Considering SWG Generator but I have concerns

[ZanyAnticsE]

Liquid chlorine has more than doubled in price since last summer so I am seriously considering getting a SWG installed. I have heard mixed reviews from people who either love them or hate them. I understand that the pump must be running for them to actually be chlorinating the pool and the cells have to be replaced every few years. In your opinion(s), do people really save money with SWGs when factoring in the periodic cell replacements?

Another concern I have is that my pool has metal coping. Will the added salt in the water cause the coping to rust/deteriorate faster than without a SWG?

I don't even know where to start on best brands as far as longevity or value, as well as expected cost to install. Any info on that would be helpful!

in-ground
vinyl
26000 gal
Located in Dallas / Fort Worth area

 

[dfwnoob]

Salt is already a byproduct of the chlorination method you're using. SWG = rust is a pool builder myth that is especially pervasive in the DFW area. I'm planning on installing a SWCG this Spring and I bought a Taylor K1766 salt kit recently - I'm sitting at 1400 PPM salt already.

Yes, your pump must be running for the generator to work - fortunately you already have a variable speed pump, so you'll be able to run the pump at low speed throughout the day (the minimum required to keep flow switch on the generator happy) and generate your chlorine.

You will want to purchase the biggest chlorinator you can, the idea that it's more economical to run a big generator at lower output - but I'm very bad at articulating this, I'll let someone else chime in

 

[jark87]

I’ve never tried to calculate the economic value, but I’m sure you’ll get feedback from others who have. My preference for SWG is based on the ease of pool maintenance that it provides. My weekly pool tasks take about 10 minutes: test the water and occasionally add muratic acid, along with emptying skimmer baskets, scooping out leaves, etc.

There’s no requirement for daily chlorine additions, going to the store to buy chlorine, storing the chlorine, etc. A SWG eliminates all of that. I’ve never talked to anyone who has one say they rather not have it. When we travel, I don’t have to worry about chlorine levels or hiring a service.

As far as salt content goes, a “chlorine” pool will have similar levels of salt over time. Those levels are not high enough to be a significant concern. Any corrosion to your metal coping will occur whether you have a SWG or not. Consider that salt pool levels are ~3,000 ppm where the ocean is something like 30,000 ppm. Test your water for salt. You might be surprised at the level.

My SWG tend to last around 5 years, sometimes a little longer. I wouldn’t have a pool without a SWG.

 

[Newdude]

I have heard mixed reviews from people who either love them or hate them

I can promise you that if somebody understood their system and their chemistry, they loved them.

SWGs are often sold as hands off, to people who never learned their systems or the chemistry, and those are the disasters you hear about.

To figure out your ROI, it's pretty simple. For 26k gallons, each gallon of 10% chlorine nets you 3.84 FC. Here is your FC cost for the gallon prices you will likely see this season.

$5 gallon = $1.30 per FC
$6 gallon = $1.56 per FC
$7 gallon = $1.82 per FC

Narrow down your SWG choices and find it's production of chlorine per 24 hours in poolmath. A 10k hour lifespan unit equals 417 days of straight production. Multiply the daily production by 417 to get your total lifespan FC produced. (In perfect conditions).

Take the cost of the SWG, controller and install costs if applicable and divide that by the lifespan FC for your cost per FC.

So let's take a Pentair IC60 system going for $1600 today. It produces 9.2 FC a day in 26k gallons, or 3836 lifetime FC.

$1600 system = $0.42 per FC which is about 1/3 the cost of the cheapest gallon of bleach for sale right now. In theory, over its lifespan, the unit will be 3 times cheaper than LC for you. If the price spikes this afternoon to $1900, it will cost $0.50 per FC.

*installation costs if you don't DIY will take away some savings. If installation doubles the cost to $3200, you'll still save some on the first unit, but the future units will be the big paybacks.

*the $569 controller usually lasts 3 cells so the next two replacements only need the $1100 cell, basically covering your installation costs, and if you DIY'd it, the replacement units will really pay off

$1100 unit = $0.28 per FC.


^^^^^^ all this said, I would pay 3X the liquid chlorine price for the convenience the SWG provides. That 'payback' is literally priceless. I spent 20 mins total on FC monitoring/adjusting from June to mid November. That includes getting the kit out, going out to get a water sample, and putting the kit away. My FC stayed at high target or above and the thought of algae never entered my mind. *And* it saved me 2 or 3 times what the LC would have cost, not including time and effort.

 

[Newdude]

but I'm very bad at articulating this, I'll let someone else chime in

How'd I do ?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

i wouldn't have a pool *without* a Salt Water Chlorine Generator (SWG) ! We go away on vacation and I know the pool is getting its daily dose. I come home to a sparkling clean pool.

My first cell lasted 9 years.... now admittedly it is sized 3x the pool's actual volume, so that presumably helped. I can run it on higher rates for a couple of hours or on lower rate for longer periods. It all works no matter how you do it.

The only alteration you make to your chemistry when you install one is to bring your salt level up whatever the device requires (and they vary) and some folks find their pH rises a bit faster with the device. Mine never did, but it liked to find its happy place at 7.8 pH, and I didn't need to add acid more than a couple times a year. And because the SWG works slowly and steadily, you'll increase your CYA level to protect it.

The added salt in the water makes the pool water feel silkier. That's a plus! I can jump in the pool, swim and get my hair all wet and let it dry and I don't smell like chlorine and my hair is fluffy and clean feeling. Its nothing like being in ocean water.

www.discountsaltpool.com

Maddie

 

[ZanyAnticsE]

Thanks so much for everyone's responses! I am a relatively competent DIYer, but have never tried doing anything with the pool. does anyone have good resources on a step by step for installation? I do well with videos, but clarity in that medium is often an issue for most videos.

$5 gallon = $1.30 per FC
$6 gallon = $1.56 per FC
$7 gallon = $1.82 per FC

Try $9 a gallon at Home Depot / Lowes!

 

[ajw22]

How'd I do ?

That post earned a spot in this Wiki - SWG How It Works - Further Reading

 

[reggiehammond]

I'm definitely team-SWCG. I can't imagine living without it in N Texas.
There are virtually zero drawbacks other than upfront cost. It makes maintaining the pool an absolute breeze - I don't spend 10 minutes per week, year-round, keeping my pool clean and clear.

Here's first install video I found for the same unit I use: it's super simple.

 

[markayash]

I’ve never tried to calculate the economic value, but I’m sure you’ll get feedback from others who have. My preference for SWG is based on the ease of pool maintenance that it provides. My weekly pool tasks take about 10 minutes: test the water and occasionally add muratic acid, along with emptying skimmer baskets, scooping out leaves, etc.

There’s no requirement for daily chlorine additions, going to the store to buy chlorine, storing the chlorine, etc. A SWG eliminates all of that. I’ve never talked to anyone who has one say they rather not have it. When we travel, I don’t have to worry about chlorine levels or hiring a service.

As far as salt content goes, a “chlorine” pool will have similar levels of salt over time. Those levels are not high enough to be a significant concern. Any corrosion to your metal coping will occur whether you have a SWG or not. Consider that salt pool levels are ~3,000 ppm where the ocean is something like 30,000 ppm. Test your water for salt. You might be surprised at the level.

My SWG tend to last around 5 years, sometimes a little longer. I wouldn’t have a pool without a SWG.

You said it perfectly..The water to me is soo much better, not sticky.

And like Jark87 said you don't have to worry when your not around..We travel to the beach for 2 or 3 weeks at a time and when I leave my FC is 7 or 8 and when I get back its still the same and the water is perfect.
Before it was a gamble, especially around spring in Ga when the pollen bomb goes off. Can turn a pool from clear to a swamp in a few days.

 

[nobody291]

does anyone have good resources on a step by step for installation?

In addition to the video Reggie posted above, many of us have posted threads on our installation experiences on this forum (a link to mine is below). Spend some time searching and reading stuff here and ask questions. That's what I did and I couldn't be happier with my SWG setup. Like others have alluded to above, installing a SWG isn't about saving money as much as it is about simplifying the process of maintaining your pool.

 

[Newdude]

Try $9 a gallon at Home Depot / Lowes!

There's an old Japenese proverb that says the best time to add a SWG was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.


OK OK OK. They were talking about planting trees. But same.

 

[ZanyAnticsE]

I can promise you that if somebody understood their system and their chemistry, they loved them.

SWGs are often sold as hands off, to people who never learned their systems or the chemistry, and those are the disasters you hear about.

To figure out your ROI, it's pretty simple. For 26k gallons, each gallon of 10% chlorine nets you 3.84 FC. Here is your FC cost for the gallon prices you will likely see this season.

$5 gallon = $1.30 per FC
$6 gallon = $1.56 per FC
$7 gallon = $1.82 per FC

Narrow down your SWG choices and find it's production of chlorine per 24 hours in poolmath. A 10k hour lifespan unit equals 417 days of straight production. Multiply the daily production by 417 to get your total lifespan FC produced. (In perfect conditions).

Take the cost of the SWG, controller and install costs if applicable and divide that by the lifespan FC for your cost per FC.

So let's take a Pentair IC60 system going for $1600 today. It produces 9.2 FC a day in 26k gallons, or 3836 lifetime FC.

$1600 system = $0.42 per FC which is about 1/3 the cost of the cheapest gallon of bleach for sale right now. In theory, over its lifespan, the unit will be 3 times cheaper than LC for you. If the price spikes this afternoon to $1900, it will cost $0.50 per FC.

*installation costs if you don't DIY will take away some savings. If installation doubles the cost to $3200, you'll still save some on the first unit, but the future units will be the big paybacks.

*the $569 controller usually lasts 3 cells so the next two replacements only need the $1100 cell, basically covering your installation costs, and if you DIY'd it, the replacement units will really pay off

$1100 unit = $0.28 per FC.


^^^^^^ all this said, I would pay 3X the liquid chlorine price for the convenience the SWG provides. That 'payback' is literally priceless. I spent 20 mins total on FC monitoring/adjusting from June to mid November. That includes getting the kit out, going out to get a water sample, and putting the kit away. My FC stayed at high target or above and the thought of algae never entered my mind. *And* it saved me 2 or 3 times what the LC would have cost, not including time and effort.

Do you have a link to where you see the IC60 for $1600? All you SWG people have converted me and I am ready to burn that tax return!

 

[mknauss]

Pentair IntelliChlor IC60 Complete Salt Chlorinator System

It is $1800. No tax or shipping.

Do you have Pentair automation?

 

[Newdude]

Do you have a link to where you see the IC60 for $1600?

It was an Amazon bundle that's already gone. Right this second they only have the unit for $1339 and the controller for $559 sold separately.

Marty's $1800 above is cheaper

 

[ZanyAnticsE]

It was an Amazon bundle that's already gone. Right this second they only have the unit for $1339 and the controller for $559 sold separately.

Marty's $1800 above is cheaper

wow that deal went fast! In your experience do you know how often they pop up? Just wondering if I should hold off to save the 200 bones

 

[ZanyAnticsE]

Pentair IntelliChlor IC60 Complete Salt Chlorinator System

It is $1800. No tax or shipping.

Do you have Pentair automation?

not sure what Pentair automation is

 

[mknauss]

If you do not have Pentair automation (Easytouch, Intellicenter) I would not get a Pentair SWCG. Look at Circupool or Hayward.

 

[proavia]

Without automation, the Circupool or Hayward would be a better option.

Discount Salt Pool has an upgrade special running (which is typical in one form or another) ....
You can get an RJ60+ for a few dollars more than the RJ45+ using the promo.

CircuPool RJ-45 PLUS Saltwater Chlorinator | Discount Salt Pool

www.discountsaltpool.com

Hayward prices will vary based on retailer. As I recall, the largest Hayward residential unit is for a 40k gallon pool.

 

[Newdude]

+3 to those 2 above ^^^^^^

I used Pentair as an example. I personally prefer it but it's more expensive and not the best deal out there. I've had one for 10 years and it's such a beast, I don't care what else is out there.

In your experience do you know how often they pop up? Just wondering if I should hold off to save the 200 bones

For the last season or two, a bird in the hand was worth 2 in the bush. The prices went up a few days later more often than it went down, if it was even available.

If you decide on a unit, and for Texas I would (personally) only look at 60k units on 25k gallons, I can run the #s for that unit and it's price.

It really doesn't even matter what you pay for it, or which one you get at $9 a gallon of bleach. ($2.34 per FC). My $5, $6, and $7 comparisons listed above are assuming you search around for the best deal and do better than HD's current outrageous price. Several members have seen it at Walmart in the $5 range recently.