24 January 2017

Salt water chlorinator pools vs. traditional chlorine pools

Salt water chlorinator pools and traditional chlorine pools both contain chlorine. The chlorine is just added to the water differently in each type of pool. You don’t add chemical chlorine directly to the salt water chlorinator pool – you add salt, which generates the chlorine for you.  The chlorine found in a salt water chlorinator pool is created from chemical electrolysis that occurs within a salt water chlorinator or generator. The chlorine levels in salt chlorinator pools tends to be lower so the water tends to feel more comfortable to skin and eyes.   

Salt chlorinators produce a steady flow of chlorine that stops algae buildup and bacteria. Cleaning your salt water pool (other than skimming bugs and leaves) is usually only required once a year. This process is involved as it requires draining the pool, changing filters, scrubbing surfaces, etc.

From an everyday perspective, chlorine pools can be somewhat harder to take care of than salt water pools. The pH balance in a chlorine pool requires quite a bit of attention. You may need to take a sample of your water to a pool supply store to get a list of chemicals needed to keep the water in the pool clean. In addition, there are other issues to pay attention to beyond pH, like alkalinity and calcium, to keep the chlorine effective. One last element of cleaning that comes with chemical chlorine pools is that every few weeks you will need to “shock” your pool to kill any excess bacteria.

Chlorine pools require surveillance whereas salt water chlorinator pools stay clean with less work because of the constant flow of chlorine from the generator.

Source: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/the-great-pool-debate-salt-water-vs-chlorine