Saltwater pools have been in use since the 1960s in Australia. Owners of these new virtually maintenance-free pools say you’ll never go back once you’ve tried them! No more itchy skin, stinging eyes, or bleached bathing suits from a saltwater pool.
The old method of reading the pH balance and cringing every time the rain turns your pool green is over. Gone are the chlorine bottles and the need to ‘shock’ your pool back to a healthy color. Today there is such an invention as the saltwater pool.
The idea came about in Australia and unlike the constant chlorine-based outdoor pool monitoring we’re all used to, you’ll only need to ‘check’ about twice a year!
It sounds a little too easy to be true, but when you think that we all swim in the salty ocean, it’s surprising that it hasn’t been thought of before! The cleaning agent in the saltwater pool is saline (surprise!) but it is not used in the same proportion as it is in the sea.
There are 50,000 parts per million in ocean water, and the recommended salt concentration in a swimming pool is 2,800 to 4,000 parts per million. The Dead Sea has 8% salt, which is equivalent to 80,000 parts per million. (Of course, the Dead Sea also has large amounts of various other minerals.)
Instead of adding the chlorine ‘disk’ shaped tablets to the erosion feeder system’s pumping mechanism so that the water is constantly monitored for health risks, this system has a much simpler way to stay healthy.
Unless you want a 12th grade chemistry lesson, suffice it to say that once a year (say at the start of the season) you need to attend to your pool needs. Once a year you will need to add chlorine (a low amount) and salt to the pool.
After that, your pool will need to be serviced once or twice a year at the most. This is because the saltwater pool is designed with a completely different system than the chlorine pool.
The erosion feed system is not used at all, in fact a built-in generator is used that automatically uses a form of electrolysis to separate the water molecules. These water molecules (H20) break down into hydrogen and oxygen which then combine with the salt and chlorine in the water. Because this sets up a self-perpetuating chemical process, the water is always safe to swim in.
The initial cost of installing a saltwater pool will be more expensive than installing a chlorine pool. However, the amount of money saved on all those chlorine pucks and chemicals soon adds up. (You can also factor in how much Mom wears during those “off” days when the pool can’t be used.)
Fewer chemicals can be a good thing. It has been observed that the amount of toxins we absorb through our skin when fully submerged in water is much higher than if we were to drink a glass of pool water.
There will have to be a change if you have a saltwater pool, the metal ladder in the pool must be properly grounded. Otherwise, it will likely oxidize over time due to the ongoing electrolysis process.
If you already have a chlorine pool, then it’s easy to switch to a saltwater pool. You’ll need a built-in saltwater generator and a new hobby to fill in the extra time you’ll have once you’re not checking all those little pH charts!
