Chlorine or Salt Water swimming pool?

It’s your choice

We say it’s your choice because there are arguments supporting both viewpoints. If you are fine with your current chlorinated pool and don’t feel the need to make a change, then don’t. It’s true that a salt water generator is a little more money in the beginning, but you save money with the salt generator over time. Unless you have health or “green” reasons to change, may be you will be compelled to leave things status quo. These are all personal preferences or necessities only you can decide. Aqua Fun helps you decide by offering a little more background on  salt water pools.

Reasons to consider a salt water generator:

First of all, you would not use regular table salt in your salt water pool. According to the Salt Institute, it’s best on your system to use only high purity solar or evaporated salt that has been specifically designed for salt water pools. Many of the lower-cost, generic salts sold for pool use contain a host of contaminants that can affect water clarity and cause staining, scale, and overall water balance issues.

Salt Water Swimming Pools:

  • save you money over time because the cost of salt is far less than chlorine and you use less salt than chlorine
  • save you time because you will be spending less time maintaining your pool and more time swimming in it
  • saves your clothing and hair from bleaching out

more good stuff…

  • no green hair
  • no red eyes
  • no burning skin
salt water salt swimming pools

Photo courtesy of Morgan Street

Salt has healing characteristics such as:

  • All Natural Stress Relief –  salt water reduces inflamed  joints and muscles, leaving your body feeling relaxed and stress-free. Salt water has the mineral bromide which helps in relieving muscle pains and soreness.
  • Beautiful Skin – salt water will leave your skin feeling smooth and supple as it increases moisture retention. It will rejuvenate the skin by detoxifying it and promotes cellular regeneration. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and when it feels renewed, your whole body automatically feels revitalized and healthy, according to EHow.com.
  • No Allergies – Asthma sufferers don’t react negatively in salt water pools like they do to the heavy packaged chlorinated water.

 

TIDBIT: Over 80% of all pools in Australia are salt water and that’s where salt water pools began in the 1960’s. It took longer to become viable in the U.S., but by the year 2007, salt water pools accounted for nearly three-quarters of new pool installations, up from about 15 percent in 2002. There are about 1.3 million salt water pools in the U.S. today. (Sources: P.K. Data; Pool & Spa News 3/30/08)

Salt Water Pool Beautiful

Photo courtesy of Charlie Murrin

Celebrity’s  Jessica Alba and Courtney Cox talked about their salt water pools in separate interviews  which lends to the realization that this once trend would finally reach the masses. These two celebrity interviews show the concern many people have with the environment and their family’s personal health.  If either of those issues are important to you then it seems natural to use salt over harsh packaged chemicals.

What are some of the con’s of salt water pools before you make the change?

  • Initially it will cost more to upgrade or build a salt water pool but long-term (and that is what a swimming pool offers, long-term benefits) the salt water pool saves you money, time and energy.
  • Salt is corrosive, especially if  total Alkalinity and pH are not balanced correctly and maintained properly.
  • Salt pools generate chlorine for sanitation, so the pool is not chlorine chemical free.

Salt pools get their chlorine residual by means of “chlorine generators” (electrolysis devices) that use electricity to produce chlorine from salt (sodium chloride) dissolved in the pool water. Chlorine in the water—whether added this way or by EPA-registered pool sanitizer–destroys many common waterborne pathogens within seconds, helping to keep swimming healthy. Without pool water sanitizers, swimmers are vulnerable to contracting diarrhea, swimmer’s ear and skin infections. (Water Quality and Health Council)

Maintenance is still a necessary task for pool owners, but it just got easier!

HealthyPools.org is offering a set of free strips that will measure your pools PH level. Just click the link to get your Free Test Strips and see where you stand in the region you live: http://www.healthypools.org/freeteststrips/

If you would like to convert your current chlorine based swimming pool to a salt water pool, Aqua Fun Inc. is your salt water pool specialist in North Georgia. Are you planning a new swimming pool build? Let Aqua Fun Inc. consult you and show you the best options for your new swimming pool. Call today to schedule your no obligation consultation (770) 419-7119 or schedule your appointment online here.

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