Is this a general rule?

[Philo]

The water temp of the pool water at my neighbors and my house is 52 degrees.
I have a Pentair that will not generate but my neighbors Hayward is working.
Do most Hayward's work at lower temperatures compared to the Pentair brand?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Phil,

The cold cut off temperature is not an exact number.. Pentair says that the cold cut off is 52 +/- 3 degrees...

I suspect that Hayward is very similar...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Philo]

Must be the +/- 3°

 

[JoyfulNoise]

From the AquaRite manual -

To find the optimum "Desired Output %" setting, start at approximately 50%. Test the chlorine level every few days and adjust the dial up or down accordingly. It usually takes 2-3 adjustments to find the ideal setting for your pool/spa and after that, it should only take minor, infrequent adjustments. Because the chlorine demand of the pool increases with temperature, most people find they have to adjust the dial up at the peak of the summer and down during the colder periods. The Aqua Rite automatically stops generating when the pool water temperatures drops below 50oF. This is usually not a problem because bacteria and algae stop growing at this temperature. You can override this low temperature cutoff by switching to SUPER CHLORINATE for a day.

 

[ping]

From the vault: Hayward SWG's will produce down to a salinity of 2,400 ppm and a temperature of 51° F. Output is scaled back to 20% of desired output setting at 60°F and output stops at 50°F.

 

[planoattorney]

I think in a round-about way, this answered my question but for my own education:

I am planning to install a SWG this year. I am in Plano (suburb of Dallas) and the pool water is up to 68 as of this morning. I am trying to decide if it is a good time of the year to install and if I put it in, will it start doing it's job now so I can actually see the benefit of my investment. Ergo my follow-up that fits in this tread - when the manufacturer publishes a cut off temp, is that the "water" temperature or the ambient temperature that is being referenced? I have never kept much attention on the water temp during the short winter season but I would be surprised if my pool gets below 50 degrees water temp more than 30 days in a year. Does that mean I would leave the SWG on year around?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I leave my SWG attached year round. My cold water cutoff kicks in some time in Mid December and the water usually warms up enough in late Feb / early June. We do get overnight freezes but freeze-protect keeps the water moving.

SWGs cut off by measuring water temp, not air temp.

 

[tmoss]

I live in Denton and have been using an ECG since June 2007. I pull it out early December due to the fact that the water is too cold for it to work. I install it typically the first 2 weeks in March because the water is warm enough (55+) to work reliably. My unit is a Pentair IC40. Works great. Last unit lasted 6 1/2 years. I acid wash 3 times/year and rarely have bubbles. Love it!

 

[Jimrahbe]

I live in Denton and have been using an ECG since June 2007. I pull it out early December due to the fact that the water is too cold for it to work. I install it typically the first 2 weeks in March because the water is warm enough (55+) to work reliably. My unit is a Pentair IC40. Works great. Last unit lasted 6 1/2 years. I acid wash 3 times/year and rarely have bubbles. Love it!

T,

Well.... so much for the theory that acid washing a SWCG reduces its lifespan...

I only even look at mine once a year, as they never seem to have much, if any, scale...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I would suggest you only acid wash it if you see visible scale. Concentrated mineral acids will damage the delicate transition metal coating on the plates.

 

[aussieta]

mine has never been cleaned and is 5 years old with very little scale

 

[tmoss]

My cell's salt measurement almost always reflects a more accurate number in relation to my drops test after I acid wash. Especially when water temp is around 76-78.