Best Corrosion / Chemical Resistant Check Valve

[Pesh]

I need to get a valve between my heater and CMP PowerClean VS chlorinator.

Who makes the best serviceable corrosion resistant check valve? If seen offerings from Jandy, Pentair, Magic Plastics, and CMP.

 

[1poolman1]

I need to get a valve between my heater and CMP PowerClean VS chlorinator.

Who makes the best serviceable corrosion resistant check valve? If seen offerings from Jandy, Pentair, Magic Plastics, and CMP.

The best one is the one you leave off, just like leaving off/removing that tablet feeder and getting an SWG. They all will absolutely fail and will do damage before you realize that it has happened.
If you insist on getting one, be sure to get one that allows you to regularly inspect the "flapper," especially if you use the heater for a spa (hot water) and be ready to replace it probably on a yearly basis unless you run your pump 24/7. It will be cheap insurance to maybe protect you against damage to what is probably your most expensive piece of equipment.

 

[Pesh]

I wish I could go SWG, but due to the limestone coping and natural rock that my pool had, SWG doesnt appear to be an option.

So, is the recommendation to nix the Chlorinator and check valve?

 

[JamesW]

Best to remove the feeder and go SWG.

0801-20H2 is probably the best check valve if you are keeping the feeder.

Maybe put 2 or 3 check valves between the heater and feeder and replace the internals every 30 days.

Keep the pump on 24/7 when the feeder has tabs inside.

“CR2” Valve including a proprietary designed Hastelloy Spring, Glass-Filled Noryl injection molded shaft, 100% Silicone Gasket and a Clear, serviceable lid.

The “CR2” Valve is also equipped with a ½ lb. spring-loaded gate, allowing it to be installed in any orientation.

The “CR2” valve is available in 1½˝ Slip, 2˝ Slip and 2½˝Spigot.

"CR2" Corrosion Resistant Check Valves - Magic Plastics, Inc.

ALL PRODUCTS “CR2” CORROSION RESISTANT CHECK VALVES* The "CR2" Back-Flow prevention check valve is completely corrosion resistant, making it the ultimate solution for protecting your expensive Heat Exchangers from the potential damage of inline Chlorinators while also maintaining a Full-Flow...

magicplastics.com

 

[1poolman1]

I wish I could go SWG, but due to the limestone coping and natural rock that my pool had, SWG doesnt appear to be an option.

Get a good salt test kit and check the salinity of your water now. If the water is older than 2 years, it very likely is close to what would be required to operate an SWG. Every time you add any sodium-based chlorine (liquid, tablets, di-chlor) you add good old NaCl, salt.
If you believe that perspiration or tears could damage your coping and natural rock, then yes, avoid an SWG, that operates on an average of 3200ppm of salt. Perspiration (average 2200 - 4200ppm) and tears (average 9000ppm).

 

[Newdude]

I wish I could go SWG, but due to the limestone coping and natural rock that my pool had, SWG doesnt appear to be an option

We have a virtual boatload of fellow Texans who disagree.

Many have found their salt levels approaching, or even surpassing the salinity of salt pools because every gallon of bleach you add (sodium hypochlorite) raises the salt. Muriatic acid breaks down to salt. Baking soda is a salt. Calcium chloride is a salt. It's everywhere.

 

[Pesh]

Well, now i'm confused and not sure who to trust.

Each contractor bidding on my project have talked me out of SWG, which surprises me since they'd make more money selling me the SWG equipment.

Attached are pictures of my pool and waterfall. They've told me that if my pool was a salt water pool that splashes would erode my coping over time (faster than currently non-SWG) and the waterfall stone would get destroyed over time too.

 

[Newdude]

If its a weak stone, moisture and the elements will erode it either way.

TX PBs love to scapegoat SWGs for the local materials which shouldn't be used in wet environments.

 

[Pesh]

This other post on TFP from Texans is exactly what i've been warned against. At least they are citing actual experience.

Problem with limestone coping and a salt water system

Our pool was built 15 yrs ago with coping from a local limestone quarry and a salt water system. Within 1 year our coping started deteriorating. Basically it was pitting and flaking away. It took the builder a while to determine that it was the salt water system. Their solution was to replace...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Pesh]

So to the degree that i'm not going to convert to SWG, i'm back to my original question.

Do i install a CMP PowerClean VS Chlorinator with recommended 0801-20H2 check valve? or do I nix the Chlorinator?

 

[1poolman1]

So to the degree that i'm not going to convert to SWG, i'm back to my original question.

Do i install a CMP PowerClean VS Chlorinator with recommended 0801-20H2 check valve? or do I nix the Chlorinator?

Get rid of the chlorinator and add a floating feeder if you wish to use tablets. Or, run the pump 24/7 and be ready to replace the flapper in a check valve before it appears damaged. It will leak well before any damage is seen and your damaged heater will be the first indication of an expensive problem.

 

[Pesh]

Thanks all. Deleting the Chlorinator and sticking with surface floater. I agree that a $4000+ heater is worth protecting over the convenience of a Chlorinator.

 

[Newdude]

Tabs are not sustainable long term. I forget your gallons but each 8 oz puck will raise CYA 3 in 10k gallons. Every 10 CYA you'll need to raise your FC appropriately (more pucks and more CYA) and it spirals out of control quickly. Each line on this chart is equal for sanitizing.

 

[Pesh]

Historically my Pool Maintenance Company used only liquid CL. I've owned this home for 20+ years and this will be first time i'm having to drain the pool becase CYA level is too high. The company switched to Tabs some number of years ago and over that period of time, the CYA has risen. So now, i'm faced with having to drain 20K+ gallons of water and refill with fresh to start over. My new Pool Guy also uses tabs becase of cost and has told me to expect to drain pool every few years for CYA reasons.

 

[Newdude]

The key takeaway above was about maintaining a proper CYA/FC ratio as the CYA climbs.

If you're ok with occasional draining, we're ok with it.

 

[Pesh]

To be honest, its a balancing act with cost being a big factor. After I drain and refill, i'll have a good idea at the cost of 20K+ gallons of water. Then i'll just need to weigh a few scenarios and their cost:

- liquid CL only
- tabs with CYA only
- Hybrid of Liquid CL & Tabs

as compared to the cost of water for a dump and refill.

If I can avoid the drain option with in a reasonable cost (or ideally savings) that would be most desirable.

 

[Newdude]

Each contractor bidding on my project have talked me out of SWG, which surprises me since they'd make more money selling me the SWG equipment.

its a balancing act with cost being a big factor

Another reason PBs don't like SWGs. The one time sale is much less than it is with repeat business weekly. (In the long run).

My cell makes 1000 gallons worth of FC. If i bought them at Walmart, itd be well over $6100 out the door. Pool services may have a better deal, but it'll still be considerably more expensive to use bleach.

- liquid CL only
- tabs with CYA only
- Hybrid of Liquid CL & Tabs

You can also add CalHypo (non- stabilized tabs or powdered shock) to the rotation. That will obviously jack your CH instead, but if you ration them all at the proper times, you'll get longer between drains.

 

[dfwnoob]

Texas pool builders use substandard stone in their installs, and it's a well known problem. Rather than acknowledging they use inferior materials, they blame it on anything and everything including SWCGs.

My pool uses nearly identical stone to yours. For the first 17 years of it's life it ran off tabs in a feeder. As shocking as this will be, the stone coping still deteriorated in multiple spots around my pool. And the tab feeder wrecked the pool heater, even with a check valve. At any rate, as described above, a "salt pool" is a chlorine pool and vice versa. There is no around that. Given the obscene cost of liquid chlorine and especially tablets, installing the SWCG 2 years ago was a no-brainer for me.

Draining a pool is not part of standard pool care. We're just now crossing over the 3 year mark of living in this house and maintaining the pool per the TFP methodology. It's never been drained, even partially.

 

[JamesW]

How quickly can pH/negative LSI eat through a heat exchanger?

We sold a refurbished Mastertemp 400 to a customer a few weeks ago. It ran for 2-3 weeks without issue then the customer calls me last week to tell me it's leaking for the air intake and that the heat exchanger is damaged. I of course want to do right by the customer. I didn't visually inspect...

www.troublefreepool.com

Copper Questions

I recently acquired a pool maintenance and service business with one quite experienced service/repair tech and one new maintenance tech. So I’m still learning every day and trying to become the resident chem “expert” for the group. Have a customer whose pH is unexpectedly dropping between...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[JamesW]

Get this test kit and tell us the salinity.

Taylor K-1766 Salt Test Kit

tftestkits.net