SWCG on older large cement pool or stick with pucks

[dman2112]

Hi all

I am in Nj and have a 45K gal concrete pool. I have good clear water with the pool now and my current equipment is a VSP and Jandy Aqualink system with current firmware. Everyone keeps telling me to go SWCG but I hear that it's more corrosive on older pools and the heater. Also, due to the size of the pool it may be tough to get a unit that is rated higher than 45k gallons that isn't astronomical in cost. Then there is the constant adding of acid to lower the pH for a 45k pool.

Any thoughts or opinions would be much appreciated.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hey there Dman

A SWG is a great device for many folks. You can easily go on vacation and leave "it" in charge and know your FC will be ok. You don't have to lug home tubs of pucks or gallons of bleach.

One huge downside in the use of pucks is how they take your CYA or Calcium level up way too high. CYA builds up so much that you have to drain the pool down to get rid of it, or algae will develop because of the need for higher FC to compensate for the higher CYA. Have you had those problems?

SWG can be put on just about any pool. Your pool already has some salt in it as *every* type of chlorine leaves behind a small bit of residual salt. You just never tested for it I bet.

True that a big pool like yours requires a big SWG cell... they exist but are harder to find. Some huge pools actually use two at the same time I heard.

My pool rarely needs acid.. others more often. Every pool has its own chemistry personality so its not a hard fast rule that you'll be dosing all the time.

The thing most damaging to heaters is badly monitored pH. Low pH is really rough on heaters.

My two cents. And I'd love to see a picture of this monster of a pool. I love those classic older pools!!

Maddie

 

[dman2112]

Thanks Maddie for the info. I haven't had issues with CYA as in NJ we get a thunderstorm every other day and my pool had automatic filler from a well. I usually add stabilizer at the beginning of the season and it is pretty stable. Even if my pucks are raising it slightly our crappy weather compensates.... I really don't have an issue with picks as a get a 50lb tub every other season. I go through about 6 3" tabs a week. Other than that once I get the pool calcium correct and CYA correct I'm usually good for the season. With 45k gallons thins happen slowly. I ever have to lower anything. I guess I'm concerned about making my current relatively low maintenance pool more complicated and maintaining unfriendly with an SWC. It seems all the threads I read and people I know locally have problems with them. I may look into a commercial sized one as the Jandy stuff maxes out at 40,000 gallons

 

[dman2112]

Oh and I keep my FC at 2-3 ppm

 

[LFrankow]

If it ain't broke don't fix it

From an SWG fan