Diferent Circupool Models output?

[Rattus Suffocatus]

I know and I don't want to come across as " buy what I bought" but just saying don't over look it. Its a great price and honestly would you trust a 2 minute Taylor or a SWG for salt readings.
I am hopeful with the water balance I have learned from here it last a long time..I bought a SWG to make my life easier.

The Taylor kit for sure I would trust over a modified TDS reading on a salt unit. No comparison. You see an estimate on the display of those units at best and that is why they are going away on later designs.

 

[ajw22]

I am not convinced that latest generation equals better product. The trend seems to be the race to build lower quality products at a lower price point that don't last as long and are difficult to repair. Basically disposable consumer products. They also likely have the highest profit margins for the manufacturer. Align your expectations with the product you are choosing.

 

[markayash]

I am not convinced that latest generation equals better product. The trend seems to be the race to build lower quality products at a lower price point that don't last as long and are difficult to repair. Basically disposable consumer products. They also likely have the highest profit margins for the manufacturer. Align your expectations with the product you are choosing.

Time will tell us

 

[Airtrade]

Im looking at either tha RJ 30 or the edge 40. I also wonder if I can ge away with a edge 25. Doubt it's worth the 100.00 savings in the long run.
I like the idea of more increments on the adjustment range and more readings on the display.

 

[Brett S]

Im looking at either tha RJ 30 or the edge 40. I also wonder if I can ge away with a edge 25. Doubt it's worth the 100.00 savings in the long run.
I like the idea of more increments on the adjustment range and more readings on the display.

In considering the EDGE-25, the things I would consider are your pump run time and your location and the amount of sun the pool gets.

The cells are rated for a specific pool size based on running the cell at 100% 24 hours a day. Since a lot of people don’t run their pumps 24 hours a day (and people with single speed pumps often run them for much less than 24 hours a day) then it’s important to get an oversized cell to make sure that the SWG will have enough time to chlorinate the pool during your normal pump runtime.

I notice that you have a 2 speed pump, so if you already run the pump for a long time, then you will be able to run the SWG for a long time each day and you could get away with a smaller SWG.

The other consideration is physical location and sun. UV light is one of the big things that consumes chlorine, so my being in Florida with a pool that gets direct sunlight 95% of the day means that I will have a higher chlorine demand than someone further north and/or someone who’s pool is in the shade.

So, based on that, given that you are in Ohio and that you have a two speed pump, and assuming that you currently have a long pump run time or are willing to implement one, then I think the EDGE-25 would be acceptable for your pool and would work for you.

But, all that said, it might still be worth moving up to the RJ-30+ or EDGE-40 simply because both of those SWG’s won’t have to work as hard on your pool. Salt cells are consumables and eventually do need to be replaced (And they aren’t super cheap to replace). One of the big factors in how long they last is the amount of time they are powered up and producing chlorine. The EDGE-25 will have more power on time because it can’t produce chlorine as fast as those other two units, so you will likely need to replace the salt cell on the EDGE-25 before you would need to replace the cell on the RJ-30+ or the EDGE-40.

 

[onlyjeeps]

So.. I am on the verge of buying one myself.. I just need to figure out when I can do it now with my schedule.. I have a 13K in ground... VSP pump. So I don't have to run the pump that much longer than I do now, I decided something in the 40K gal range at 100% is probably appropriate.

Here is my thinking as of now in rank:
#1 Edge-40 40K rating at 100% $840 1.7 lbs a day. 7 year warranty that really is a 4 year warranty the way it's broken down 12% adjustment, switching power supply for true variable output. Clear plastic cell, plastic control unit, but with a big aluminum heat sink on back.
#2 Universal-40 40K rating at 100% $740 2.0 lbs a day. A 3 year warranty that's a meh a 3 year warranty analog adjustment (better than 5%) and ppm reading. Apparent Hayward clone. PVC opaque cell. Metal case on control unit.
#3 RJ-30+ 30K rating at 100% $870 1.5 lbs a day 7 year warranty that closer to a 4-5 year in reality 5% adjustment PPM salt reading. Plastic control unit, but fancy.
#4 SJ-40 40K rating at 100% $720 1.8 lbs a day. 5 year warranty that really a three year warranty in real terms. 25% adjustment range. Plastic control unit.
#5 Core-35. Too expensive, the control unit being on the cell is asking for it to be damaged. No "sale" version at DSP $1200 1.4 lbs/day 7 year warranty that's like a 5 year.

I believe that the SJ is on it's way out, and will be replaced with the Edge. I think the RJ is on the way out too but later... and will be replaced with the Core. This is just my feelings at this point.

Bang for the buck in my criteria goes squarely with the Universal40, even though the replacement cell doesn't last as long it's cheaper and has more output. I rank it second though because I think it's imminently on it's way out and I am concerned about future cell replacements.

So I could be wrong about all of this now, but this is what I could gather with what little information is really out there about these units. Someone knowing more than I do can chime in... I'd take the advice...

Rattus,

Great layout of features...especially since some of these specs/features had to be gleaned from deep reading of the manual or other means. I, too did that research to make a decision on which unit to buy. I agree the Edge series may be the future direction considering its switching power supply design and their statement that it's in its 5th generation. That switching power supply costs more money which is reflected in the price but the benefits are many in my not so professional opinion. The largest benefit being longer cell life when used at a lower power for prolonged periods instead of 100% output for defined periods of time it only pushes lower power out to the cell on a steady basis. Different approach then all of the others out there that I know of at this point. Seems like a logical design direction to go anyway. I'm sure in time they will add finer control (greater than the 12% adjustment today) and additional readings like the temp and salt level.

I don't see the RJ+ series as being on its way out at all. I believe this is their top tier product and will remain so for some time. In fact I see the future lines being the Edge, RJ+ and possibly the Core series. I agree the SJ and universal are on their way out within 5 or so years. I believe you can tell a lot about the product's life expectancy by the warranty...given the company stands behind it in the first place, which CircuPool does according to reports on here. Given that, the RJ+ series has the best of the entire line up. I'd venture to say the Edge will lengthen it's warranty soon.

I chose the RJ+ series given all the factors above, finer control, longest warranty, more user information on the display and at the 60,000 gallon range has the most output 3.0 lbs/day.

 

[markayash]

Im looking at either tha RJ 30 or the edge 40. I also wonder if I can ge away with a edge 25. Doubt it's worth the 100.00 savings in the long run.
I like the idea of more increments on the adjustment range and more readings on the display.

How much do you run your pump?
I have a 20K pool and run my VS pump at 1750 rpm ( 3 psi ) 24x7 and my Edge 40 is set at 2/8 bars and my FC is around 5
I think the Edge 25 would work but work on yours our mine but if it's in the Budget get the 40

It can go to KILL mode if needed..After a Vit C treatment it took my FC from 0 to 8 in about 16 hours set to super Chlorinate

 

[Airtrade]

How much do you run your pump?
I have a 20K pool and run my VS pump at 1750 rpm ( 3 psi ) 24x7 and my Edge 40 is set at 2/8 bars and my FC is around 5
I think the Edge 25 would work but work on yours our mine but if it's in the Budget get the 40

It can go to KILL mode if needed..After a Vit C treatment it took my FC from 0 to 8 in about 16 hours set to super Chlorinate

I run my two speed pump on low 24/7.
I'm ordering the Edge40 , it has the best price vs capacity on the cell. Looking at pool math the lowest setting will add 1.9ppm per day to my pool so I may have to put a timer on it some of the time but that's an agreeable trade off.
I also noticed the replacement cells are less than th Rj series.

 

[markayash]

I run my two speed pump on low 24/7.
I'm ordering the Edge40 , it has the best price vs capacity on the cell. Looking at pool math the lowest setting will add 1.9ppm per day to my pool so I may have to put a timer on it some of the time but that's an agreeable trade off.
I also noticed the replacement cells are less than th Rj series.

This is what I did but seems good on low 24x7. With the App for that plug I can set schedules and see the amp draw..I can even limit the watts
I just put a plug and ran an outlet off the same panel. It auto adjust from 120/240.
Only complaint is the power cord is short but worked for me.

 

[Airtrade]

This is what I did but seems good on low 24x7. With the App for that plug I can set schedules and see the amp draw..I can even limit the watts
I just put a plug and ran an outlet off the same panel. It auto adjust from 120/240.
Only complaint is the power cord is short but worked for me.

What plug did you get. I plan on something similar my equipment is going in a shed.

 

[markayash]

What plug did you get. I plan on something similar my equipment is going in a shed.

I have several of these around my house and like them..They even integrate with Amazon echo..They show watts used, mine is pulling 51 watts now on 2/8 power.
You can also set schedules to have it tun on and off at certain times.
I just bought a good quality 120V plug for the cord

VeSync Smart Plug by Etekcity, 2 Pack Mini WiFi Outlets, Works with Alexa, Google Home & IFTTT, Remote Control from Anywhere, WiFi Energy Monitoring with Schedule Function, No Hub Required, ETL Listed - - Amazon.com

VeSync Smart Plug by Etekcity, 2 Pack Mini WiFi Outlets, Works with Alexa, Google Home & IFTTT, Remote Control from Anywhere, WiFi Energy Monitoring with Schedule Function, No Hub Required, ETL Listed - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[markayash]

Here is the app you use with it. Wish they had a wired 220v one

 

[Hootz]

The Taylor kit for sure I would trust over a modified TDS reading on a salt unit. No comparison. You see an estimate on the display of those units at best and that is why they are going away on later designs.

There have been some comments lately that the salt levels shown on the RJ series are inaccurate....that has been my experience as well. I am very satisfied with my RJ series but no one should depend on the levels shown on the SWG display....the Taylor kit is accurate and the color change is easy to see with a speed stir. In my opinion the salt level and temp display should not weigh on the decision to purchase.

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

Wow, disappear for a day, you miss a lot. a RJ-45+ is frankly out of my price range. I don't know why I'd do the 30 for more money than a larger, but simpler unit. I really have been debating back and forth between the Universal40 (AKA Ui 40 Si 40) and the Edge40. Bang for the buck definitely goes to the Universal40, but it has the most frequent cell replacement interval-- it also has a salt PPM readout and an analog adjustment--- making the controls more like the RJ+. It does put out a non-trivial amount of extra chlorine compared to even the Edge40. The Edge is kind of designed the way I would have personally done it in the first place.. so that is why I am torn.

The RJ+ -- if you "deep read" seems to be a upgraded cell RJ. The RJ non-plus is referred as First generation, as is the Universal. I think the rare earth metals (primary being ruthenium) are more refined in the newer units like the plus, Edge and core. Because of this the cells last longer but it seems that they don't "burn as bright" as the Ui 40... I don't know this for sure but it is what I am getting out of sales literature and manuals.

This is all from me digging and digging through all of their manuals and sales brochures. I was honestly for a couple of weeks all set to get the Ui 40 and be happy.. but I think the compromise for me and my 13K pool is probably going to be the Edge 40, and even that is more than I wanted to spend on it. I don't want to run the pump much more than I am doing do anything smaller than the 1.6 lb/day ish units are probably not going to stay in the running. The sun here gets BRUTAL for about 6 weeks.

I guess there is some genius to their marketing, but then you end up with people like me who are probably looking for an excuse for "analysis paralysis". I've even thought that maybe I'd be better off going another year with TFP and refining my skills further... but I wold like to make the pool work a weekend only affair due to my schedule...

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

By the way, did you notice that dollars per chlorine output is pretty consistent in all of the units in my 40K cell comparison? I am more and more convinced it doesn't matter what you get.

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

When replying on another thread I realized something...

The sad thing is that I just realized I could get a SJ-55 for about the same price as the Edge-40.. There are too many choices in this price range...2.3 lbs a day for $820. That actually might be the ultimate bang for the buck unit. This is too hard...

So lets be totally annoying and break it down further...

SJ-55 $820 2.3 lbs/day (5 yr) 10500 hr -- $356.52 per lb/day
RJ-30 Plus $870 1.5 lbs/day (7 yr) 15000 hr -- $580.00 per lb/day
Core-35 $930 1.4 lbs/day (8 yr) -- $664.29 per lb/day
Universal-40 $740 2.0 lbs/day (4 yr) 10000 hr -- $369.50 per lb/day
Edge-40 $840 1.7 lbs/day (7 yr) -- $494.12 per lb/day
SJ-40 $720 1.6 lbs/day (5 yr) 10500 hr -- $450.00 per lb/day

So... wow.. maybe I should just go total overkill and go for the SJ-55? I think it would almost be too big!

Ask my wife what it is like living with an engineer.......

 

[Brett S]

When replying on another thread I realized something...

The sad thing is that I just realized I could get a SJ-55 for about the same price as the Edge-40.. There are too many choices in this price range...2.3 lbs a day for $820. That actually might be the ultimate bang for the buck unit. This is too hard...

So lets be totally annoying and break it down further...

SJ-55 $820 2.3 lbs/day (5 yr) 10500 hr -- $356.52 per lb/day
RJ-30 Plus $870 1.5 lbs/day (7 yr) 15000 hr -- $580.00 per lb/day
Core-35 $930 1.4 lbs/day (8 yr) -- $664.29 per lb/day
Universal-40 $740 2.0 lbs/day (4 yr) 10000 hr -- $369.50 per lb/day
Edge-40 $840 1.7 lbs/day (7 yr) -- $494.12 per lb/day
SJ-40 $720 1.6 lbs/day (5 yr) 10500 hr -- $450.00 per lb/day

So... wow.. maybe I should just go total overkill and go for the SJ-55? I think it would almost be too big!

Ask my wife what it is like living with an engineer.......

Haha, I know where you’re coming from. I definitely am good at over analyzing.

I think the SJ-55 is way too big for your pool. It would work, but I’m not sure there would really be any benefit to going that big. Obviously there is something to be said for getting a larger unit than you need so that it doesn’t have to work as hard which should make it last longer, but I think that just having chlorinated water passing over the plates 24/7 for years will start to affect the coating on the plates and eventually they will wear out and need to be replaced anyway.

Also, I’m not entirely certain that dollars per pounds per day is really the best metric to be looking at. The different series have very different cell lifetimes and I think you need to try factor that in as well. I’ve added to your chart below:

SJ-55 $820 2.3 lbs/day (5 yr) 10500 hr -- $356.52 per lb/day - .096 lb/hr - 1006 lb over the cell life - $0.81/lb
RJ-30 Plus $870 1.5 lbs/day (7 yr) 15000 hr -- $580.00 per lb/day - .062 lb/hr - 938 lb over the cell life - $0.92/lb
Core-35 $930 1.4 lbs/day (8 yr) -- $664.29 per lb/day - .058 lb/hr - 875 lb over the cell life - $1.06/lb
Universal-40 $740 2.0 lbs/day (4 yr) 10000 hr -- $369.50 per lb/day - .083 lb/hr - 833 lb over the cell life - $0.88/lb
Edge-40 $840 1.7 lbs/day (7 yr) -- $494.12 per lb/day - .071 lb/hr - 1062 lb over the cell life - $0.79/lb
SJ-40 $720 1.6 lbs/day (5 yr) 10500 hr -- $450.00 per lb/day - .067 lb/hr - 700 lb over the cell life - $1.03/lb

I figured out how many pounds per hour each cell would make, then multiplied out to figure out how many pounds it will make over the life of the cell, then divided the cost by the lifetime production number to get a cost per lb of chlorine gas produced over the rated life of the cell.

Note that for some reason circupool doesn’t publish cell lifetime ratings for the core and the edge. But based on the fact that their warranties were similar to the RJ series I used the same 15000 hr number for the edge and the core.

 

[Brett S]

Just for fun, because why stop now, I also calculated the dollars per pound cost for each replacement cell as well.


SJ-55 $820 2.3 lbs/day (5 yr) 10500 hr -- $356.52 per lb/day - .096 lb/hr - 1006 lb over the cell life - $0.81/lb
Replacement cell - $549 - $0.55/lb

RJ-30 Plus $870 1.5 lbs/day (7 yr) 15000 hr -- $580.00 per lb/day - .062 lb/hr - 938 lb over the cell life - $0.92/lb
Replacement cell - $489 - $0.52/lb

Core-35 $930 1.4 lbs/day (8 yr) -- $664.29 per lb/day - .058 lb/hr - 875 lb over the cell life - $1.06/lb
Replacement cell - $390 - $0.45/lb

Universal-40 $740 2.0 lbs/day (4 yr) 10000 hr -- $369.50 per lb/day - .083 lb/hr - 833 lb over the cell life - $0.88/lb
Replacement cell - $349 - $0.42/lb

Edge-40 $840 1.7 lbs/day (7 yr) -- $494.12 per lb/day - .071 lb/hr - 1062 lb over the cell life - $0.79/lb
Replacement cell - $380 - $0.36/lb

SJ-40 $720 1.6 lbs/day (5 yr) 10500 hr -- $450.00 per lb/day - .067 lb/hr - 700 lb over the cell life - $1.03/lb
Replacement cell - $449 - $0.64/lb

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

Thanks! I was going to do that on the next pass. Where are you finding the cell life for the Edge and Core? Or are you basing it on the warranty (which would be dicey)? That is why I didn't do it yet. I was seriously thinking of contacting DSP/Circupool and asking about cell hour life for the Core and Edge since they are actually the standard measure of cell life in the industry...

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

But I guess why you can see why I am stuck on either the Ui 40 or the Edge 40 at this point ...