should i invest in a SWG given the cost of chemicals now?

[joyinGA]

i have a 16 x 32 ovalish vinyl (~24k gals) pool here in sunny GA where the sun sucks out the chlorine as soon as i put it in. Admittedly, i don't have a good CYA level at present but after I get that handled, what would you advise re: SWG or staying with the bleach?.
And what about the XtremepowerUS SWGs? i read that i need to double the capacity of my water volume. Would a 40k system be sufficient? I haven't seen any 50k systems. And Hayward's systems are so expensive, can i get away with this from Home Depot? XtremepowerUS40,000 Gal. In-Ground Pool Salt Water Chlorine Generator Chlorinator System with Flow Switch and Salt Cell
I don't have a 'pool guy' and there are none in the area that i trust. Will have to install it myself or with the help of a non-pool-specialist handy-man neighbor.

thanks! joy

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Look at CircuPool SWGs. They are very self-install friendly and the RJ-60 is rated up to 3lbs of chlorine gas per day which is roughly a 60k gallon pool equivalent. I believe they are running sales now.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Joy,

I think you will find the cost is about the same for a SWCG, Liquid Chlorine or tablets.

The ease of maintenance is the main selling point of having a SWCG.

I also like the feel of the water. When you get out of a saltwater pool it is like getting out of a shower.

I am a huge fan of saltwater pools and would recommend them even if they cost more.

I too would recommend a CircuPool system. If you still have a single speed pump, you want the largest unit possible to keep your pump run time at a minimum.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

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[Mdragger88]

Those only have a 30 day warranty which is pretty terrible for almost $800

For nearly the same $$ you can get a universal 40 on discountsaltpool.com w/ the $10 upgrade sale - it also puts out more chlorine than this unit. Not to mention it will come w/ an actual warranty.
They have quite a few choices for your size pool depending on the features & warranty you desire - you definitely want one rated for at least 2x’s your pool volume. Their units are diy friendly.

Compare and Review Saltwater Chlorine Generator Prices and Features | DSP

www.discountsaltpool.com

 

[jmastron]

If you are looking for the lowest cost, that XtremePower unit is just one of a bunch of identical generic brand name SWCGs that are almost certainly the exact same unit with different stickers on them. Here's the one I bought last year: CaliMar® Salt Chlorinator for Inground Pools | Up to 40,000 Gallons | CMARSHA40-3Y -- even cheaper at $625, and has a 2-year full warranty + 3rd year 80% prorated. I don't personally put a lot of stock in long warranties on these -- read the fine print of many of the "7 year" warranties, and they just give you effectively a 10-20% discount on replacement beyond 2-3-4 years anyway. And that discount may be off of full retail prices at the time, not the sale prices. I decided the $300-$1000 savings was worth taking a risk on a more generic brand.

Mine shipped quickly, seems well built, and has been wonderful since I installed it last May. I raised my CYA to 70-80, and didn't have to run the SWCG more than 7 hours a day at peak demand over the summer for our 20k gallon pool (and most of the time less than that, especially when covered). I would think that would be sufficient for you too -- the key is to keep the CYA level up, it really does make a difference in how much chlorine is used each day.

If you're comfortable cutting and gluing PVC pipes and have a good place to put it, you can install it yourself, but there's also no shame in having someone come do it. I was a bit short on horizontal space so I just made an inverted U and put the SWCG and flow switch vertical. I set mine for 120V (instructions say how to do that) and put a plug on it, then plugged it into a cheap WiFi plug. I leave the Calimar unit at 100% and use the start/end time to adjust how much is generated each day (and to make sure the VS pump is running at the same time). That's works well since I test the water inside and can change the setting from the app; that's really all the automation I need.

Cost savings isn't the main reason to go SWCG, although it doesn't hurt and is more likely if the unit cost is kept down like this. I had a Stenner pump before so the daily injection was automated, but the convenience of not having to go buy and lug jugs of chlorine around every couple weeks in the summer is well worth it.