Who’s Familiar with Hayward Equipment?

[Reed Kadavy]

I’m getting bids on construction of a 10,000 gal pebble tech salt water pool in Arizona. I have been requesting Pentair equipment, but one company uses Hayward which I’m really not familiar with. As a general rule how does Hayward stack up against Pentair. On my previous pool I had a Intelliflo VS pump which I really liked. I didn’t have a salt pool before, but I’ve heard the Pentair salt system was good. How is the Hayward system? Besides the SWG I also inquired about an acid dosage system. Has anyone had experience with the Sense and Dispense Technology by Hayward?

 

[Uncle Salty]

I’m getting bids on construction of a 10,000 gal pebble tech salt water pool in Arizona. I have been requesting Pentair equipment, but one company uses Hayward which I’m really not familiar with. As a general rule how does Hayward stack up against Pentair. On my previous pool I had a Intelliflo VS pump which I really liked. I didn’t have a salt pool before, but I’ve heard the Pentair salt system was good. How is the Hayward system? Besides the SWG I also inquired about an acid dosage system. Has anyone had experience with the Sense and Dispense Technology by Hayward?

I have all Hayward equipment as you can see in my signature and am very happy so far with it. You will get various opinions on manufacturers just like anything these days, people love GM but hate Ford for whatever reason and vice versa. I will say don’t waste your money on the Sense & Dispense like I did as it’s very unreliable and not worth the hassle. Hayward, Pentair and Jandy all make good equipment it really comes down to personal choice.

 

[ebow]

I'm pleased with the functionality of my Hayward equipment, but the support from them has a lot to be desired. My electrician had trouble getting through to them via telephone when he had a technical question, and I purchased my automation system for a DIY install, which had a warranty issue (the board burned up) and they wouldn't even talk to me; I had to beg and plead a local Hayward Authorized Service Dealer to get my system fixed. When the day comes to replace my equipment, I'll probably look at other manufactures before I go with Hayward again.

 

[Arizonarob]

Hi Reed, sounds like you’re building a pool pretty much like mine. I have all Hayward Equipment, and have no complaints about any of it.
Since your PB will be installing the equipment, you can avoid any warranty issues that arise when someone installs the equipment themselves.

 

[bmoreswim]

This is more hearsay than opinion...but it will get/keep the conversation rolling.

*****I've read from others more knowledgeable on the subject than me here that the newest Pentair automation is easier/better/funner than Hayward's. Not personal experience though and it could be off base. I also hear that the Pentair Intelliflo VS pumps are the gold standard. Hayward had an issue with their topline VS pump for a while, which I believe has been fixed. It had a weak component.*****

Agree on the auto dosing. Skip it and get to know your pool. It goes out of calibration easily and often.

 

[NorCalX]

I will be in the Hayward group when my pool is done.

My PB used to be a pentair guy but switched 1 or 2 years ago.

I asked him why during our interview process because his old work and pictures you see pentair all over the place.

He said in his opinion Hayward is pulling ahead with the automation and he thinks will be the leader soon. He said the expansion and modular approach is easy and well planned out and he prefers working with it now. As a bonus he said the support he gets from the local hayward rep in our area is excellent.

I have no idea if that is all BS or accurate but I wrote it down in my notes.

Either way I will be in the same boat if anything crops up down the road

 

[jimmythegreek]

I have all Hayward as that was the best deal from my supplyhouse and have no issues. The automation is easy and straightforward my equip works great

 

[Pool_Medic]

My personal belief is Hayward has pulled ahead in terms of quality and automation. Their new VS Omni is a very easy set up.

 

[bmoreswim]

@Jimrahbe I know you are a big fan of Pentair. Do you have any thoughts for Reed? Maybe the Hayward title scared you away!!

 

[Jimrahbe]

Reed,

I stayed out of this post as I am not a real fan of Hayward products... I originally had two single speed Hayward Super pumps.. replaced one motor at one house and replaced the entire pump at another house.. Both pumps failed within a year.. I replaced them with IntelliFlo pumps which have been running 24/7 for 6 or 7 years with no issues at all.

I understand these are different levels of products and you can't really compare them. But just like cars.. When I was younger I tried several.. Once I found a brand that would not fall apart within a couple of years, that is the one that I have stuck with for the past 25 years or so.. That does not make it the best choice for everyone, just me.

In theory, Pentair, Hayward, and Jandy all have about the same features and quality.. I personally like Pentair...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[chiefwej]

My pool was built 15 years ago with all Hayward. For me it’s been kind of a mixed bag.
I don’t have and don’t want any automation system. I feel they are all overpriced antiquated technology. So I can’t give an opinion there, and that seems to be the driving force for many when picking a brand.

My Hayward SWG has been great. Two replacement cells, one 15 minute $2.50 repair, in 15 years. Filter and heater: there seems to be little difference in performance regardless of brand. Pumps were both Hayward Super Pump single speed. One has been replaced with a Pentair Intelliflo VS, which I love. If it died today, I would buy a new one tomorrow. I also added a Pentair SolarTouch control system which has been great. Also a bargain at $250 for controller, solar valve, valve actuator, both water and panel temperature sensors.

Both make good equipment. If I were building new and had the choice, I might lean slightly toward Pentair, because of their pumps track record, but it’s close. Again, this is discounting any consideration of automation.

 

[Reed Kadavy]

I appreciate all of the responses on pool equipment. At least the equipment brand shouldn’t appear to be a deal breaker. Now one more question as they just keep popping up. What pool deck material do you salt water users have and are you happy with it? It seems like travertine may not be the best choice from what I hear or is it doable if you are like me, no young kids, no splashing around, etc. I lived with cool deck with the last pool, but wasn’t too crazy about it.

 

[chiefwej]

Salt damage to pool decking is generally not much of a problem. The majority of the complaints originate in Texas. Texas has an abundance of beautiful soft Texas Limestone. It’s a relatively soft stone, cheap and easy to work with. Pool builders love it and use it extensively. It is porous and easily damaged by salt water repeatedly penetrating it and drying. The combination of soft porous stone and dry climate is what causes most salt damage complaints. You can recreate the problem here in AZ by using flagstone, so avoid that.

Kool Deck is a Mortex trade name for a product and process. It does make for a cooler surface but at a cost. Acrylic coated concrete looks very similar to Kool Deck, but is much less porous and more durable. If an installer is skilled it can be stamped and made to look like most any surface you choose. It must be properly touched up of and chips or cracks to maintain an impervious surface. After several years use you can roll a fresh color top coat and it will look just like new again. Maintenance issues aside, it is probably the deck surface most resistant to any salt damage.

Many other deck surface materials can also serve well. Harder stones, stamped, stained or textured concrete all work well.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Reed,

I have three saltwater pools in Texas and have seen zero problems. One pool has stamped concrete, one has exposed aggregate and the other has Flagstone coping.. I have also never seen any evidence of saltwater causing any problems, anywhere... There is always the "My friend had a friend who had a pool that was eaten up by the saltwater" Ok, how about a photo.. nope not a single pic, even though we have repeatedly asked..

The one pool with Flagstone coping looks today like it did 6 or 7 years ago when we switched to saltwater.. Before we switched you could see the "bad" stones and the "good" stones often right next to each other. Today the bad stones are not any worse than they were when we switched to saltwater and the good stones are still just as good.

It is simple not the saltwater. There is just not enough salt in the water to do anything..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[guinness]

My PB used to be a pentair guy but switched 1 or 2 years ago.

I asked him why during our interview process because his old work and pictures you see pentair all over the place.

He said in his opinion Hayward is pulling ahead with the automation and he thinks will be the leader soon. He said the expansion and modular approach is easy and well planned out and he prefers working with it now.

While it's true that both the EasyTouch & IntelliTouch are quite dated technology wise, there is a new game in town being the Pentair IntelliCenter. Depending on your needs it might be worth investigating as it has both Ethernet and Wifi to provide Web/Smartphone/Alexa integration.

 

[MyAZPool]

He said in his opinion Hayward is pulling ahead with the automation and he thinks will be the leader soon. He said the expansion and modular approach is easy and well planned out and he prefers working with it now. As a bonus he said the support he gets from the local hayward rep in our area is excellent.
I have no idea if that is all BS or accurate but I wrote it down in my notes.

NorCalX
The Pentair IntelliCenter also uses what the PB refers to as an "expansion and modular approach". As a user decides to expand equipment and accessories, pool/spa configuration, etc, the IntelliCenter configuration can be adapted for such expansion without having to replace the Load Center or mother card. In addition, the new IntelliCenter boasts "over-the-air (OTA)" update pushes to accommodate equipment and accessory changes and additions and improvements to software and firmware (fixes).
r.

 

[Reed Kadavy]

Does it make sense to look at the Intellicenter even for a new smaller saltwater pool with no spa or might it be overkill? I’m coming from a pool with ScreenLogic which worked great. The pool builder I’ve picked doesn’t seem to know much about Intellicenter although I believe they are quickly checking with their Pentair rep to keep me happy.

 

[guinness]

Does it make sense to look at the Intellicenter even for a new smaller saltwater pool with no spa or might it be overkill?

From the Pentair documentation, the base i5P panel has the following capabilities:

Single body of water (Pool or Spa)
Filter pump relay + 4 AUX relays
Valve A & B
Heater control (Gas & Electric)
Solar relay output
2-speed relay output
Water, Air, Solar Sensor
Two COM ports
Ethernet port
iS4 port

ScreenLogic capabilities are already included, see IntelliCenter for a demo.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Does it make sense to look at the Intellicenter even for a new smaller saltwater pool with no spa or might it be overkill?

I have a simple pool with an EasyTouch and can't think of a single reason that I would upgrade to the IntelliCenter...

That said, if I were to be building a new pool, it would make the most sense to get the IntelliCenter.. The main two reasons would be that the EasyTouch can only have 12 schedule or programs.. the IC has 100.. The EasyTouch requires the add on of ScreenLogic.. The IC comes with a built-in similar system..

I would compare costs.. If they were within $500 bucks then I would go with the new IntellCenter... If not, the EasyTouch or IntelliTouch will do everything that a "normal" pool owner wants to do..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jgarden]

I can't say any other product is better than Hayward, as I haven't the experience, but I would not use Hayward if I were building another pool.

I built a pool with all Hayward Equipment about 5 yrs ago. The Omnilogic was fairly new to the market at the time. Every item I used was their top of the line.

Variable Speed Pumps - Both VS pumps were replaced under warranty (nice that they were replaced under warranty, but its hard to comprehend that a 1k+ pool motor didn't last more than 3 yrs). Hayward came out to inspect the pumps and found them faulty. The service tech was NOT surprised that both were bad within 3 yrs. I will not be happy if I need to put out 2k for new motors in a year from now.

OmniLogic - The touch screen on the Omnilogic has crapped out multiple times, I have a replacement that I recently purchased for $100 that I need to install in it (only recently did they make the screen available, previously you had to buy a $450 part to replace the screen).

Aquavac 500 - I also purchased an Aquavac 500 robot. One was replaced under warranty after 4 attempts to repair it, now the replacement one has stopped working a year later - out of warranty.

Colorlogic LED Lights - Pool was built using the Hayward LED lights. One light is now dim and out of sync. I have tried multiple times to resync per their instructions, with no success. Based on my research and customer service, it seems I have to replace the bad light. Also, the programming and changing of colors of the LED is ridiculous. it has to cycle through each light color to get to the chosen color. I could understand that if I didnt have the Omnilogic, but you would think that is one of the purposes of the computer controlling everything.

I feel the Omnilogic programming is complicated and I consider myself fairly computer literate. The app and GUI are not very user friendly, though it has improved greatly from 5 yrs ago.

Customer service is marginal at best. Their literature is also marginal.