Would a SWG be right for me?

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L

lilredhen

Active member
Jul 29, 2009
38
Northern California
Hi all,

Wanted to check in with the pros before I pull the trigger. I’m replacing my old single speed pump with a VS, so now a swg might actually be feasible.

My pool is small, 12,000 gal, and I have an auto cover that’s closed whenever we’re not swimming. So I don’t go through a huge amount of chlorine, maybe 1-2 qt every other day in summer. So I might not save a ton of money on chlorine, but it would sure be nice to not have to watch my FC so closely. Plus I’m so tired of lugging jugs. I do all the pool care myself but have finally (after 8 yrs) convinced hubby that we can buy a device that does some of the work and might even save money.

I’ve been reading about SWGs here a long time and it sounds tempting, but is it worth the cost in my case? What say the experts?
 
Mike,

A SWCG is right for everyone... :mrgreen:

The main reason to have a SWCG is not to save money, but to make it simpler to do pool maintenance. You just let the cell add the chlorine, and except in the winter, you don't have to remember to add chlorine every day.

Your signature says your pool is 20K, your post says 12K, which is it?

With an auto-cover, it would be handy to be able to control the SWCG from your old pump timer. This would allow you to fine tune the amount of chlorine the cell makes even if you want the pump to run longer.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Hey redhen !!!

So let's take an IC40 for you. It will produce 5833 lifetime FC in 12k gallons.

A jug of 10% is good for 8.3 FC for you, so the IC40 is 702.8 jugs that won't need lugging.

With an autocover and low daily loss, you could easily get away with an IC20 in NC, but doubling the size (lifespan) to the IC40 costs 13% more today. It's literally buying your 2nd IC20 at 87% off. It's a no brainer on every level to upgrade if you choose to go SWG.
 
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Newdude,

Thanks for the math help, the numbers are persuasive! Can I ask why you recommend the IC40? The only pool guy we found who will come out here also recommended the IC40. I had the RJ30 in mind but not sure the differences between the two. Does one have a better warranty?
 
I've had a pool for five years. Two years ago it looked like chlorine might become in short supply as well as more expensive, so I had a Pentair IC40 installed. A few months ago, the cell failed, and it was replaced under warranty. I point that out, because Pentair's warranty is significantly affected by who installs the equipment. Do it yourself or using a non-Pentair authorized installer, and the warranty is really short--like 90 days or something. So get a Pentair dealer to install it! FWIW, I do keep a gallon of liquid chlorine on hand in case of big rainstorms diluting both the salt level and chlorine level in the pool, as I am hyper sensitive to fear of algae and don't want to wait for my salt addition and dialed up setting on the IC40 to get chlorine back to spec. I generally shoot for the upper end of the suggested range for a SWCG pool (4-6ppm).

Noting the above, a SWCG is not without maintenance. You must periodically (Pentair says 3 months) inspect and possibly clean the salt cell. You should test salt level along with other tests and be prepared to add salt to the pool. I have found the need to add salt to be more frequent than I might have guessed, although pool salt is pretty cheap. Also, CSI for a plaster pool is generally suggested to be maintained between -0.6 to +0.6, but many suggest that -0.6-0.0 is best for SWCG to minimize calcium deposits on the cell. You still need to check and maintain CYA, but higher with a SWCG than with liquid chlorine. And yes, I am still glad I switched to SWCG.
 
lilredhen said:
Can I ask why you recommend the IC40?
Click to expand...
I was given Pentair equipment on my first build, and as it usually goes with such, am now a lifer. I could have just have easily been a Hayward (etc) guy. :ROFLMAO:

The Circupool units are great, with the best warranty. You can compare all the outputs right in PoolMath by selecting 'effects of adding' in the upper left menu, scrolling to add 'SWG' and then clicking the magnifying glass icon by production. The list came from Circupool tho, so take their production numbers with a grain of salt.

The costs fluctuate a good deal still and today's best buy might not be tomorrow's. The upgrade math holds true across brands, it just might be 20% more for 100% more life (etc).
 

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It’s not just chlorine lugging that you save…. You get a lot more flexibility to go away from the pool For a few days (or longer) as well as to “maintain” the FC at the level that you want, (and most run at a higher CYA level)

Paired with a VS pump is a continuous chlorine generation trickle in your pool….

I run mine 24/7 at low rpm now and it’s something like $14 a month in electric costs
 
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I also have an autocover and Salt System. Would hate to ever be without it! We routinely go away for a couple of weeks (17 days is longest) and come home to the same sparkling water we left. On top of all that, the salt in the water makes the water feel so silky.

Maddie :flower:
 
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I won’t want to run it 24/7 with our expensive electricity here in CA. I’m willing to run it up to 18 hrs per day during the cheaper rates. Should that be long enough to keep the FC steady? I can always add chlorine after a heavy use.

Bowser, thanks for the info. Can you tell me why you keep a higher CYA level with a SWG?
 
Red,

There is no requirement to run 24/7, it just works better for some of us without time of use electrical rates.

Just run the pump however long you wish, and then adjust the cell's output so that it makes the amount of chlorine your pool needs during the time the pump is scheduled to run.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
I’m leaning toward the RJ30 for the longer warranty. If I may ask a question about my pump… it’s a 1.5HP Jandy Stealth (ironic name; it’s as loud as a freight train) single speed. Does that seem oversized for my 12K gal pool? The installer we found recommended the Hayward Tristar VS900; would that seem appropriate for my setup?
 
I can’t answer those specific models but….

A larger pump will be more efficient moving water at lower rpm. Lower rpm = less watts = less electricity and less noise.

My 3 HP pump moves 22 GPm at 1000 rpm while using 70W, as an example. If i kick it up to 2700 rpm it flows 64 GPm while using 1200W.

So i mostly run it low speed constantly
 
Yeah as @BDY said, you are in a whole new power bracket with VSP. At 1200 rpm mine draws 118 watts and moves 40 gpm, which keeps the AquaPure flow sensor very happy. I could probably tweak that down farther, but why?

My old 1.5 hp single speed WhisperFlo was a great pump, but it pulled 9 amps at 240vac for 108 gpm. That's 2,160 watts (ignoring power factor, which effectively makes consumption even higher) and way more volume than needed. Yikes.
 
You may want to get the RJ45+ instead of the RJ30+
This weeks "special is $10 to upgrade to the next larger size.

So for about $110 (RJ30+ is $100 more than the RJ20+ - plus $10 for the upgrade from RJ30+ to RJ45+) you get a 33% increase in total chlorine output. Additionally, you can run the pump for a shorter time to produce the same amount of chlorine for your pool on a daily basis.
 
BDY said:
My 3 HP pump moves 22 GPm at 1000 rpm while using 70W, as an example. If i kick it up to 2700 rpm it flows 64 GPm while using 1200W.
Click to expand...
I know its true but it doesn't even make sense.
My 1/2 horse motor uses 420W and i bet it doesn't move 22 gpm

Makes my brain wonder what a 30 hp motor turning 100 rpm uses.
 

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