The answer — one pick, priced
Get the
Hayward AquaRite W3AQR15
no budget ceiling
The industry-standard inground salt system — 1M+ installs, the #1-selling generator worldwide, and the most-stocked replacement cells in the business.
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Fit ledger — need → measured evidence
■ The catch — co-equal billing, always
You pay the most and get the least warranty. At ~$2,199 it is the priciest system here, covered for only 3 years — and Hayward increasingly restricts warranty coverage on units bought online or self-installed. CircuPool costs $504 less, covers 7 years, and has no DIY-install penalty at all.
Dealbreaker? Runner-up №1 costs $504 less with a 7-year warranty ↓
■ Every product has a catch. Verdicts that hide it are how bad buys happen.
Runners-up — if your needs differ
Adjacent verdicts — same method
Traps — this verdict avoids
Undersized cells
Size the cell for 1.5–2x your pool's actual gallons — a 40,000-gallon-rated unit for a 20,000-gallon pool. Undersized cells run near 100% output and wear out in 2–3 seasons instead of 3–5.
The cell is a consumable
Titanium plates degrade and need replacing every 3–5 years, and replacement cells run $300–$900. The generator's sticker price is not the cost of ownership.
Salt drives pH up
At pH 8.2+ chlorine is over 90% inactive, so salt pools need aggressive ongoing acid dosing — plus proper bonding and a sacrificial anode, or metal ladders, heaters and equipment corrode.
Provenance — 7 sources, dated
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