Quote:
Originally Posted by greglepore
I have salt system and love it. Costs out probably around the same, as the chlorinators are good for 2-3 seasons and then require replacement. There are $300 alternatives to the $800 Hayward units, and mine seems fine.
The Hayward system is pretty much the industry standard, haven't investigated beyond that.
Although the pool is still chlorinated, it seems "softer" and there's no odor.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BobS
I switched from liquid chlorine to salt/chlorine generator about 5 years ago and would never go back. It's mostly a no-brainer. At least for me it can sometimes be fiddly, especially when you get a new cell or when seasons change, lots of rain, and/or chlorine demand significantly changes. According to my manual, a cell inspection is called for about every 3 months but I push that to 6. Removal is as easy as unscrewing the couplings, pulling the salt cell, and rinsing it out IF it has some scale. As mentioned already, it's not very expensive and it is mostly set it and forget it. I agree that the water quality seems much improved with salt -- it definitely feels softer and it's definitely easier to float!
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We're on our 5th year using a Pentair Intellichlor. Would never go back. Based on the onboard monitor our cell still has >60% life left (9,000 gallon pool and spa).
We have a lot of minerals in our water so I have to drain and refill annually to keep the calcium levels down. I use 4 bags of salt ($32) a year.
Salt cells lose some efficiency with colder water (<60 F) and shut off below 52 or so. I use a floater with one tab at a time during the winter. I go through 4-5 tabs each winter.