Salt water pools vs. chlorine pools

There are a growing number of water treatment options available for pools and spas. Each has their pros and cons, but with proper maintenance of the chemical levels they all can help provide safe and comfortable water. All pools and spas require a minimum level of chlorine or bromine in the water and there are two options for adding this.

Chlorine sticks or tablets and bromine tablets are the tried and true method of adding sanitizer to your pool or spa. These feeders are essentially tanks that hold the tablets and the water passes through the tank dissolving the tablets and adding chlorine or bromine to the pool.

A salt water chlorine generator is an electronic device that turns salt into chlorine. It consists of a cell (where the chlorine is produced), and a power pack (which provides power to the cell and controls the functions). The salt system supplies a constant level of chlorine to a pool. With fewer fluctuations in chlorine levels, there are fewer fluctuations in pH levels. As a result, the pool’s water is much easier to balance.

Common salt (sodium chloride) is made up of two elements; sodium and chloride. When your salt system is installed a measured quantity of salt is dissolved in the pool water to make it slightly salty. As part of the daily filtration cycle, the pool water is passed through the electrolytic cell to produce chlorine which is dissolved instantly into the water. In simple, non-technical terms, the chlorine instantly starts to destroy bacteria, viruses and algae and in the process reverts back to dissolved salt. This cycle continues with more new chlorine being produced from the salt water in the electrolytic cell, sanitizing the pool, and changing once more back to dissolved salt.

With the addition of either system below the enhanced quality of the water will outweigh the cost of the unit. For example, these systems eliminate the chlorine smell normally associated with indoor pools and also reduce the amount of chlorine and shock treatments normally required in both indoor and outdoor pools.