When someone hears about a saltwater swimming pool, it may sound unusual and even unappealing. Swimming in the ocean is one thing, but do you really want to replicate that experience in the backyard? Saltwater swimming pools actually aren’t anything like the ocean, as they have substantially less salt. The salt is there to disinfect the water through a chemical reaction so pool owners don’t need to have a standard chlorinated system.
How It Works
The pool owner or a service technician install a specialized device, known as a salt-chlorine generator or electrolytic converter, in the filtration system. This person then adds a certain amount of pool salt – which is simply sodium chloride, or table salt – to the water.
Through a process known as electrolysis, the device separates out the chloride element from the sodium. The resulting chlorine gas is transferred to the water, where it sanitizes the pool. It’s just as effective at killing unwanted substances in the water as standard chlorine treatment is.
In the pool water, the chlorine gradually turns back into sodium chloride. The system continues filtering the water in this manner.
Advantages of Saltwater Swimming Pools
The mild saline water is easier on the skin, hair, and eyes than added chlorine is. Swimming suits won’t fade so rapidly. There’s no unpleasant chlorine odor. You don’t have to keep buying, hauling, and adding chlorine tablets or liquid along with chlorine stabilizer to the pool. Occasionally, you may need to add a small amount of salt. However, for the most part, the equipment keeps using the salt that was originally put in the water.
Considerations
Salt can have corrosive effects on certain building materials. Before installing the generator, you’ll want to learn whether this applies to your pool or the surrounding structures. If so, sealing them and routinely rinsing them will prevent potential problems. This is typically all the maintenance that’s required for a saltwater pool.
Adding a saltwater chlorine generator costs more upfront than buying chlorine tablets or liquid for a pool. When you check pricing for the equipment, you can figure out how long it will take you to recoup the cost if you know how much you spend annually in chlorine and other products.
Many pool owners may feel the installation might be relatively easy, and they may try to complete the work as a do-it-yourself project. However, it is recommended that you have a technician handle the task, If you are located in the Luzerne, Shickshinny PA, and all surrounding towns and counties contact Skovish Pools & Spas. We will provide quality installation of your saltwater chlorine generator at an affordable cost. Contact us to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of saltwater swimming pools.
