Salt Water Pool Vs Chlorine Pool (Pros And Cons)

Salt Water Pool Vs Chlorine Pool Benefits and Disadvantages

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Salt Water Pool Vs Chlorine Pool. What does a saltwater pool mean? A saltwater pool is a pool that uses salt in the water to produce chlorine. It’s just a swimming pool that uses a chlorine generator that, by the process of water going through an electronic cell, produces sodium hypochlorite or liquid chlorine. This means that a saltwater pool is NOT a chlorine-free pool. This is a tool that generates its chlorine.

In traditional chlorine pools, water must be sampled and balanced with liquid or tablet chlorine. Alkalinity, pH, and calcium hardness must all be adjusted. With the exception of saltwater pools, which may require periodic shocks, saltwater pools require the same chemicals as chlorine pools.

A saltwater pool uses dissolved salts converted to chlorine which becomes the disinfectant. This is contrary to the common misconception that salt systems do not use chlorine.

A chlorine system uses free chlorine for water disinfection, while the saltwater system requires the installation of a saltwater generator. A salt generator works best when high-purity salts are used, a good example being extraction and table salts.

The chlorine generator system includes one control unit and one salt cell. The control unit controls the time during which the salt cell is fed. Chlorine is produced when the cell is turned on.

In our guide below, you find a quick reference to the advantages and disadvantages of saltwater as compared to chlorine for your pool maintenance. The most important factors to consider are safety, convenience, fun, and cost. We will examine the typical chemicals used in each system and their efficiency, water quality, and possible hazards.

Salt Water Pool Vs Chlorine Pool

Advantages Of Salt Water Pool

1. Health Benefits of a Salt Water Pool

Salt is gentler on the hair, skin, and eyes than chlorine. This is because the chemical form of chlorine depends on the chemicals added to stabilize-and these additives are what cause your irritation. So that means:

  • No itchy red eyes
  • No irritated, dry skin
  • No dry, frizzy hair
  • Fewer effects on breathing for allergy/asthma sufferers

2. Cost Benefits of Salt Water Pool Systems

A salt generator is rewarding as it is efficient. Most industry experts agree that the typical cost for pool chemicals ranges from $25 to $40 per month. For the maintenance of saltwater pools, a bag of salt is poured into the machine every 6 weeks. The cost? Under 10 bucks a month! With a saltwater pool, you will discover:

  • An annual saving of hundreds of dollars.
  • Swimsuits last much longer because the high chlorine levels don’t cause them to fade and disintegrate quickly.
  • Reduce electricity bills because you can’t operate your filtration system all the time.

3. Maintenance Benefits

These swimming pools are extremely easy to maintain. Maintenance is easier because the salt cell simply generates chlorine if necessary. Keep in mind, however, that you still need to monitor chlorine levels periodically to make sure everything works properly.

You should fill up salt levels when they are affected by flooding or splashing out of your pool. Fortunately, when the water evaporates, the salt level remains available for when you refill your pool with water.

Most saltwater filtration systems monitor themselves and let you know if you need to modify your pool water. This means you spend less time and effort looking after your pool and more time enjoying it!

Other Benefits of a Salt Water Pool

  • You will not handle toxic chemicals for the upkeep of saltwater pools.
  • Longer-lasting clean. Salt is a natural reducing agent of algae.
  • A saltwater pool provides a much better swimming experience. Freshwater makes your skin pleasant, and you will not find the severe taste and smell associated with chlorine pools.
  • The amount of chlorine generated can be changed by a touch of a button. You can now enjoy a mild and enjoyable taste of the soft and silky saltwater. The accepted standard of water salinity is between 3000 – 4000ppm. This makes it a great choice for young children and adults who are immersed in water for long periods.
  • It requires less maintenance. Regular checking of pool water chemistry is quite necessary. The advantage of a salt cell is that it scatters chlorine at a constant rate while the pump is running. This will result in less fluctuating chemical levels in your pool, making a healthy balance easier to maintain.

Disadvantages of Salt Water Pool

  • A saltwater pool also has the disadvantages of staining the walls of your pool and adding calcium deposits to your walls and pool system. Chlorine and salt are corrosion-resistant chemicals that can damage your pool equipment.
  • If you have decorative rock or other decorative elements around a saltwater swimming pool, the chemicals used to treat your water can “break” your decorative landscaping. The stone will start to disintegrate from corrosion.
  • In addition, if you have vegetation near a saltwater pool, anything against the current or splashing water from the pool will kill your greenery. Even artificial greenery can be damaged and stained by water splashing out of a saltwater pool.

As well as the decorative items that become stained and faded, as well as your swimsuits and swimwear that you take in the pool with you. The saltwater pool system is affected by the number of people in the pool at one time, the weather temperature, and whether the sun is shining on your pool or if it is raining. These factors require a saltwater system to be monitored and adjusted for these variable conditions.

A natural pond that is cleaned by an ion-based water purification system using copper ions and natural oxygen is not affected by these variables. It remains in a constant natural state of cleanness and clarity simply by the design of cleaning mechanisms.

In addition to the indoor operation of the pool equipment, a saltwater pool can damage and dramatically shorten the life of an automatic pool cover or vinyl pool cover. Solar covers may also suffer damage.

The initial cost of a salt cell could pose a major disadvantage. As compared to starting up a chlorine system, the initial cost for salt systems is significantly high.

Once you buy, however, it becomes cheaper to maintain throughout the year seeing as salt is cheaper than commercial chlorines. The process of breaking down dissolved salts into hypochlorous acid and sodium hypochlorite is continuous to prevent any build-up of chloramine.

Chloramine is formed when free available chlorine reacts with amines. Amines are introduced into the pool by insects or human excretion, which could be their perspiration, saliva, mucus, or urine.

Chloramines are what cause the acrid “chlorine smell” in pools as well as the skin-eye irritation.

You could just alternatively opt for the cheaper use of high purity salts and experience satisfactory results. Chemical regulation is, therefore, necessary for the freshness and longevity of your pool water.

Chlorine Pool

Let’s take a look at the typical domestic pool, the major component in the system is chlorine, followed by a stabilizer and an algicide. When we add chlorine to the water, we obtain a reaction that forms hypochlorite acid, the active form of chlorine that kills.

The chlorine molecule kills micro-organisms by entering cell walls and destroying enzymes and internal processes. The hypochlorous molecule goes through this process until it combines with an organic compound to become chloramine.

It is generally accepted that chlorine is a hazardous product, the chloramines that form in swimming pool water when chlorine combines with organic matter are particularly troublesome.

The following are some of the effects of chlorine

  • Irritation

Chlorine can often cause skin irritation by destroying the body’s supply of vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and can also cause generalized redness and itchiness of the eyes.

  • Asthma

There is a small increase in respiratory problems; asthma, in particular, shows the largest increase in the percentage of children who spend a lot of time in chlorinated pools.

  • Cancer

In some studies, chlorine has been linked to cancer of the larynx, esophagus, breast, intestines, and especially the bladder.

  • Heart Disease

It has been shown that excessive levels of chlorine in the body are responsible for high rates of heart disease

It has been shown that excessive levels of chlorine in the body are responsible for high rates of heart disease.

Chlorine is still the most popular method for disinfecting pool water in the United States. They do a great job in disinfecting water, but they do it at a price. Chlorine is a highly caustic and corrosive chemical and is effective because it attacks any organic product. Unfortunately, it also affects the skin, hair, and eyes of humans swimming through it.

Chlorine is poisonous and dangerous to handle, ingest, and most importantly breathe.

Chloramine, a byproduct of chlorine and organic waste, is a known carcinogen. However, with the standard chlorine pool, there is no practical way to prevent chloramines from forming in chlorinated pools.

Current research suggests that children who frequently swim in chlorinated pools may present an increased risk of allergies or asthma.

Chlorinated water contains chemicals called trihalomethanes, which are carcinogenic when chlorine is combined with organic compounds in water.

Pool Chlorine Stabilizer, the chemical name for the pool “Stabilizer” is cyanuric acid and it is mentioned by either title. The pool water stabilizing level must be maintained between 30 and 50 ppm.

The stabilizer in the pool water partly surrounds the chlorine to a molecular level. It protects the chlorine and prevents it from being quickly burned and used by the sunlight. If the stabilizer level is lower than 30 ppm, it will be difficult to maintain adequate chlorine levels, particularly in the summer.

If the level of the stabilizer is above 50 ppm, it may start to harm the chlorine level. Instead of partially enclosing the chlorine in your pool water to protect the chlorine, it will completely enclose the chlorine making it inactive. Once you have too much stabilization, it is hard to remove without partially draining the pool.

Algaecide is a chemical that prevents algae from growing in your pool, helps maintain the appropriate pH of the pool, and also increases the performance of your pool filter. If you use an algicide there will be less waste for your pool filter to deal with.

There are many kinds out there, but an algicide containing chelated copper works great unless you have well water. Another great option is to remove algae by phosphate, which kills the main food source of algae. This works by removing phosphates from the pool and killing algae by cutting them off from their food supply.

In addition, when algae die, they release phosphates into the water, which could provide the nutrients necessary for more algae to grow right after killing the first batch. If you have a chronic algae problem, have your water analyzed for phosphates, if you have phosphates greater than 125 ppb this product is a must!

FAQs

How to start up a saltwater pool

The saltwater system needs to be properly tested and balanced before the salt chlorinator is turned on. Testing and balancing are about the chemical levels. You can use home testing kits or engage the help of a pool professional. First, you have to test the alkalinity levels. Normal alkaline levels range between 80 – 120 ppm.

Extreme alkaline levels can affect the ph. Increasing the alkaline levels requires that you add sodium bicarbonate, and lowering the alkaline levels requires that you add muriatic acid. The next level you will need to test for is the ph.

Normal ph. the level is a range between 7.6 – 7.8. Similarly, sodium bicarbonate increases the low ph. level while muriatic acid lowers the high ph. Normal chlorine levels should be within the range of 1 – 3 ppm. Cyanuric acid should be maintained at its normal range which is between 50 – 80 ppm.

This is because cyanuric acid protects chlorine from being instantly diminished by the sun. Lastly is the calcium level. Test for the normal levels of calcium as low calcium leads to etching while high calcium causes cloudy water and scale build-up. Add high-purity salt into the pool before turning on the salt chlorinator. The salt level within the saltwater should range within the normal level of 2700 – 3600 ppm.

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