New SWG needed

Jump to latest Follow Reply
R

run53

LifeTime Supporter
May 4, 2010
429
So my 17 year old Resilience SWG with A5 cell is intermittently failing. By failing, I mean the green On/Off flashes randomly about once every 5 days and I suspect the unit is not generating chlorine while in this state. A power cycle always solves it and it's back to generating chlorine until it happens again. My cell is only 1 year old and in great shape. This has been happening for about a year now and the frequency of the issue hasn't really changed (once every 5 days or so). It's not a huge problem to manage except when I travel. If I'm not home, the SWG could be in this state for up to an entire day before the timer power cycles the equipment.

So I called Solaxx, who now owns the Resilience brand and they suggested the board is starting to go bad and they no longer sell replacement parts for that unit (understandable given the age). So they offered me an existing customer price on a new controller ( Resilience 305PX ) for $750. This unit is 100% compatible with my existing (almost new) salt cell. They also offered a complete system, Resilience "D" Series at an existing customer price of $1048 which would give me a backup cell for only $300 more. The cell is about $600 on-line now.

I've always said that when my SWG finally goes, I'd like to get a CIRCUPOOL based on the reviews and experiences on this site. But I'm guessing that would require re-plumbing which I have no experience with so far. My issue with Resilience is that it appears parts and cells are not as easy to find as with the CIRCUPOOL. My A5 cell is out of stock on most on-line resources.

So....questions...

1) If I go with the CIRCUPOOL, how difficult is PVC plumbing? I am pretty handy and do most all home/pool related maintenance/repairs myself. But how would I do this with the pool PVC lines filled with water. When replacing the cell mid season, I just lose some water while changing it out and no big deal. But plumbing a new cell, I suspect the lines would have to be clear of water.

2) Do you think it's worth staying with Resilience and just replace the controller (and flow sensor) for now without any plumbing and keep the extra cell as a backup. Again, my existing system has served me well for 17 years but I also am concerned about parts availability from Solaxx/Resilience.


Curious if anyone has any experience or thoughts about this decision.
 
Last edited:
Go with anything CIRCUPOOL. They are good at what they sell and love their products. The RJ60 will work well for you. Shop the RJ45 on the website and look for the $10 upgrade to the next size which is the RJ60.
 
Is the elevation of your plumbing pad lower than the pool? Clearing the plumbing of water is not usually a major concern. If your handy, installing the system is relatively easy.

I too recommend CircuPool products. The RJ60 would be a good choice for you. It's a pretty good deal right now. Choose the RJ45 and upgrade for $10.

www.discountsaltpool.com

CircuPool RJ-45 PLUS Saltwater Chlorinator | Discount Salt Pool

www.discountsaltpool.com www.discountsaltpool.com
 
Thanks for the input....I'm going to go with the CircuPool and upgrade to the RJ-60 with the existing offer. Anyone have any idea how long the offer will go for? The reason I ask is that my current SWG is working fine (except for the intermittent required power cycles once every 5 days). Since my pad is below the water level, I'd like to avoid the re-plumbing while pool is open and operational. I am getting a new liner installed in late August and that would allow me to do the plumbing for the CircuPool SWG with dry lines.

I suppose the alternative would be to plug all my lines and try to dry out the plumbing as best I can. Has anyone had luck with this method?
 
The $10 upgrade is a never-ending deal. However, the sale prices come and go. I haven't watched them long enough to track them, but I know prices last season were significantly higher than this season.
 
Once you plug the returns and the skimmers gravity takes over and the plumbing is fine after it drains off. You may want to buy it now to be sure you have it for when you need it because who's to say it couldn't be on back order then you have nothing when you're ready.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rancho Cost-a-Lotta

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
run53 said:
1) If I go with the CIRCUPOOL, how difficult is PVC plumbing? I am pretty handy and do most all home/pool related maintenance/repairs myself. But how would I do this with the pool PVC lines filled with water. When replacing the cell mid season, I just lose some water while changing it out and no big deal. But plumbing a new cell, I suspect the lines would have to be clear of water.


Curious if anyone has any experience or thoughts about this decision.
Click to expand...
Assuming you can plug the line(s) leading to the pad, it should be easy. Plug it, cut the pipe where you want to site the SWG, pvc-glue the unions provided, screw them on, connect up the wires, done.

I like to think I'm halfway-handy, and it took me probably an hour or so tops to plumb in the RJ-60+. My pad is higher than the pool, so I didn't have to plug a line or anything.

Started with :
1717077359615.png

ended with :

1717077333361.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newdude and run53
Few thoughts and comments:

  • Have you considered installing a current sensing relay on your salt water generator? It's an excellent protection to ensure the pump is running before the salt water generator receives power. In your case, whenever your pump de-energizes(turns off) your salt water generator would also power down. The reverse would happen when the unit powers on. This could give you a daily restart of your SWG.
  • PVC plumbing: Rather easy. Arguably the easiest type of plumbing but there a techniques and nuance needed to make it look professional. Make sure to get clear primer and use a pool/outdoor-rated cement like Rain or Shine cement from Oatley which is wet application rated. The other challenge is cutting the piping square and getting the right length. PVC fittings are tapered so dry fitting is not really practical or representative and getting dry-fit parts apart can be challenging.
  • Pool pad lower than pool line:
    • Confirm the piping is actually lower than the water line, possible it's not even though the pad is below pool level.
    • Look for isolation valves you may already have them
    • You probably can plug anything that does not have a valve, likely the returns
    • if you don't have isolation valves use a plug where you cut the PVC and make sure you can pull it out once the fitting is installed. There will be very little head pressure so the plug does not need to be very tight to stop flow.
    • Use wet rated PVC cement, still best to get the piping as dry as possible but you'll be fine
PVC is pretty easy to DIY but I'd also recommend you a saw to cut any old PVC pipe. PVC gets brittle and the PVC cutters will likely shatter the pipe. A hack saw, portaband or something similar will prevent the old pipe from cracking.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SJPoe
sgoosman said:
Few thoughts and comments:

  • Have you considered installing a current sensing relay on your salt water generator? It's an excellent protection to ensure the pump is running before the salt water generator receives power. In your case, whenever your pump de-energizes(turns off) your salt water generator would also power down. The reverse would happen when the unit powers on. This could give you a daily restart of your SWG.
Click to expand...
Not exactly sure what you mean by this. My Current SWG is wired such that when the pump turns off via the timer, the power to the SWG is also off. So I do get a daily restart of the SWG. So if I'm away, the most I would lose is a day of chlorination (unless the problem gets worse). In order to compensate for that potential day of loss, I usually add as a precaution, a gallon of LC to raise the FC before I go on a 4-5 day trip.
 
run53 said:
Not exactly sure what you mean by this. My Current SWG is wired such that when the pump turns off via the timer, the power to the SWG is also off. So I do get a daily restart of the SWG. So if I'm away, the most I would lose is a day of chlorination (unless the problem gets worse). In order to compensate for that potential day of loss, I usually add as a precaution, a gallon of LC to raise the FC before I go on a 4-5 day trip.
Click to expand...
Ahh, reading your initial post, I interpreted that your SWG runs continuously and once every 5 days the SWG would fault while powered. Based this post, your SWG power cycles daily but still every 5 days the unit faults. In this case adding the current sensing relay would not solve that issue.

It's still a good practice to have the current sensing relay as a safety device if the pump faults and the timer has not shut off the SWG yet a dangerous situation will occur. There are many threads on current sensing relays as a safety device. SWG creates hydrogen and chlorine gas as part of the reaction. If the water is not flowing and the flow switch fails, the gas will produce and accumulate around the electrode. The electrode will then get warm and cause the gases to explode. The current sensing relay adds extra protection to ensure the pump is running, if the pump fails ie current is not flowing to the pump. The relay detects no current is flowing to the pump and de-energizes the pump.
Here is a thread with more information: Current Sensing Relay for SWG with Variable Speed pump

Given the additional information, it won't help for this issue but might be something to consider for the next SWG.
 
sgoosman said:
Ahh, reading your initial post, I interpreted that your SWG runs continuously and once every 5 days the SWG would fault while powered. Based this post, your SWG power cycles daily but still every 5 days the unit faults. In this case adding the current sensing relay would not solve that issue.

It's still a good practice to have the current sensing relay as a safety device if the pump faults and the timer has not shut off the SWG yet a dangerous situation will occur. There are many threads on current sensing relays as a safety device. SWG creates hydrogen and chlorine gas as part of the reaction. If the water is not flowing and the flow switch fails, the gas will produce and accumulate around the electrode. The electrode will then get warm and cause the gases to explode. The current sensing relay adds extra protection to ensure the pump is running, if the pump fails ie current is not flowing to the pump. The relay detects no current is flowing to the pump and de-energizes the pump.
Here is a thread with more information: Current Sensing Relay for SWG with Variable Speed pump

Given the additional information, it won't help for this issue but might be something to consider for the next SWG.
Click to expand...
That's good to know.....as long as I'm doing an install, I should consider this. Thanks!
 
I'm in a similar situation. My 21 year old Ecomatic has been acting up....I discovered the "winter mode" switch was not completely sliding over to the off position. I clearanced the opening for the switch and system no longer goes into the error state, but the controller still gets "stuck" in standby mode or will sometimes only produce at 80%. It's $350 for a new PCB. Similarly, I also have a brand new cell, at close to $400. I'm torn between getting the PCB vs losing the cost of the new cell and going with a new system.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply