Thinking about going Salt - have a few questions

Jump to latest Follow Reply
B

bbillingsley1985

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2022
95
Little Rock, AR
Pool Size
22000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
So I'm hoping to get some opinions on what I should do. I have a 22,000 gallon in ground pool with all hayward equipment, a vsp pump, hayward heatpro electric heater and currently a Pentair 3" tablet chlorinator. Since I have a hayward omni with the full automation where I can control everything through the hayward app, should I consider the Hayward aquarite T-15 (most expensive at around $1800 on amazon). If not Hayward, it sure seems like a no brainer to me to go with CircuPool. I have it potentially narrowed down to these choices but open to more suggestions:

1. Hayward aquarite T-15 (if its worth being able to control it all through the app). If I chose this one, could I easily DIY or would it be harder?
2. Edge 40 - $1200
3. RJ45+ - $1500
4. RJ60+ - $1700

My understanding is the circupools are more designed for DIY and though I wouldn't get any automation through an app, I could still set it to a certain level and probably work out a timer to have it kick on. Would I be able to plug the salt generator into a standard outdoor wall plug? I have several of them right near my setup. I assume it also could maybe be wired into my existing omni stuff, but not sure how confusing that would get. Other than that, it appears I could just cut the plumbing out where my existing 3" tab chlorinator sits just passed the heater (probably have a 3 ft straight plumbing line or so through there) and set the salt generator up there? I'm pretty IT minded and decently handy at fixing stuff. Is this something I could do myself, or should I hire somebody?

As far as the rest of it, for the most part it sounds like all I'd have to do is hook up swg, figure up how much salt I need and dump it in the pool, get settings right, and for the most part thats about it? Anything I'm missing?

Would be open to any suggestions on what SWG to buy especially. Since my pool is 22k gallons, is the edge 40 enough? That seems like the best value. I already can monitor my temperature in real time through the omni app so not sure what else the RJ45 would bring to warrant $300 extra dollars. Also not sure if I should stay with hayward and get that but it seems like tech support would be really low with that.
 
That $900 one is a great price! Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but are you saying since I already have the omni system that I only need to buy the cell kit for $900 instead of the aquarite one thats $1789? Meaning the $900 one will come with no screen or anything and instead I will hook it up to my omni board and control everything through that?

Basically this one is $1789: Aqua Rite Chlorine Generator 40K Gal w/T-CELL-15

The one I think you are referring to is this one: Goldline Hayward T-CELL-15 Chlorinator Cell Kit 40K gal.

So for $900 + $160 out the door I could have everything I need to convert to salt?
 
My pool is only a little over a year old so it should be the newer stuff I'd assume. I'll check out that omnilogic and google around a little bit. I do still have warranties I assume so should I be concerned if I wire this up myself? I'm gonna guess the pool company will charge me $2000-$3000 at least to do it.
 
bbillingsley1985 said:
So for $900 + $160 out the door I could have everything I need to convert to salt?
Click to expand...

Your OmniLogic board already contains the guts of the Aquarite. All you need to add is the cell and the flow switch as described in the Installation Manual I linked to above.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
ajw22 said:
Your OmniLogic board already contains the guts of the Aquarite. All you need to add is the cell and the flow switch as described in the Installation Manual I linked to above.
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot ajw22. I'll check out the installation manual now. Should I be concerned about potentially needing a "daughter board". Quick googling was showing something about that. In other words.....just the $900 cell and the plumbing should be it?

To be more clear, I have the omnihub I guess officially. Here's a link to what I have: OmniHub Smart Pool and Spa Control | Hayward Residential and Commercial Pool Products
 
ajw22 said:
Ok, OmniHub is different.

Manual says you need AQR940/AQR925 Aqua Rite chlorine generator (requires HLAQRPCB

AquaRite® Daughter Board | Hayward Residential and Commercial Pool Products

Daughter board for existing AquaRite installations. OmniHub sold separately.
www.hayward-pool.com www.hayward-pool.com


Daughter board is about $100.
Click to expand...
Ok so are you saying I need to buy the AQR940 (the $1800 one complete with the Aqua Rite screen, etc.) as well as the $100ish daughter board? So the $900 T Cell Kit will not work.....needs to be the full $1800 one?
 
bbillingsley1985 said:
Ok so are you saying I need to buy the AQR940 (the $1800 one complete with the Aqua Rite screen, etc.) as well as the $100ish daughter board? So the $900 T Cell Kit will not work.....needs to be the full $1800 one?
Click to expand...

Yup, Unlike the OmniLogic which has the controller integrated for the OmniHub you need the Aquarite Controller.
 
Gotcha. That's what I was afraid of. So now I'd have to figure out how to power the Aquarite controller as well as be out around $2,000 which I guess just leads me to.....should I bite the bullet and do that, or go with something like that $1200 Edge40 and forget the automation.
 
If you are fine walking out to the pool pad and checking on the SWG panel then automation does not get you much.Once you get the SWG dialed in it needs adjustment maybe monthly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dblko and markayash
markayash said:
I have the same size pool in Georgia and run mine around 50% for 10 hours a day and keeps my FC around 6. Have plenty of room to go higher and longer but on my 3rd season and have been happy
Click to expand...
markayash,

From your signature it looks like you have the edge40. Did you install it yourself.....if so was it relatively easy? Did it come with the plumbing stuff needed and was it pretty easy to wire in? My question would be could I/should I convert it to a standard wall plug and use that or do I need to hard wire it in somewhere for power, such as my omni board. Does it have a timer in the settings that you can set or is it basically the on/off switch determines when it runs? If it's the latter, I could wall plug it, get a smart switch, sync it to google and be able to control the timings that way as well as manually say turn on / off through google.

I know you've alluded to liking it. How long have you had it and is it pretty easy to maintain, etc.? I know I can google some of this but I'm assuming I can take the cell out to clean it pretty easily and all of that? I guess I just like that the price is $1200.....and seemingly would come with everything I need. Replacement cell at the moment is $597 so that won't be too bad in the 3-7 years some odd years it lasts. Do you think vs a $1500 RJ45 its worth the $300 savings? I could fork up $1200 a lot easier than I would want to fork up $2k+ for the hayward one where I'd get no support from them if something went wrong. Heard even their warranty a few months out is a pain in the butt to get in contact with, etc.

Another question would be placement, I've attached 2 pictures of my setup. On my 2nd pic, I drew out red lines near where my current chlorinator is. Do you think its reasonable and the best area to put the swg right around where I marked it? Look like that's enough space and all?

Before I discovered this site, my pool company basically has told me a lot of opposite things that I've learned from this site. Last year I used a PoolRX algacider and only went through not even 1 40 lb container of 3" tablets. At the time (not now), it was $100 for the 40 lb container and $60 for the PoolRX. Other than baking soda, that was all I spent the entire summer. I have 1 more 40 pound container of 3" tabs that I will use this year if I decide not to do SWG. Now that I know what the tablets do, I'm just worried about increasing the CYA and all of that. I chose not to do poolRX this year because my daughter's hair ended up with a green tint (not sure if from the chlorine or from the copper in that) so I drained and refilled about half the water last year when I closed it and have switched to bioguard 60 and will try that this year for algaicde since it isn't copper based, hoping that the green hair for blonde streaks will not be an issue. I say all of that to say, I know if I went SWG, that would eliminate all of those issues. My only worry would be if the salt ends up corrdoing some of my equipment, window sills, things of that nature.....some of the horror stories you read about swg.
 

Attachments

  • 20220429_072933.jpg
    20220429_072933.jpg
    639.9 KB · Views: 26
  • 20220429_072940.jpg
    20220429_072940.jpg
    605.8 KB · Views: 24
bbillingsley1985 said:
My only worry would be if the salt ends up corrdoing some of my equipment, window sills, things of that nature.....some of the horror stories you read about swg.
Click to expand...
And all false. Low pH corrodes items, not the low level of salinity in a pool using a SWCG.
 
You might consider doing a vertical install and keeping the tab feeder installed. Some folks use tabs in combination with SWG for vacation, etc. It's also an easy way to add some CYA slowly. That's what I did with ours, and I like having the option to use the tab feeder even though it stays empty 99% of the time now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tstex

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
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