SWG Cell Sizing

Jump to latest Follow Reply
M

mjc123

Well-known member
Jul 20, 2018
106
Halifax, NS (Canada)
Hi all,

As some may recall from my last post, it looks as though I need to replace my SWG cell (Hayward T-Cell 9).

According to the pool company who built and maintained the pool for the last 4 years, it is 63,000l (16,600 gal), and according to the pool manufacturer (because I don't trust the pool company), it's 70,100l (18,500 gal) - so it's somewhere in that range.

My original plan was simply to replace the cell with an identical cell (rated to 25k gal). However, several people on this forum have strongly encouraged me to replace it with a T-Cell 15 (rated to 40k gal). Before I spend the extra $150 for the larger capacity cell, can someone explain why a cell rated 6.5k gal over my pool size is insufficient?

Thanks!
 
The cell is designed to create enough chlorine for its rated size pool when run 24 hours per day at 100% setting.

Most people like to save $$ on electricity and run their pumps less than that.

In your case, in a climate that is not nearly as UV intensive as say mine, you can get away with your smaller SWCG as long as you plan to run the pump and cell for at least 12 hours per day. You also have a very short season, so cost of pumping water, etc is not as great as say in my case were the pump is run year around and the SWCG is generating for at least 10 months of the year.

So up to you. If the previous size worked for you, great. Replace it with the same. If you would like to be able to run your pump less time each day, go to the next size up.
 
mjc,

The T-15 puts out the twice the amount of chlorine that the T-9 does in the same amount of time. In theory you can reduce your pump run time by about 50%..

Even if you run the pump the same amount of time you do now, you can reduce the output of the cell by 50% and in theory the cell will last twice as long.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
mknauss said:
The cell is designed to create enough chlorine for its rated size pool when run 24 hours per day at 100% setting.

Most people like to save $$ on electricity and run their pumps less than that.

In your case, in a climate that is not nearly as UV intensive as say mine, you can get away with your smaller SWCG as long as you plan to run the pump and cell for at least 12 hours per day. You also have a very short season, so cost of pumping water, etc is not as great as say in my case were the pump is run year around and the SWCG is generating for at least 10 months of the year.

So up to you. If the previous size worked for you, great. Replace it with the same. If you would like to be able to run your pump less time each day, go to the next size up.
Click to expand...

Both the pool company and the previous owner told me to run the pump 24/7 "because of the size of the pool" - so I have never done otherwise so far. In fact, there's no timer or even switch to control the pump; I literally have to use the breaker panel to start or stop it. The SWG has been set around 60% and until it died, seemed to maintain the FC. In terms of running the pump 24/7, I don't know if that advice was wrong, but since I know little about pools at this point I have no way to know either way so I went with it. However, as I'm terrified to see my next power bill, I'm certainly interested to hear others' thoughts on that. I don't know if it's because of sheer dumb luck, or running the pump constantly, but once the pool was opened I have had no water quality issues at all, despite minimal upkeep on my part (still trying to source an accurate test kit here in Canada).

It sounds however that there isn't any real downside to having a larger SWG cell - even if I continue to run the pump 24/7, presumably I can just dial the percentage back to whatever is required to maintain the proper FC? In theory, in that case, shouldn't the cell last longer? (EDIT: I see Jim addressed this while I was typing) You're right though that the season is short here (Late May / early June to late October at the latest) and the pool is shaded for the early morning and late afternoon, notwithstanding the lower UV intensity here.
 
Last edited:
mjc,

The next time you get some free cash, you should look into investing in a VS pump... I run my 3 HP IntelliFlo 24/7 (to constantly generate chlorine from my SWCG) for less than $20 US dollars a month.

I know my electrical costs are probably less than yours, but a VS pump can cut your power costs by 80 or 90%..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
The output of the cells is not consistent from various sources. I think that the following is accurate.

T3 0.56lbs/24 hrs
t5 - 0.74/24 hrs
t9 - 0.98/24 hrs
t15 - 1.45/24hrs

The rated lifetime output is:

T-3..........210 lbs
T-9..........385 lbs
T-9LL......480 LBS (TCELL925)
T-15........580 lbs
T-15-LL...710 lbs (T-15 "long life" TCELL940).

In any case, the T-15 is usually the best choice. The output imputes a value of about 1.5x for the T-15 over the T-9.

Note: The daily output ratio of the T-15/T-9 should be about the same as the rated lifetime output ratio because they both depend on the plate surface area assuming that the coating is the same. The T-9 and T-15 both come in a "Long Life " version with extra ruthenium oxide coating and a 4 year warranty vs a 3 year warranty.

i emailed Heyward about swg outputs and they sent me this;
T3 puts out .56lbs/24 hrs
t5 - .74/24 hrs
t9 - .98/24 hrs
t15 - 1.45/24hrs

T-15 Cell for 30K Pool - is it enough?
Click to expand...
 
Philo said:
50 KwH/day x 30 days x $0.40 KwH (in San Diego) = $600/ month. You could save enough to pay off a VS pump in a few months.

P.S. Bigger is Better!
Click to expand...

We average about $0.18/kWh here (and complain about power rates) but even still, that's nothing to laugh at. I'll have to look into VS pumps, try to figure out what I would need and price them out. I do know that pumps (like almost everything else) cost way more here than in the US. But could still make sense
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Philo said:
In my neighborhood, there are several of these: Amazon.com : Variable Speed Energy Star Certified Splash Pumps Brand In Ground Pool Pump 1.5hp Vs 220v : Garden Outdoor and all are working as they should.
Click to expand...

Good deal for a VS. You can add 4-year warranty for another $26...


  • Covers mechanical and electrical breakdowns.
  • No deductibles or hidden fees. Shipping included on all repairs. Fully transferable.
  • Easy claims process online 24/7. If we can't fix it, we will send you an Amazon e-Card reimbursement for your product purchase price.
  • Plan term and coverage begins at the end of the manufacturer's labor warranty. Plan is fully refunded if canceled within 30 days.
  • Plan contract will be emailed from Asurion within 24 hours of purchase. This will not ship with your product.
 
JamesW said:
The output of the cells is not consistent from various sources. I think that the following is accurate.

T3 0.56lbs/24 hrs
t5 - 0.74/24 hrs
t9 - 0.98/24 hrs
t15 - 1.45/24hrs

The rated lifetime output is:

T-3..........210 lbs
T-9..........385 lbs
T-9LL......480 LBS (TCELL925)
T-15........580 lbs
T-15-LL...710 lbs (T-15 "long life" TCELL940).

In any case, the T-15 is usually the best choice. The output imputes a value of about 1.5x for the T-15 over the T-9.

Note: The daily output ratio of the T-15/T-9 should be about the same as the rated lifetime output ratio because they both depend on the plate surface area assuming that the coating is the same. The T-9 and T-15 both come in a "Long Life " version with extra ruthenium oxide coating and a 4 year warranty vs a 3 year warranty.
Click to expand...

:goodpost: Thank you @JamesW for compiling this info!

Regards,
E
 
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