Leave SWG plugged in? Not sure

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kul

kul

Bronze Supporter
Oct 1, 2021
1,434
Los Angeles
Pool Size
15000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Hi for those in Los Angeles area (or similar climate where pool is left open year round), when does your SWG stop producing chlorine? I am likely going to get one, but trying to figure out if now is a good time or wait until April/May.
 
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The last two years I was able to run until early December when water temps dropped below 52 degrees. Mine is down for 6-7 weeks until temps come back up. FC loss is minimal during that time so not a big deal.
 
Oh wow. That’s not much of a downtime which is great. Turns out the heat exchanger on my heater is giving up and so I’ll need to replace it so I’m thinking to do both at the same time. I appreciate your guidance as usual.

Any guidance about type of SWG? I do not have automation. I was thinking the Ichlor 30 or the IC40. The pool company I spoke with said he recommends the Ichlor 30 as it is less expensive, but either can be installed.

I was also thinking of adding a bypass diverter valve (not sure if this is what it’s called) for the heater, but not sure if this is actually necessary.
 
Pentair SWGs have a good reputation but they're not the best value if you don't have automation. Of course, if you're a Pentair gal, there's nothing wrong with staying with your brand. There is a difference in the Ichlor and IntelliChlor systems. The experts here steer folks away from the Ichlor systems as the quality is not on par with the IntelliChlor systems. The IC40 would suffice, but consider an upgrade to the IC60.

The CircuPool RJ+ systems have a good reputation here. I'm on my third year with no major complaints. I think the production numbers are a bit exaggerated. I did need to contact support a couple times and my issues were quickly resolved.
 
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Look at the Circupool SWG. The RJ45+ (roughly 3 x your pool size) would be a good match.
On their site, look at the RJ30+ and choose the upgrade to RJ45+ for $20 more.

The Pentair IC40 and IC60 work best with Pentair automation. Stand alone, not so much.
Someone mentioned that the iChlor 30 wasn't the best option either - but I can't recall why.

Heater bypass will allow the heater to gy bypassed when it's not in use. The heater creates restriction which reduces the flow rate at a given RPM. This will allow running your pump at a lower RPM while still satisfying the SWG flow switch.

Heater Bypass - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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Does the Circupool RJ 45+ run without automation? I’d like for the SWG to run when my pump is set to run.
 
Newdude said:
They work stellar stand alone. It's just $300 (?) more than Circupool.
Click to expand...
Can I run these without automation? I’d like to keep things simple and have it run when I run my pump. I don’t want too many fancy things (even though I know they probably are nice). I just don’t have the headspace for another thing to go wrong.
 

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Newdude said:
either run them on their own timer inside the pump window
Click to expand...
Can you clarify a bit? Is there a window in the SWG cell itself that I would set? At this time, I just have my pump set to run for 6 hours. Wouldn’t the SWG just run during this same time? Or are you saying I have to do something additional?
 
As mentioned, you do need a timer for the swg. If you have 120 volts at your equipment pad, the simplest solution is to use a Smart Switch or smart plug that you can program within the pump run times. One of the advantages of using a smart plug or Smart Switch is they will automatically set to real-time after a power outage. This will help to keep it in sync with your pump. The CircuPool units can be configured to run on 120 volts, and can also be used with a standard plug.

When you get closer to moving forward with the install, post some photos of your equipment pad, load box and timers.
 
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I just installed a Hayward Aquarite (W3AQR15) with a T-15 cell. I don't have any automation. I used a current sensing relay to sense when the pump was running which then turns on the SWG. SWG turns off when the pump shuts off. Took some electrical re-configuring but has been working fine since installed (only 2 month).
I went with Hayward after a lot of research. Brand name, Customer support, Stayed away from Amazon for warranty related issues.
 
kul said:
Can you clarify a bit? Is there a window in the SWG cell itself that I would set? At this time, I just have my pump set to run for 6 hours. Wouldn’t the SWG just run during this same time? Or are you saying I have to do something additional?
Click to expand...
I grabbed this pic of your load center from a previous post. Your VS pump receives power full time, so this timer is not needed for it. You could use the timer for the SWG.

full
 
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kul said:
At this time, I just have my pump set to run for 6 hours. Wouldn’t the SWG just run during this same time?
Click to expand...
You will run the SWG during that window. But you don't want the cell to run with no flow, even for a few moments. So you give it it's own timer to come on 5 minutes late and shut off 5 mins early.

With a 6 hr pump runtime, you will need a 4X unit during the peak season. A 3x needs 8 hours to produce enough FC, a 2x needs 12 hours, a 1x needs 24 hours.

So if you get the 40 or 45 you'll likely need to up the pump runtime to 8 hours, no biggie with a VS.

I simply cannot reccomend low RPM 24/7 enough. It's about $20 a month in electricity and you're always skimming, filtering and producing FC. Plus. No timers. It's either summertime or wintertime. :ROFLMAO:
 
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Circupool has a nice array of units to fit the bill and pentair will/can work as a stand alone without automation. One option to stay away from is aftermarket garbage and noname branding. 2x or 3x pool capacity is king here for longer lasting cells that work only half or a third as hard for longevity which pool chemistry is another strong part of the equation.
 
So I can use that yellow wheel timer? That is great. I actually have no idea how to use it, but it’s looks like it should be easy to figure out.

I will likely stick with a Pentair version since the rest of my equipment is pentair. I’m fine running the pump longer. So with the Ichlor 30 or the ic40, how long would I need to run it? Do I need to run the pump faster so the SWG will turn on?

I don’t think I’m going to add in the added cost of the heater bypass. I keep my chems in line so I don’t think I should have much trouble.
 
Yes I do have a plug on the side. Is there a picture somewhere with someone who has a similar set up to mine so I can see what the cord is to connect the SWG to power? Is it connected to this panel? Or is it connected to the pump? Or is it standalone and just literally plugged into an outlet?

Sorry in advance for my lame questions. I don’t know what I’m doing.
 

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