i have Hayward automation & H VSP,, do i have to go w a Hayward SWG or can i use any make/model?

Thanks again everyone !!!

 

[Newdude]

Assuming pH’s creep upward bc you have to run the pump more to generate FC from SWG. That add’l aeration does it.

Yeah. The SWG takes the blame but it's really the pump. I would run 24/7 either way and would see no change. Somebody running 4-6 hours with LC has to change to 12-24 hours with a SWG (depending on how big they sized it) and it's a huge change in aeration for them.

What is the target CYA w SWG? I keep mine at 30-50ppm CYA

You will likely need the same +20 in the peak season as you do now, but start at 70 for the easy part of the season.

Can I still add pucks periodically to raise CYA? If so, do I just cut back FC output on SWG,

Yup. Or just run hot. The 2ppm from the puck won't last long and isn't worth your trouble to mess with the SWG. Unless you did it for the week or more.

Assuming w swings in high rains, high pool usage, I’ll be adjusting the cell anyway

No. You set the SWG to manage the highest loss day at that point in the season. Then on lesser days you overproduce. And that's OK and the path to not micromanaging. You can drive yourself nuts adjusting it down all the time any time it's cloudy or less UV, and it might leave you short tomorrow. Or, have to be adjusted back up 2 days after that.

Are all the other Chem additives going to be the same (baking soda, acid, CA)?

No changes anywhere except how the FC is added, and the initial bump to SWG salinity. (Check before, * the day before as it will be more than now * , for a baseline and add 80%, creeping up the rest of the way)

 

[randytsuch]

Recommended levels

I just installed a Hayward SWG, brought it online a few days ago. Really early so will see how it goes. It is recommended here, a big reason why I picked it.

I'm far from an expert, but seems like with your Hayward prologic you just need to buy the SWG cell, oversize is recommended.
I had to buy the cell and controller system, about twice as much as just the cell.

Randy