Hi Calcium Areas & SWGs?

[Rich807]

Make any sense to have a SWG in a areas such mine where we get our water out of the colorado river? I don't really see a good way in my personal circumstance to get soft water piped into my auto fill circuit so I'm wondering if a SWG is really a fit or not. I kinda wanted to go to a SWG but if it's going to be a bad deal with my setup I guess I don't want to fight it.

 

[ajw22]

@mknauss is in your area and can discuss how to manage the CH situation.

 

[mknauss]

A SWCG will certainly work. I only installed a small water softener this past winter, not for the SWCG, but so my CH levels do not rise so fast as my wife does not like the water when it gets a CH of 800+. It is a RV type softener that I do manual regeneration of about once a month. It works OK, but not as good as a whole house softener.

Managing your CSI to between -0.3 and 0.0 is quite doable up to at least a CH of 800 ppm. It takes diligent management of TA and regular addition of acid to control the pH and TA rise due to fill water addition. The use of borates can also reduce the scaling tendency in the SWCG cell.

I have never cleaned my SWCG of scale with acid. I look at it every spring and have pushed out a chunk of scale or two with a popsicle stick, but have never had significant scale on the SWCG.

With out softened water, you will have to plan a full water exchange about every 2 to 2 1/2 years in Las Vegas I suspect. Here in Laughlin, I would have to exchange my water out due to high CH every 18 months or so.

 

[Rich807]

How do I tell if my current automation will work with say an IC40 is it (the Pentair SWG a lot of folks here talk about)?

 

[mknauss]

You have an Easytouch. I doubt it has the power center in it so you would need that for the Pentair Intellichlor. Your size pool I would suggest the IC60 cell.

Pentair IntelliChlor IC60 Complete Salt Chlorinator System

You will then use a 4 wire cable (from Home Depot, etc) to connect the Power Center to the EasyTouch via RS485.

 

[Rich807]

You have an Easytouch. I doubt it has the power center in it so you would need that for the Pentair Intellichlor. Your size pool I would suggest the IC60 cell.

Pentair IntelliChlor IC60 Complete Salt Chlorinator System

You will then use a 4 wire cable (from Home Depot, etc) to connect the Power Center to the EasyTouch via RS485.

Thanks. Will this setup allow me to use the exitsting interface I use now (screen logic)?

 

[mknauss]

Thanks. Will this setup allow me to use the exitsting interface I use now (screen logic)?

Yes.

 

[Rich807]

Quick question: An IC40 unit would be doubling the size of my pool water capacity, why the IC60 recommendation

 

[mknauss]

Quick question: An IC40 unit would be doubling the size of my pool water capacity, why the IC60 recommendation

Here, I find my peak FC consumption can hit 5 ppm per day in the summer (July and August). Your pool, 19,500 gallons, an IC40 would need to run at 100% for 13 hours per day to achieve that. If that is OK with you, then the smaller IC is fine. I just find for the small increase in price to raise the capacity (and longevity) of the SWCG by 50% is worth the investment.

 

[Rich807]

Understand / agree. Thanks for the clarification!

 

[Newdude]

The prices change rapidly but last week the IC60 was only 6% more expensive on Amazon. If it isn’t utter overkill it’s a no-brainer to get 50% more lifespan and greatly lower the ROI.