I agree 100%, plus when you can't go to the store and pollen or rain hits and all of a sudden you nice blue pool is dull and green and you can't swim for a week!
I want a swg pool wife wants chlorine ? ? ?
- Thread starter Skunked again
- Start date
Get devious. Start it as a bleach pool, but sneak in bags of salt. At some point test the salt just for kicks and say, "This bleach left so much salt behind, we could hook up a SWG right now! We'll turn the salt back into chlorine."
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,146
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
My wife was very skeptical of salt system... thought it was just another "expensive pool toy" - till she got in. She was amazed that it feels just like a spa. Much less harsh on her skin. Within minutes she said and I quote "we're never going to have another pool unless its salt" As I've said many times. Happy Wife happy life.
I added salt and borates to my pool, and the water feels great. I have to say, though, the much higher salt level in an SWG was a little weird to me last time I was in one, which which was a few years ago.
As for the salt causing the pool to rust, its not the salt. I've never had a salt pool, but I had plenty of rust. Click the link in my signature, RIP Rusty Vogue Pool.
We talked about it and her argument was " I hate swimming in the ocean and being sticky" but once over that she was OK with it
Some models need to to run 'high'. My pentair works great at low levels and I believe Jandy maybe too.
Valid point. You'd think I would have considered that since I just did it yesterday morning.
Although I have known the guy that owns the pool store I go to for 20 years, so I kind of enjoy going there and shooting the breeze for a few minutes, He has a couple stout teenagers that load the chlorine in my SUV. The only toting I have to do is when I get it home. But, they sure seemed heavy yesterday in the heat.
I would love to have a SWCG, and may do it one day. In a couple of years, I will probably have as much salt in my pool as a salt pool anyway unless I have to drain for some reason. I really don't understand why it should impact my warranty, but they explicitly state that it does.
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Also, I have never filled up my SWG. Not even once.
And, I have never toted a 40 lb bag of salt for my pool!
- Jul 4, 2012
- 749
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
I'll be a bit of a contrarian, at least in terms of the break even rate for cash outlay.... I'm in the same state as the OP. I seriously considered swg this season but it only costs me $20/month to chlorinate with liquid, which equates to $80 for the season. I don't need to make dedicated trips just to buy LC, as its close enough that I pass it regularly. Yes, I do have to lug bottles and pour, but I'm poolside everyday anyway and with covid, I'm working from home now too.
So, all of that and a 10 year break even in cost.... I couldn't justify it. I completely appreciate and am jealous of those who love their swgs, I really wanted to do it, but just couldn't.
Of course the above variables could be significantly different for others. If I had a 3 year break even and/or a chlorine shortage I likely would've done it.
So, all of that and a 10 year break even in cost.... I couldn't justify it. I completely appreciate and am jealous of those who love their swgs, I really wanted to do it, but just couldn't.
Of course the above variables could be significantly different for others. If I had a 3 year break even and/or a chlorine shortage I likely would've done it.
Size matters too. I’m due East of you guys and per pool math my 35k gallons needs 1 gallon 1 cup per day for 3PPM. My SWG costs 93 cents per 12 hour average day runtime. A gallon and change of LC is $3-$4.
Holy Crud! If I had to add over a gallon a day I think I would have to switch to an SWG. Mine is only 10k, and I guess the solar cover keeps the chlorine in, so I'm less than a quarter a day. Sometimes not even every day. If it's in the 5-10 range on the OTO, I usually don't add.
The cover helps tremendously. It did on my pool too, but we hated it.
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
Ok, I'm gonna counter the contrarian
You are only considering the hard costs of Cl vs cost of installing and price the unit in your ROI.
-What value do you put on your time? Time to pick up the the chlorine, The additional time it takes to manage a non SWG Pool. for me that's verifiable. I live by hourly billing. Compared to before the SWG and after, I paid off the $1500 outlay in the first year.
-What value do you put on a higher quality of water. The value of knowing my daughter's skin isn't going to break out from swimming is priceless.
-What value do you put on getting more out of your SWG beyond your estimate. My break even on cost time frame was at about 3-4 years.. by that measure I have been getting free chlorine for more than 10 years.
Given all that together installing an SWG was the best home improvement purchase I've made ever. I will concede one added cost that I found over the years. There is an ongoing increased entertainment cost from pool parties and guests because given a choice they all want swim in our pool.
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I have a Stenner pump and with COVID I just use Taskrabbit to send someone to the store for me and deliver 6 or 8 cases of 12.5% liquid shock to my garage. For me, it is worth the extra $20-30 bucks once every 2 months...
- Jul 4, 2012
- 749
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
I agree with you mguzzy, those are relevant factors. That's why I mentioned that I don't need make a special trip just to buy LC, as I get to that store once a month for other reasons. And being poolside every day in the summer means it is a pretty minimal time cost to pour in the LC. I don't even need to take the time to measure.
Water quality? Check the sig, I'm in season 9 of TFP.
I'll consider again next season, I've seen how much you all love your swgs on this forum, I was just a little surprised when I ran the numbers and time considerations. The covid situation was also influential in my decision, no business travel, home all day anyway, it was just too easy to say I'll use that $1000 elsewhere and revisit next year.
Others mileage will certainly vary.
So, what is the expected useful life for an swg? Presumably much longer for someone like the OP who only has a 4 month season, right?
Water quality? Check the sig, I'm in season 9 of TFP.
I'll consider again next season, I've seen how much you all love your swgs on this forum, I was just a little surprised when I ran the numbers and time considerations. The covid situation was also influential in my decision, no business travel, home all day anyway, it was just too easy to say I'll use that $1000 elsewhere and revisit next year.
Others mileage will certainly vary.
So, what is the expected useful life for an swg? Presumably much longer for someone like the OP who only has a 4 month season, right?
Ok, I'm gonna counter the contrarian
You are only considering the hard costs of Cl vs cost of installing and price the unit in your ROI.
-What value do you put on your time? Time to pick up the the chlorine, The additional time it takes to manage a non SWG Pool. for me that's verifiable. I live by hourly billing. Compared to before the SWG and after, I paid off the $1500 outlay in the first year.
-What value do you put on a higher quality of water. The value of knowing my daughter's skin isn't going to break out from swimming is priceless.
-What value do you put on getting more out of your SWG beyond your estimate. My break even on cost time frame was at about 3-4 years.. by that measure I have been getting free chlorine for more than 10 years.
Given all that together installing an SWG was the best home improvement purchase I've made ever. I will concede one added cost that I found over the years. There is an ongoing increased entertainment cost from pool parties and guests because given a choice they all want swim in our pool.
Since I'm an insufferable contrarian, I will counter your counter.
I mainly bill by the hour, too, but I don't value my leisure time the same as my professional time. I wish! But even so, not including testing (I try to do the OTO and PH test every day), it takes me about five minutes to add chlorine, which I do about every other day, and maybe 15 minutes a week at the pool store. I wouldn't do anything productive with that time. Since I put in borates, I haven't had to add anything else so far this summer.
I put in salt up to about 2000, so I am getting the benefits of the better quality water. Between that and the borates, my family raves about how it feels on their skin, hair, and eyes. I'm not sure, though, how I would like the almost double level of salt in an SWG.
I'm not sure how the economics works out. There's also the time value of money to consider. I have a feeling in the NYC area it would be closer to $2500.
I may consider it someday, if I have a spare $2500 that my family doesn't spend.