SWG Install - To DIY or Not?

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dpl252

Active member
Jul 21, 2022
35
Clayton, CA
Pool Size
23000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hey there knowledgable folks of TFP. I've done tons of great quality of life upgrades to my pool since buying my house 1.5 years ago. Invested in a Dolphin cleaner, got a Betta bot surface cleaner (tons of trees on my property), upgraded my Aqualink RS touchpanel to the iAqualink App, got a new Pentail Intelliflo VSF 3HP pump. Things are going great but with Chlorine prices rising and my time becoming more limited with work and new family (baby on the way) I'm really trying to reduce my maintenance overhead and am ready to take the plunge on installing a SWG.

I've watched a few videos, and I consider myself pretty handy....I've done some of my own renovations on the house, redid my garage, epoxied the floor, drywalled and painted, general repairs around the house. I've never really done much with the pool or plumbing though. Based on the videos i've watched, the installation of a SWG seems fairly straightforward but i'd love to hear from you all, especially if you installed yourself, what you would recommend? In my experience, it the jobs that seem straightforward that tend to get complicated really fast, and I really want to avoid doing anything to mess up my pool equipment.

I've even watched some videos on pool plumbing basics, making sure there's 12 inches of clearance on the intake side, how to adhere properly, etc etc. Am I asking for a world of hurt trying to DIY install just to save 2/300 bucks in labor getting a pro to do it? Thanks!!
 
It’s a very easy installation. Also a good time to “ redo” and plumbing you don’t like.
you won’t regret it, it’s not only easier then hauling jugs of bleach around but the water feels smoother
 
Go buy a length of PVC, the pimer/glue 2 pack and a handful of T's. (Each has 3 practice spots). By the 3rd fitting you'll be proficient in PVC. By the 5th, an expert. :)
 
Thanks for the input! Just to clarify though, i'm already sold on the benefits on getting a SWG. I'm mostly just trying to decide if I should hire someone to install or it's an easy enough of a job that I can DIY.
 
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dpl252 said:
Thanks for the input! Just to clarify though, i'm already sold on the benefits on getting a SWG. I'm mostly just trying to decide if I should hire someone to install or it's an easy enough of a job that I can DIY.
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One of the simpler installs. The electrical portion is where you may need a pro if not familiar with working with electricity. Not to frighten you too much, but electricity is very unforgiving. With the Jandy, it can be powered with an available relay.
 
In most cases it's a pretty simple to DIY. There are pretty much three aspects to the install....modifying the plumbing to include the unit, adding power to the unit, and controlling when the SWG is generating chlorine.
I know nothing about the Aqualink but I suspect it can control at least some systems. It'd be worth investigating which SWGs are compatible.
If you upgraded your automation and installed a new pump I doubt you'd have any trouble with this installation.
 
I did mine this past spring. A very fast job, and I had a moderate amount of plumbing contortions to get it to fit within specs. The hardest part - integrating electrically with the rest of the system so that it was turned off when the pump wasn't running. For me, that was adding a 3 device timer, and deciding to have an electrician redo it all to work correctly. But depending on what you have, there are many ways to skin that cat, some as easy as the plumbing part is.
 
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