Salt Pool Conversion
A salt pool, IS a chlorine pool. But rather than manually adding chlorine to your pool on a weekly basis (or having a service company do it), a salt chlorine generator adds chlorine on a constant basis to your pool every time your pool pump is running.
A salt chlorine generator takes salt that is added to the water and breaks the molecule apart into its two constituent atoms, NA (Sodium) and Cl (Chlorine). When the chlorine atom has done its work disinfecting and oxidizing debris in your pool water it recombined with the suspended Sodium atoms to reform a Salt Molecule. Some of the chlorine escapes into the atmosphere in the process.
The Benefits of a Salt Pool
A salt chlorine generator consistently adds chlorine to your pool every day. This helps keep pools safe from bacteria and prevents algae from forming in pools vs. a manual chlorine pool that typically only has chlorine added once a week. Additionally, salt has a mild water softening effect on the pool water giving it a smoother silkier feel.
Salt pools are very helpful if not essential in hot environments and on waterfront properties. Hot weather causes chlorine to evaporate quickly which can mean that non-salt chlorine pools treated by chlorine only once a week can often have all or most of their chlorine evaporate halfway through the week which can make them prone to algae blooms especially in summer months. A salt chlorine generator fixes this problem by constantly adding chlorine to the pool.
Salt systems solve problems with high-chlorine demand pools
Waterfront properties are constantly being invaded by bacteria from splashes and mist from natural water sources that are untreated water sources and often contain a lot of algae and bacteria. This cross contamination often makes waterfront pools require more chlorine to stay disinfected and makes them more prone to algae blooms and less safe to swim in in general. Adding a salt system to a high chlorine demand pool helps ensure that disinfectant levels never drop to unsafe levels, and they can have a dramatic effect on keeping high chlorine demand pools clean.
Salt Systems in Spas vs. Bromine
Spas typically cannot be chlorine only if treated only once a week and be consistently safe. This is because the hot water of a spa causes chlorine to evaporate quickly possibly leading to unsafe spa conditions mid-week. Adding a salt system to a spa or spa/pool combined system fixes this problem by ensuring that sufficient chlorine is always present in the spa and pool even though the hot spa water causes existing chlorine to evaporate.
Salt Systems and Water Chemistry
A salt chlorine generator does not balance the water’s pH, alkalinity, or calcium so you still need to do that or have that done on a bi-weekly, or ideally a weekly basis.
Salt Systems and Automation Systems
Salt systems can often be paired with a pool automation system giving homeowners or pool professionals the ability to be notified by text or email if there is an issue with the chlorination system, and also by giving homeowners or pool professionals the ability to remotely control the salt system from their smart phone or tablet computer.
Costs to install a salt system
Salt system costs vary by brand and functionality. Typically, systems that can network with an automation system cost a little more.
Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
