SWCG install - plumbing suggestions needed

[Grenademonkey543]

Hi everyone,

Have been thinking recently about converting the pool from chlorine to a chlorine generator. Not sure if it can be done with the existing plumbing, but any hope to so with some minor modifications without yanking it all out? Perhaps rotating the solar motorized valve 90* up and basically extending that outlet upwards enough to install the cell and then have another elbow to go back into the ground?

 

[setsailsoon]

Gren,

Welcome aboard! I recently added to my system but I had a lot more room than you do. That's some very compact piping but I don't think a complete redo is necessary. It's kind of hard to see the routing but I think that's a tee on the return from the solar. I would consider adding a horizontal loop to the right in the photo. Then you can mount the SWG vertically. Circupool sells kits to make vertical installation easier. I would guess the other's do also.

Looks like you've had a liquid chlorine pool for quite some time. We were in the same boat and we love the salt pool. Wife even more than me. Says it feels like she's been to the spa! Please do ask any other questions you may have. I'll also add a post with my response to another similar post asking about my lesson's learned. Need to go find it.

Good luck!

Chris

 

[setsailsoon]

Gren,

Here's the previous post on another is below. Also here's a link to the entire thread. May be helpful. Also there's a great section on SWG in Pool School.

Chris

Plano,
I'm thrilled with the RJ+. No complaints at all. Install was easy peasy and I wish I had done it a long time ago. It is putting out plenty of FC at 35% power and matches pool math production output predictions very closely. I wondered a little about this because all the manufacturers use the same basic chemistry and catalysts. Here's what did that may help:

• I would suggest you get the maintenance kit. This provides a spool-piece that can be inserted in the pipe while you have the cell out for maintenance. It is also very handy for the PVC work since it's lighter and has no wire coming out. Once you fit it up with the spool piece in you can take it out and replace with the cell. It will fit perfectly. All of the cell manufacturers use unions with unique threads so you can't just make this up yourself with standard PVC pipe fittings. They had a special on the kit that was dirt cheap as an add-on.
• I added the salt same day I ordered the kit. My wife has allergies and seems to have sensitive skin so I wanted to be sure she'd like the salt water before I was completely committed. She loves it and in fact has seen big benefits like it doesn't make her feel itchy after swimming like the non-salt pool. Just add liquid chlorine 'till you get the unit installed. Wife says the water feels like she's at a spa!
• Definitely measure salt content of the water before you add salt. I was amazed that mine already had over 1000 ppm from 5 years of chemical addition. I would have added waaaay too much salt if I just assumed zero.
• I used the salt test strips. Easiest strip test I've ever used. It's not a color shade test. The strip is graduated and you look for where the distinct yellow color stops on the strip. Also you have a black line that "develops" at the top to be sure the test has had time. After the black line appears the strip reads the exactly the same days later.
• I used Morton's pool salt. A couple of bucks more expensive but it dissolved very quickly. Definitely do this in the shallow end. It's easier to make a couple of sweeps and then it's completely gone. I did vacuum up a couple of very small piles of sand a couple of days later. I guess that's the non-salt remainder of 99.7%.
• The wall unit only has a 6' cord. Make sure you position it close enough to the power for this to work. Not a big problem but if you have to route around a few other things 6' doesn't go too far.
• Don't forget to hook up the bonding wire, I did - had to get the bonding wire and lug connectors at HD.
• I powered mine in the Jandy iAqualink box to a spare relay powered from the pool pump power relay. This way I can make minor adjustments to the run time with my wifi remote. As the cell ages I'll need to adjust the % power at the wall unit but this should be very infrequent. Also it's easy to make sure the SWG is not running in SPA mode. It makes way to much chlorine for the spa.
• I started at 30% on power instead of 50% since the unit has 2x capacity using TFP recommendations. Bumped it up to 35% and it was adjusted to give me very constant FC in just a couple of days.

I think that's all I have. If you have any additional specific questions just let me know. I'm very happy with the choice so far!

Chris

 

[Grenademonkey543]

Greatly appreciate the response!

I guess I should've done some markups to make it easier



Unfortunately, the pump on the right hand side is for a water feature only - it is not tied into the filtration system

So look into a "horizontal loop" at the tee where the solar motorized valve is (top left of picture) ?