Pool company discouraging SWG switch

[HGalindo]

I need help reasoning through getting a SWG and understanding why my pool people don't like them.

We're refurbishing our pool with new plaster (pebble from quartz plaster), resetting coping, etc. and I thought while we're doing that, maybe switching to SWCG. I really struggle with being consistent about liquid chlorine application and then I end up fighting algae all summer long, plus we travel for long stretches in the summer and I don't like having to ask my housesitter to mess around with jugs of chlorine (plus I hate the wastefulness of it).

It seems like most people here on TFP who make the switch to SWG are big fans and wouldn't go back, but then I talk to my pool equipment guy and he's not a fan. (FWIW, we do our own servicing... so it's not a matter of them losing our business... In fact, they're making more money off of us!) I told him my constant battle with algae and he suggested testing phosphates (we have a very tree-y yard), but then I look here and the thinking seems to be if your chlorine is on point, you don't have to worry about phosphates.

Ultimately, my pool guy's take was, "You're either testing and managing chlorine or you're testing and managing pH, CYA, etc... why would you add a device that needs expensive maintenance (cell replacements) only to have to still be maintaining your pool all the time?"

My thinking is, if all those other things get out of whack while we're on vacation for 3 weeks in August, I won't come back to a green pool and they won't have been out of whack long enough to actually damage anything as long as I get everything balanced again when we get home. Or better yet, have a service come once a week while we're gone and handle it. Whereas with liquid chlorine, I have to test and add a few times a week in the hottest months and I'm not paying a pool service to come that frequently.

I think I've talked myself into it just typing this out, but am I thinking right? If you have SWG, especially Texans who understand the weather I'm dealing with, what kind of maintenance are you doing weekly? How fast does your water get wonky? How much are you spending on MA to keep the pH down?

Thanks! - H

 

[Jimrahbe]

H,

I have three saltwater pools in the DFW area. In total they have been saltwater pools for over 20 years and I have NEVER gotten algae.

I would rather fill them in as have them not be saltwater pools.

Ask your idiot pool guy this.. "If saltwater pools are bad and eat equipment, why does Pentair, Hayward, and Jandy make them? Would it not just eat their equipment?"

Salt cells normally last 5 to 7 years and then the cells have to be replaced. Think of it like buying your chlorine all at once, and then not worrying about it for 5 to 7 years.

I tend to check my chemicals about one a week, some times less than I should.. Having a SWCG is the easiest way to maintain a pool.

Another benefit is that when you get out of a standard chlorine pool, you want to take a shower. When you get out of a saltwater pool, you feel like you just got out of the shower...

Go saltwater or just fill the darn thing in with dirt.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Turbo1Ton]

Ultimately, my pool guy's take was, "You're either testing and managing chlorine or you're testing and managing pH, CYA, etc... why would you add a device that needs expensive maintenance (cell replacements) only to have to still be maintaining your pool all the time?"

I do not understand this. You should be testing and managing all of those.

The pool guy's response to test phosphates indicates he has no idea about water chemistry. I couldn't tell you what a phosphate is or how many I have because they are irrelevant to my water chemistry.

I am with Jim... I'd fill the pool in if I couldn't have a SWCG.

And when you leave on vacation, as you indicated, it adds the chlorine for you, so your housekeeper doesn't have to mess with it. And you come home from vacation, spend 10 minutes testing chem levels, maybe 15-30 minutes adding acid and brushing, and then jump in the pool.

--Jeff

 

[Texas Splash]

why would you add a device that needs expensive maintenance (cell replacements) only to have to still be maintaining your pool all the time?"

Kind of sums it all up right there. Took me 7 years to finally get mine (just before COVID). So glad I did. Get an SWG, sit back, and enjoy your pool.

 

[Newdude]

I broke down the costs for a specific SWG in 15k gallons for this member.

the models will vary a little, and you have 1k more gallons, but you'll get the point. It's an eye opener.

 

[pjt]

maybe switching to SWCG.

In addition to a SWG, are you going to upgrade to a VSP?

If you have SWG, especially Texans who understand the weather I'm dealing with, what kind of maintenance are you doing weekly?

Lots of Texans here, including me. SWG is awesome. If you manage your chemistry properly, the cell itself has practically no maintenance. They are a consumable, but it's a very long interval between replacement cells. I expect my current cell to last around six years.

How fast does your water get wonky?

Water chemistry is remarkably stable and predictable. You can leave a couple weeks for vacation and when you return the water will be the same as when you left. (Might need a neighbor to add some acid once a week.)

How much are you spending on MA to keep the pH down?

If you're able to keep your TA low (50-60), your pH rise is minimal. My fill water has very high TA (330), so during the summer I add a lot more acid (around two gallons a month). During the winter, I use a gallon for the entire season.

We have tens of thousands of SWG owners here. You'd have to search very hard to find a single one that dislikes their SWG.

 

[Mdragger88]

The pool guy has some flawed logic.
No matter how you chlorinate you should be testing & maintaining all those parameters anyway. Phosphates are of no concern if adequate fc is maintained.
Get yourself a swg rated for at least 2x’s your pool’s volume (bigger if you can afford it especially since you have a single speed pump) to feed your pool & enjoy your newfound freedom instead of spending your time hunting down & aquiring liquid chlorine for the next 5-7 years.

 

[PoolStored]

I am with Jim... I'd fill the pool in if I couldn't have a SWCG

 

[HGalindo]

Thanks, everybody. And yeah, correct that you *should* be testing and adjusting all those parameters at least weekly but also we have lives and limited time/energy resources and such and sometimes the pool isn't the priority. I just think the chlorine getting out of hand is the bigger mess to recover from than the pH getting out of hand temporarily. Regardless, I'm sold. Hook it up!

 

[Jimrahbe]

H,

As pointed out above, the most important thing when buying a SWCG is to make sure that it is sized correctly. It needs to be at least 2 X the volume of the pool. And if you have a single speed pump the bigger the better. One downside to using a SWCG is that the pump has to run long enough for the cell to make the chlorine the pool needs.

You might want to think about upgrading your single speed pump to a 2-speed or VS pump.

I sent you a PM or what is called a 'conversation' here at TFP..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Alaterreur]

I see you only have a 1 speed pump. Might be a good idea to get a variable speed pump for your electric. SWGC need to the pump to run to make chlorine.

 

[LSE08]

Count me in with all the others who would rather fill their pool in than give up their SWG. I also have the acid injection and I’d have a very hard time giving that up as well.

 

[HGalindo]

Count me in with all the others who would rather fill their pool in than give up their SWG. I also have the acid injection and I’d have a very hard time giving that up as well.

Ugh, acid injection what now? Tell me more!

 

[Jimrahbe]

H,

Most people don't 'need' acid injection to have a well working saltwater pool. I have three of them and none of them needs acid injection.

I add a little MA once a week or every two weeks. Pretty easy to do.

You add MA to control your pH. If you keep your TA at about 50, pH control is usually not much of an issue.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[LSE08]

I have the Pentair IntelliChem and as Jimrahbe notes, they are not necessarily for everyone. Your mileage may vary.
With both a spill-over spa and two wall sconces my pH tends to drift up perhaps a bit quicker that it might otherwise, and I have absolutely no regrets in my purchase. It took a little bit of playing around to get it initially balanced, but I haven’t changed any settings in a couple of years now.
When the 4 gallon reservoir gets low I’ll add a gallon of MA and a gallon of tap water and it just keeps plugging away for another month+. I monitor pH as usual but I love it, and I always hated manually dealing with MA on a regular basis. Do I ‘need’ it? No, but I don’t ‘need‘ a SWG either, it just makes pool maintenance that much easier in my mind.

 

[Jaimslaw]

H,

Most people don't 'need' acid injection to have a well working saltwater pool. I have three of them and none of them needs acid injection.

I add a little MA once a week or every two weeks. Pretty easy to do.

Agreed. But as an FWIW, I installed an acid injector years ago and would never give it up. Needing to add acid - even infrequently - is for some, still a chore that once eliminated is hard to go back to. I only need to handle acid twice a year which is nice (restocking of the injector storage tank).

For those like me who have a spa spill over, ph rises more quickly than those without this feature. Before I installed the acid injector, I was always chasing the ph levels because of that. After installing the injector and going through a tweaking period - ie, adjusting run time of the injector - I was able to get my ph levels completely under control. SWG + Acid Injector really does provide the optimal in pool automation.

One other benefit is my injection point is a couple feet from the salt cell, which is keeping my cell spotless. At every cleaning interval, there is never any buildup or any bubbling occurring when giving it a mild acid bath (per manf. Instrc) …something I no longer do or need to do. In the years prior to installing the injector, I needed to deal with that buildup at every cleaning interval. Cell is still going strong after 4.5 years.

So many good threads and posts on this forum to help anyone interested in installing one. I had a blast doing it. Frankly, its a lot easier than one might think.

 

[nobody291]

My thinking is, if all those other things get out of whack while we're on vacation for 3 weeks in August, I won't come back to a green pool and they won't have been out of whack long enough to actually damage anything as long as I get everything balanced again when we get home.

I think this is a key insight. Chlorine needs to be managed so that there's never a time it gets below the minimum, and is the only parameter that changes quickly. That's why we all love our SWCG so much. pH should only rise (unless you're somehow adding acid from CYA or acid injection), and high pH is really a longer term concern. If it's in the low 8s for a week, the effect will be minimal. All of the other parameters (CH, CYA, TA, etc) change very slowly, and if they're in limits at the beginning of your 3 week vacation, they'll almost certainly be in limits when you get home.

 

[SteveTech]

I add a little MA once a week or every two weeks. Pretty easy to do.

My first pool was chlorine, and now that I have salt water, I will never return. As Jim pointed out, MA is about the only chem I use to keep it in line outside of adding salt here and there to keep the level consistent.. So outside of testing the water every week or two, I'd rather sit back and enjoy the water rather then spend my time in chemistry class..