I cannot believe how high the cost of Hayward T-cell replacements are. When I bought the Aquatrol back in 2016 , the whole system with control box and T-cell was $455 from Amazon. Now just the replacement T-cells are over $500 ! Why the dramatic price increase in just 6 years !!
Why such a high price for Hayward replacement T-cells?
- Thread starter johnnydot
- Start date
- May 3, 2007
- 16,886
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,479
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The Aquatrol takes a T-5 cell unless you did the jumper hack for a T-15 cell.
T-5 cells seems to be $500 - $600 now,
The coverage of the titanium plates is about 80/20 ruthenium/iridium oxide. When the price of the ruthenium part increases 400% it's obvious that prices for the entire cell has to increase. The plates alone for a T-15 cell cost $200 in 2018 where as in 2017 they were only about $50-60. Then there is the housing, electronics, cord and all the other fixed expenses before companies even get to their marketing expenses and overhead.
Since there are only a couple of suppliers for coating plates there is no room for price negotiations. Suppliers of the cells will simply pass the costs on to customers.
As of February 1, 2021, the price of Ruthenium has gone up 20% in the past 15 days and the price of Iridium has gone up 200% in the past 60 days. You have to remember the price of Ru increased 200% in 2019-2020. Since the coating on salt cell plates is about 6:1 Ruthenium/Iridium this translates into MUCH higher prices for a salt cell in 2021.
Reason given for recent Ir price increase is supplies from mines in South Africa has essentially been shut off due to variant Covid strain originating there.
T-5 cells seems to be $500 - $600 now,
The coverage of the titanium plates is about 80/20 ruthenium/iridium oxide. When the price of the ruthenium part increases 400% it's obvious that prices for the entire cell has to increase. The plates alone for a T-15 cell cost $200 in 2018 where as in 2017 they were only about $50-60. Then there is the housing, electronics, cord and all the other fixed expenses before companies even get to their marketing expenses and overhead.
Since there are only a couple of suppliers for coating plates there is no room for price negotiations. Suppliers of the cells will simply pass the costs on to customers.
As of February 1, 2021, the price of Ruthenium has gone up 20% in the past 15 days and the price of Iridium has gone up 200% in the past 60 days. You have to remember the price of Ru increased 200% in 2019-2020. Since the coating on salt cell plates is about 6:1 Ruthenium/Iridium this translates into MUCH higher prices for a salt cell in 2021.
Reason given for recent Ir price increase is supplies from mines in South Africa has essentially been shut off due to variant Covid strain originating there.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,479
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Hayward AquaTrol SWG - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
The Aquatrol uses a T-5 cell but you can use the larger T-15 cell by placing a jumper at J4 on the pcb.
djdonte
Well-known member
- Mar 25, 2019
- 537
- Pool Size
- 11300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-30 Plus
Its the raw materials in the cell. I just looked for my SWG receipt for warranty purposes. I paid less than 1000 shipped 2.5 years ago and now the same system is a little over 1500 before taxes and shipping.
You wouldn't by chance have a picture?Hayward AquaTrol SWG - Further Reading
The Aquatrol uses a T-5 cell but you can use the larger T-15 cell by placing a jumper at J4 on the pcb.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,479
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Thanks, I have a platinum edition T-5 cell that I bought from "Salt Pool Store " a few years ago and it keeps reporting wrong high salt levels and shutting down with the high salt light. Maybe by using the J4 jumper I can fool the Aquatrol.J4 is below the lower left corner of the yellow connector at the top middle.
