Chlorination Quandary

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L'anseMeg

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Jul 29, 2016
31
Mamou, Louisiana
Help is needed...I would like to move into the automatic dispensing of my liquid chlorine or jump into SWCG. I have the ole "Rainbow" that I used for tablets all of these years and loved the ease of maintaining it. I am so confused after reading the seemingly infinite number of posts regarding the Liquidator, the Stenner pump, the Aquarite..., the Circupool..., and on and on and on. I guess the answers to my questions would be dependant on my location (south Louisiana), bather load (my wife and I maybe 1-2x/week- empty nesters...woohoo!), any others?

Liquidator- avg weekly amount of liquid chlorine dispensed to maintain 6-7ppm vs Stenner?
SWCG- what would be an average run time/% setting based on my info above?
Anyone in the south... What has been your experience with the AQR15, Circupool RJ60, Liquidator, Stenner?

I'm just concerned that, if I went with a SWCG, I would end up with having to run it at max just to maintain minimum. The funny thing is... 20 minutes before typing this, I was one keystroke away from purchasing the AQR15 and backed off. My wife says I have issues with decisiveness...:confused:.
 
Unless you're considering a variable speed pump as well, I would say that an SWG is not a good choice. A single speed pump would have to run for many more hours than you probably already do at this point.

I would highly recommend a Stenner pump. Liquidators are finicky and seem to need a lot of tweaking to get them right. Stenner pumps add controlled doses independent of the pumping system (although you do need the pump on when dosing).

My recommendation would be for a Stenner pump.
 
I'm probably not going to be any help. Any of the devices you listed should work well for you, however I'd recommend either the peristaltic injection pump or the SWCG.

Matt has a good point about the pump run time, so take that into account when making the decision.
 
I'm only in SE NC but get full sun. With my RJ30+ I run five hours at 45% and maintain 8% no problem. That's with an average of 2-3" of rain a week.
 
You pool is the same size as mine. With the T-15 cell (40k cell), you would likely need to be running your pump 6-9 hours to generate enough FC. Or get an even bigger SWG (60k) and you could drop a few hours.
 
I do appreciate everyone’s input. JoyfulNoise I was notaware of the potential need for a variable speed pump, but after you mentionedit I noticed that most do have that in conjunction with the SWCG. So, that gotme thinking, and digging some more. I found the thread “SWG Run Time Calculator”by mgmoore7 and plugged in a few different variables…Currently I am running mypump 10 hours/day so I plugged that in and came out with the following numbersfor those interested- Hayward AQR15 w/CL power of 1.4, I would need to run theSWCG at 104% for 10 hr to maintain an avg 24hr FC demand of 4ppm (??? This doesn’tsound right, does it?). The Circupool RJ-45, CL power of 2.00, requires 10 hrsruntime with SWCG at 73%. Then finally I ran the numbers for the RJ-60, wow…morelike it, CL power of 3.10 requires a 10 hr runtime with SWCG set at 47% to maintainan avg 24hr FC demand of 4ppm. Of course, that depends on if I’m understandingall of this correctly. So I could go with the RJ-60, currently $20 upgrade fromthe RJ-45, and basically run it at 50% for 10 hr/day, but then isn’t there morewater balance requirements for a SWCG vs the liquidator or Stenner pump.Granted, I understand there are pros and cons to each. I guess it would comedown to cost over the long run. I also want to keep things simple for my wifewhen I am away for work, 14 days on 14 days off. I’d like to hear from theactual Stenner and Liquidator users as to the actual avg amount of liquidchlorine used per day. Could I fill a 15 gallon tank and have it last 14 days?Would it last longer? Am I over complicating things? Jstephens1 what are yourunning your system at?
 
I switched to a VSP along with the swg. I run the swg at 50% 24/7 with the pool in full sun I keep a steady 8 FC with 80cya

Since swg does not care about flow I run 12 hours during the day at 2200 rpms which is 380 watts. This give me good skimming. The other 12 is at 1k rpm @ 49 watts.

My old pump was 1400watts full time
 

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About 2 gallons twice a week, but I can go well over a week if I have too.

Liquidator- avg weekly amount of liquid chlorine dispensed to maintain 6-7ppm vs Stenner?
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The weekly amount of chlorine that you are going to need doesn't vary with the dosing method. Whatever dosing method you use, manual, SWCG, Stenner or Liquidator, you are just replacing your daily loses to maintain the 6-7 ppm ( or whatever your target FC is)
 
Jblizzle what percentage are you running your SWCG at and what are you maintaining your FC at?

Richard320, I am keeping the rainfall amounts in mind as you say because that is a valid point.That would be additional work/expense to add salt. I know some are going to say “Really?” but it’s valid in that many of us considering SWCG are under the impression that you just plug it in and set it and that’s it. I honestly didn’t realize there is more to it such as maintaining…what is it called…CI or CSI, anyway, some kind of saturation deal which effects the plates and results in additional cleaning or lower output. I have been in the same boat as Vickery for the last few months with an average rainfall of probably 3-4 inches perweek.

Laprjns, I guess I didn’t know how to word that question. What I meant was, I know the liquidator has a “bed” of chlorine at the bottom and a “concentration” on the top/surface…so, how is the FC of my pool going to be effected by “how much” liquid chlorine I have in my Liquidator? Would not, does not?, the amount of “bleach” in the liquidator creat a different "concentration" and therefore require constant adjusting as the "concentration" changes? That's the part I'm having trouble grasping.

Guys, and Gals, please do not get the wrong idea here. All of you (US) here on TFP have experience that you/we can share and I know some of these questions may make someone out there say to themselves ”what the what?”…trust me, I have said that about other posts that I have read, but I will say this, TFP has helped me tremendously in the last year, most of the time I didn’t even have to ask a question, I just scanned through the multitude of posts and …voilà! So, with each of my posts, I always keep in mind that someone else may be in the same situation as I and they have similar questions. Thanks again for your patience and tutoring/mentoring.

Now, are there not any other Louisianians using/considering a SWCG?
 
L'anseMeg said:
Laprjns, I guess I didn’t know how to word that question. What I meant was, I know the liquidator has a “bed” of chlorine at the bottom and a “concentration” on the top/surface…so, how is the FC of my pool going to be effected by “how much” liquid chlorine I have in my Liquidator? Would not, does not?, the amount of “bleach” in the liquidator create a different "concentration" and therefore require constant adjusting as the
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Based on totally empirical observation, as long as you don't let it go below the recommended minimum level, the level of the chlorine bed has no apparent effect. In my opinion, the negative impression that the Liquidator has in regards to requiring constant adjustments stems from the quarter turn ball valve that comes with it. Because it is only a quarter turn from off to full on, and the change in flow is not linear over the 90 degrees of rotations, fine adjustments are too difficult. I changed to a pinch valve a few years back and have been happy with the flow control using it.
 
Thanks, I ran into a guy at work today who lives just north of Destin, Florida. Just so happens he is running a Liquidator so we had a great conversation. He pretty much explained the same as what you are saying. He works a 21 day on/21 day off rotation out here on a drillship in the Gulf. Anyway he fills his Liquidator with 4 gallons of 12.5% liquid chlorine and that is lasting him longer than the 21 days he is offshore (I know, each pool is different). He did say that his pool water is from a water well and is hard therefore he was getting alot of build up and his flow control valve was clogging so he just removed it and is running his unrestricted with the 1/4 inch tubing and his FC is steady. Said he did wish he had gone with the 3/8 inch tubing but would not trade his Liquidator for anything. Ok, I think I am officially pulling the stenner from the list...and then there were 2. Liquidator vs SWCG...hmmm.
 
I have used the Liquidator and have recently switched over to a Stenner .
Thread on the install here ............. https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/142337-Stenner-EconT-Liquidator-hybrid-install

The Liquidator I have had in use for a few years and it would be FAR from what I would call a "set and forget" automated chlorine system. It was hard to dial in to keep the FC level consistent and was very dependent on pump pressures (forget about using a variable pump with a liquidator ) , relied heavily on making sure you had the pump running for a long enough time to deliver enough chlorine. ALL the parts except the actual container the bleach is sitting in, had to be constantly replaced as they would break down, and get brittle with overexposure to the chlorine. Then there is the chlorine/salt residue build up on every part , and the vat. Just a pain of a mess to clean out .

On the other side of the spectrum, the stenner I installed is an absolute dream to work with . It keeps my pool at the MOST consistent FC levels I have ever seen. I dont really even need to test anymore , I just do it for fun once a week or so, and its EXACTLY where it should be ! Its not dependent on pump run times, or flow levels (fine with variable pumps) . As long as I run my pool pump about 1 1/4 hours a day, thats enough to time for the stenner to deliver the chlorine instream while the pump is running for my FC needs, and stenner pump output (other will vary) . I am injecting a little over 1/2 gallon of 8.25% bleach a day. NO chlorine /salt build up residue AT ALL . NO parts to fail and replace really, except for the pumpset tubing maybe once a year for $20, just as a PM item replacement.

Since I have run both I can say that the stenner is in a completely different league than the liquidator . It heads and shoulders above a liquidator. Not sure how many other members have run both systems before, but I have , so I can attest to how well a stenner outperforms the liquidator.

Anyone who is running a liquidator and claims it to be better than a Stenner system, has simply not used a stenner to be able to see the difference themselves.
My only regret with a Stenner system ............... Not using in sooner, and trying out the Liquidator first ! Oh well, at least I was able to re-purpose the Liquidator "vat" to use with the Stenner system .

I was thinking of going with a SWG system , but didnt really want to deal with the install hassle of wiring and such , plus the upfront costs of a SWG, and the ongoing and expensive replacement every few years for the generator cell unit.

VERY happy I went with a stenner system , its SO SIMPLE . The writing is on the wall for how well a stenner works compared to a Liquidator, or even a SWG . Not many (if any) threads of problems with stenners on this site, but plenty of "issues" with liquidators, and SWG .

Just my 2C ...........
 
waterl0gged said:
Anyone who is running a liquidator (STENNER) and claims it to be better than a Stenner (SWG) system, has simply not used a stenner (SWG) to be able to see the difference themselves.
My only regret with a Stenner (SWG) system ............... Not using in sooner, and trying out the Liquidator (STENNER) first !
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waterl0gged,

I thought I'd just mess with your comments a bit ;)

99% of the issues people have with SWGs are self-inflicted because of poor water chemistry knowledge and maintenance. Many of us that own SWGs have had them working for years without fail. As for me personally, my SWG has operated flawlessly for 4 continuous years now (my pool is never closed). I need to do nothing more to my pool than check pH and add acid as needed (I haven't added a single bag of salt in over 3 years). Like you, testing FC levels is more for fun than anything else. I can go away on vacation for weeks at a time and never worry once about my chlorine levels.

As for cost, yes, they cost a lot up front. But, when you do the analysis, paying for an SWG is equivalent to buying all of the bleach a Stenner would use upfront. The economics of SWGs is equivalent to manual chlorination by any source (liquid or solid).

As for your Stenner, keep an eye on the check valve at the injection point. The check valves can get crusted up with salt and calcium scale to the point of getting plugged up. The check valve, like the tubes, are an annual PM item.

I'm not against Stenner pumps at all and I believe they have a place in the pool world. But for me and my environment, an SWG is the optimal solution.
 
I also have been playing around with my homemade version of the liquidator, before throwing money at the real thing or buying a stenner. My conclusion so far is I will be purchaseing a Stenner next summer. The liquidator theory is just too inconsistent and too many variables at play unless your an ex mechanic and retired with time on your hands and dont frustrate easily. Basically it has been a hobby so far.
 

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