Best Brand of Chlorinator

Jump to latest Follow Reply
M

mrklaig1

0
Sep 29, 2013
7
Gainesville, Fl
Hello, I am considering installing a SWG system in my pool. My father has a Pentair IC40 and loves it. My pool service recommends Aquaright and will install it for $2000 including 600 lbs of salt.. It is an above ground pool about 36k gallons. Does anyone have any suggestions on which is the better system or perhaps recommend another manufacturer?

Thank you,
KLS
 
For a 36k pool, you should really be looking bigger than the Hayward Aquarite. We recommend sizing the SWG for 1.5-3 times the size of your pool. So the Pentair IC60 or similar size.

BTW, that price seems pretty high to me. The Aquarite is ~$900, Salt (use solar salt, not pool salt and you likely need around 800 pounds) is ~$100

Please add your location to your profile
 
KLS,

In your signature, you say you have a "Pentair EasyTouch Remote".. I would have to assume that this means you have the EasyTouch System. If this is true, then it would make sense to go with the Pentair IC60 (for your size pool). The EasyTouch can control the IC60, but it will not control the Aquarite or most other manufacturer's SWGS.

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
KLS,

In your signature, you say you have a "Pentair EasyTouch Remote".. I would have to assume that this means you have the EasyTouch System. If this is true, then it would make sense to go with the Pentair IC60 (for your size pool). The EasyTouch can control the IC60, but it will not control the Aquarite or most other manufacturer's SWGS.

Jim R.
Click to expand...
I don't recommend connecting the IC40/60 to the Easytouch. Everything you need to control it is on the cell itself. The only thing the connection gets you is more granular control of the output, which is usually unnecessary. The downside to connecting them is complexity.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 
Jason,

While I agree that buying an EasyTouch, just to control the SWCG, would not be very cost effective, I believe that if you are ready have the EasyTouch, it would be more complex not to use it.

1. Without the ET, the SWCG would need a standalone timer to make sure it did not come on when the pump was not on. With the ET, connecting it to the Pump/Filter relay eliminates that problem.

2. As you point out, without the ET, you would be limited to 20% steps in chlorine output, while with the ET, you'd have 1% steps.


But, you bring up a good point.. If the ET is not used, then any SWCG could be connected and the OP would not be forced into using a Pentair SWCG.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Jimrahbe said:
Jason,

While I agree that buying an EasyTouch, just to control the SWCG, would not be very cost effective, I believe that if you are ready have the EasyTouch, it would be more complex not to use it.

1. Without the ET, the SWCG would need a standalone timer to make sure it did not come on when the pump was not on. With the ET, connecting it to the Pump/Filter relay eliminates that problem.

2. As you point out, without the ET, you would be limited to 20% steps in chlorine output, while with the ET, you'd have 1% steps.


But, you bring up a good point.. If the ET is not used, then any SWCG could be connected and the OP would not be forced into using a Pentair SWCG.

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
I wasn't suggesting that you don't hook up the power center to a relay. You definitely want to do that to get power. I was suggesting that connecting the low voltage is a waste of time unless you need 1% increments. I find that is only necessary with very small pools and larger cells. For example, and IC40 on a 8,000 gallon pool may need less than 20% in winter in Florida, but 60% plus in summer.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 
1% granularity may not be critical, but 20% is definitely inadequate, in my opinion. 5-10% steps would be perfect for most cases.

Connecting the IC to the ET also gives an easy way to read diagnostics and approximate salt levels. Also, in my case, the newer generation IC's have the control panel oriented in the opposite direction of the older models. As a result, everything is upside-down on the cell itself. Reading the status on the ET is much easier to deal with.

Also, FWIW, the wiring is pretty simple. It's just a 4-wire connection. 2 for DC power and 2 for communications. I don't know if the standard ET already has the Circular Plastic Connector or if you need to hardwire things into the interior of the panel. When you buy the ET/IC combo, it's all prewired and it literally takes 10 seconds to screw in the connector.
 
Ok, so back to our person asking for help.

It it seems obvious to me the IC60 is the way to go. Plug it into the controller and he is all set. And I got my IC60 for less than 800. I also saw that the IC60 and hayward T15 are the best options from an economics perspective. Do the install yourself, and it is also a great deal.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
miles267 said:
It was recommended to me to get an IC60 over an IC40 for a new build of 22K gals+. That it wouldn't need to work as hard and prolong longevity of the SWG?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Absolutely good advice. Depending on where you live, an IC40 might fall short at times in terms of chlorine generation even at 100% output.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 
miles267 said:
It was recommended to me to get an IC60 over an IC40 for a new build of 22K gals+. That it wouldn't need to work as hard and prolong longevity of the SWG?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Sort of. SWG work 100% "hard" or 0%. When you set it at 50% it doesn't work 50% "hard", it works full bore 100%, but for 2 min out of every 4 min. So since an SWG has only so many mini lures, an IC 60 will last longer for you, since you would run it (for example) 2 minutes out of every 12 minutes, vs 3 min out of every 12 minutes for an IC40 for the same amount of chlorine demand.

So so if the IC40 was going to last 4 years, the IC60 would last 6 years, all other things being equal.

My IC40 lasted 5 years, so I expect my IC60 to last 7.5 years. And now that I'm not over chlorinating, maybe even 8 or 8+ years. :)
 
FloridaSolarPro said:
Absolutely good advice. Depending on where you live, an IC40 might fall short at times in terms of chlorine generation even at 100% output.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

oh, this reminds me of another advantage. So in the situation he is talking about here, this can be easily remidied by increasing pump run time. But what if you have already done enough filtering and skimming for the day? Well now you are running your pump longer just to allow your SWG to make the rest of the needed chlorine; that's a waste of energy. With the larger unit, you can play with shorter pump run times, saving you money on power. In other words, set your ideal pump run time, then set your SWG percentage, and not have to increase ideal pump run time.
 
Appreciate everyone's input on this. Since it was early enough to make the change we had our PB order the IC60. It will be used with EasyTouch automation. It's my understanding it can then be adjusted in 1% instead of 20% increments. Is that accurate?

Will be used with a Pentair IntelliFlo 011018 3 hp VS pump.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
miles267 said:
Appreciate everyone's input on this. Since it was early enough to make the change we had our PB order the IC60. It will be used with EasyTouch automation. It's my understanding it can then be adjusted in 1% instead of 20% increments. Is that accurate?

Will be used with a Pentair IntelliFlo 011018 3 hp VS pump.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Yes 1% increments (probably not necessary to get that granular) and get the 011055 Intelliflo VST 2 (rotatable display, 3 year warranty when purchased and installed by a pro).

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 
The cell has an integrated flow sensor. It will tell you if flow is insufficient. You only need to worry about flow if it is between 80 and 120 GPM, in which a bypass is recommended to reduce flow to the desired range. That would be a really high flow rate for a typical residential pool, at least around here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply