We want to switch from chlorine to salt

Are you SURE about your cost to run the pump 24/7? Even if your electricity cost is $0.10/kWh. a month is 24x30=720 Hours; Assume your pump is 1KW (Mine is over 3 KW) it uses at LEAST 720KW/month, that's $72/month if your pump is 100% efficient. HOW MUCH IS YOUR ELECTRICITY?
Let's say I average 120 watts per hour - 0.12kW per hour - 0.12kWh.
In 24 hours, I use 2,880 watts - 2.88kW per 24 hour period - 2.88 kWh..
2.88kWh times 30 days is 86.4 kWh
If my electric rate is $0.15 per kWh - $0.15 x 86.4=$4.50 per month


If you use 3000 watts per hour - 3kW per hour - 3kWh.
In 24 hours, you use 72,000 watts - 72kW per 24 hour period -72kWh.
72kWh times 30 days is 2,160 kWh
At $0.15 per kWh - $0.15 x 2,160=$324.00 per month

BIG difference!

Last I checked, my electric is $0.11 per kWh
 
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Calculate the electricity cost first before switching to SW. In California, the cost of running the pump for a long enough time to generate the chlorine level required (~8 hours) would cost me about $16/day so I am sticking to using about 1 gallon of liquid chlorine every 2 days for my >30,000 gallon pool. Liquid chlorine (10%) is currently costing $6/gallon or $3 per day in the Summer months. My cost of electricity in California is about $0.40/kWh.
You might consider a more efficient pump or run it at a lower speed. Lots of money to save that way.
 
I just looked at my electric bill. I pay .144 cents kWh. I took the kWh of my vsp (.26 kW) over 24 hours (6.24 kW) x 30 days = 187.2 Multiplied that value by .144 cents kWh. So, running my vsp 24/7 costs me $26.95 a month.

Now my question is: Is my math correct? If so, I'll pay that cost on my electric bill for a vsp and run it 24/7.
 
I just looked at my electric bill. I pay .144 cents kWh. I took the kWh of my vsp (.26 kW) over 24 hours (6.24 kW) x 30 days = 187.2 Multiplied that value by .144 cents kWh. So, running my vsp 24/7 costs me $26.95 a month.

Now my question is: Is my math correct? If so, I'll pay that cost on my electric bill for a vsp and run it 24/7.
The savings from a VSP are pretty wild, right? When I see people talk about the expense of running a pool, I tell them I run a VSP and SWCG and don't spend much more than $20-30 a month, total.
 
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Are you SURE about your cost to run the pump 24/7? Even if your electricity cost is $0.10/kWh. a month is 24x30=720 Hours; Assume your pump is 1KW (Mine is over 3 KW) it uses at LEAST 720KW/month, that's $72/month if your pump is 100% efficient. HOW MUCH IS YOUR ELECTRICITY?
Your pump is too large. Three hp, maybe? A VSP will not ever use 1kw per hour if set up correctly, that's the beauty of the beast.
 
The other point about just running a SWG with a variable speed pump 24/7 is that it makes life so much easier and drastically reduces your other chemical costs. When you run it 24/7 your never going to experience dips in the chlorine levels and that makes the pool so much more resistant to major rain events, higher bather load, organic debris blown in (leaves ect). In my case, because I don’t have any major water features and because I don’t let my returns stir up the surface of the water (my skimmer works poorly anyway and so I rely on a robot to skim the pool) I go though less then half a gallon of muriatic acid a season as well. I typically only add some CYA and salt though out the year just due to rain. The ease of pool maintenance running a salt cell and VSP alone is well worth the upfront cost if you can afford it. Personally I would want nothing to do with a pool that didn’t have a SWG and a VSP.
 
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