Why A SALT WATER SYSTEM??
Like everything, there are pros and cons about converting your pool to a salt water system. Read on and you’ll learn why the the pros outweigh the cons (in our opinion)
We have been so pleased by the comments from salt water pool conversion customers… that I even converted my pool over to a salt water system. We love it! The number one benefit is definitely never having to by expensive buckets of chlorine tabs & powdered shock again!
Why would I even bother or spend the money to convert to salt water pool system?? The Top 5 Reason Are:
- SAVES MONEY!!! You will NEVER have to buy expensive buckets of chlorine tabs and powdered shock ever again.
- SAVES TIME!!! You will not have to constantly worry about shocking your pool or refilling your chlorinator with tabs
- ALLOWS YOU TO TRAVEL!! For people who leave early and come home late for work, this is a great option. If you travel out of town it is even a better option! You can leave knowing your pool is still getting chlorine even if you are gone for a week or two!
- FEELS GREAT ON THE EYES AND SKIN!! (most people report enjoying swimming in a more pleasant environment)
- NO MORE SMELL OF CHLORAMINES. That right. when you get out of your salt water pool, you will never smell like chlorine again.
If you remember back to chemistry class in high school, salt is comprised of NaCl. The CL is chlorine. Salt water systems take the CL out of NaCL and sanitize your pool with anywhere from 1pound -2.5 pounds of chlorine every day. This process is done through electrolysis. But what that really means to you is it is like magic! It recycles the salt and chlorine over and over again!!! Once the chlorine is used it recombines to make salt. So you use the same salt and chlorine over and over again (like magic)! All you need to do is keep an eye on the control unit for a light to tell you that you need one or two $8.00 bags of salt (40lbs) (once every month or two).
A Really Simple process.
It is very simple. Whenever a light comes on that indicates “add salt”, that’s what you do. With the Pentair I-Chlor or InteliChlor salt system system it is almost impossible to put in too much salt, so generally one or two bags a month, is all you need.
We have several customers who struggled with persistent algae problems because they could not keep a consistent level of chlorine in the pool. Once they converted over to a salt water system their troubles were over! (Really, we could give your their contact information if you are skeptical). The reason their troubles were over is simple. Salt water systems put a small but consistent amount of chlorine in the pool every day rather than shocking your pool with heavy amounts once a week. The result is a lower overall level of chlorine (about 1/3 the level of shocking the pool) that keeps the level just right. What you want is just the right amount to kill algae and keep the water clear, without it being excessive and burning your eyes.
Cons: The only significant CON we know of is the need to make sure your slate/natural stone is sealed as salt water systems do have a tendency to erode natural stone at a faster rate than a standard chlorine pool.
However, you should be sealing your stone anyway because the stone will degrade quickly regardless of whether you have a salt water pool or not! If you constantly notice what appears to be sand in your pool, you already have an stone/rock erosion problem that can be eliminated with a service we provide “Rock Sealant.” (see our post regarding sealing your rocks)