Thinking of getting salt water generator

[bkrepfle]

So, this is my second season with agp, intex 7k gallon. I started off with this pool using 1" chlorine tablets and quickly learned that eventually hot chlorine lock because those tabs just keep adding CYA and only way to effectively get rid of that seems to be drain/refill.

This year Im rocking only liquid chlorine and having a much better time with managing CYA and FC. The problem is this pool is sucking up chlorine. I have probably 2 - 4 ppm drop every day. I'd say I'm going through 121 oz bottle in about a week. This is what has me interested in a salt generator.

What i am concerned about is chemistry with salt generator. How difficult is it to convert, what is the deal with CYA and salt generator, how to slam when converted to salt, etc. I would love to save money on not having to buy chlorine all the time, but on the other hand, i dont want to have downtime or screw something up. My apologies if theres a page in pool school that covers this, if so appreciate if someone could direct me to that page.

 

[wcharon]

Interested as well.

 

[Texas Splash]

Remember that whether you add chlorine manually or purchase a SWG, you're going to pay. You either pay a hefty one-time fee, or pay per gallon. When I added manually, my pool required 1/2 gallon per day because a 2-4 ppm drop in FC is normal. That's just how it is. So when I converted to salt, I knew I was making an investment for the convenience of not having to mess with jugs. The CYA needs to be higher because a salt cell produces chlorine gas at specific intervals (off & on) throughout a 24 hr period as long as the pump is running, so it demands that additional protection. So with a CYA of 70-80, if there ever was a need to SLAM, the FC level would naturally need to be higher. Converting depends on which cell you purchase, your plumbing, and electrical demands. Many treat it as a DIY project, but you do need to do some research first. Visit Discount salt Pools for a large section f models you can compare online.

 

[cj133]

Remember that whether you add chlorine manually or purchase a SWG, you're going to pay. You either pay a hefty one-time fee, or pay per gallon. When I added manually, my pool required 1/2 gallon per day because a 2-4 ppm drop in FC is normal. That's just how it is. So when I converted to salt, I knew I was making an investment for the convenience of not having to mess with jugs. The CYA needs to be higher because a salt cell produces chlorine gas at specific intervals (off & on) throughout a 24 hr period as long as the pump is running, so it demands that additional protection. So with a CYA of 70-80, if there ever was a need to SLAM, the FC level would naturally need to be higher. Converting depends on which cell you purchase, your plumbing, and electrical demands. Many treat it as a DIY project, but you do need to do some research first. Visit Discount salt Pools for a large section f models you can compare online.

1/2 gallon per day. ouch.
That Texas heat and 17,888 gallons come at a cost I suppose.

My 8500 gallon pool typically uses 16 to 32 oz per day of 10% depending on how hot it is and how much it gets used.

 

[wireform]

7k pool capacity with 10% will yield 4.5 ppm rise @40 oz.

 

[Major_in_MS]

Pump runtime without a SWCG is based solely on filtration needs, with a SWCG your pump must be running at the required speed for chlorine generation. If you get a SWCG that is for a pool 3 times your pool volume, then you can get away with only running your SWCG cell for 8 hours per day at 100% to meet your chlorine needs.

If you decide to go this route.

1. Buy and install the SWCG.
2. Bring CYA level up to 70.
3. Add salt to meet the requirements of your cell.
4. Turn on your cell and watch FC levels daily for a while to adjust runtime and percent output.
5. Enjoy not having to add jugs of chlorine.

If you ever need to SLAM, just turn off the SWCG and SLAM away. You will use more liquid chlorine during your SLAM because of the higher CYA level.

 

[kellyfair]

The real benefit to SWCG isn’t cost. It’s not having to lug chlorine around, and most importantly, not having to have someone babysit if you are going to be out of town. A few years ago I went to Alaska for 2.5 weeks and came home to a perfect pool!

 

[cj133]

The real benefit to SWCG isn’t cost. It’s not having to lug chlorine around, and most importantly, not having to have someone babysit if you are going to be out of town. A few years ago I went to Alaska for 2.5 weeks and came home to a perfect pool!

I'm sorry if this is a silly question but, how does a SWCG cope with changes in usage?
My pool uses a lot more chlorine on hot days when people are in it vs chilly days when no one is going in it.

 

[superuser]

It doesn't cope, you do. It will make (roughly) the same amount of chlorine per hour so you continue to test and adjust runtime / output accordingly. It's merely a different method of chlorination, not a replacement.

 

[wireform]

I'm sorry if this is a silly question but, how does a SWCG cope with changes in usage?
My pool uses a lot more chlorine on hot days when people are in it vs chilly days when no one is going in it.

One method is never to ride the fence named "minimum FC". I like to always stay on the high end of target + so the likely is rather unlikely. And yes if you're expecting a pool party with heavy bather load then a half a jug before the party and the other half afterwards should do it. SWCG are designed to give back the usual daily loss but it can't spike the FC for high demand.

 

[cj133]

One method is never to ride the fence named "minimum FC". I like to always stay on the high end of target + so the likely is rather unlikely. And yes if you're expecting a pool party with heavy bather load then a half a jug before the party and the other half afterwards should do it. SWCG are designed to give back the usual daily loss but it can't spike the FC for high demand.

I recall someone mentioning about the level of FC in the cell being very high so it not being necessary to have it as high in the pool it self. And this being the reason salt pools can have much lower FC for their CYA levels.

Thoughts?

 

[Major_in_MS]

I'm sorry if this is a silly question but, how does a SWCG cope with changes in usage?
My pool uses a lot more chlorine on hot days when people are in it vs chilly days when no one is going in it.

Mine has a super chlorinate switch that puts it in 100% mode for 24 hours, then reverts back to program. If I have a day with heavy swimmer usage, I switch it to super chlorinate to ramp up the production for a bit without having to change my runtime or regular percentage settings.

 

[wireform]

Mine has a super chlorinate switch that puts it in 100% mode for 24 hours, then reverts back to program. If I have a day with heavy swimmer usage, I switch it to super chlorinate to ramp up the production for a bit without having to change my runtime or regular percentage settings.

That in my opinion is putting a whole lot of abuse to the cell for a bit of liquid chlorine that can and will keep the water in-check in 3 minutes flat.

 

[Major_in_MS]

That in my opinion is putting a whole lot of abuse to the cell for a bit of liquid chlorine that can and will keep the water in-check in 3 minutes flat.

All About Salt Chlorination - Hayward POOLSIDE Blog said:

"If there have been a large number of swimmers in the pool, if you have had heavy rain or if the pool water is cloudy, you can put the chlorinator into “Super Chlorinate” mode where it will automatically generate the maximum amount of chlorine for the next 24 hour period. "

That is actually exactly what "super chlorinate" is used for. It does not abuse the cell

When the cell is on, it is always running at 100%. Your percent setting just switches the cell on and off to meet your chlorine needs. Example, set at 50% over 24 hours, your cell is running at 100% for 12 hours and it is off for 12 hours.

 

[bkrepfle]

Thanks everyone for the replies, this is great stuff!

Since I have an Intex AGP and they have proprietary hook ups for plumbing, I would like to stick with an intext salt generator, and I've sized it perfectly. Problem is, they're like nowhere to be found, and wherever I can find them, they are double the price advertised on Intex website. So, I guess I'm sticking with Chlorine at least for this season. Maybe I'll get lucky on the next off-season.