If you are in the process of buying a home with a saltwater pool or thinking about building a new saltwater pool you might have some questions about the differences between chlorine and saltwater. We’ve compiled a few facts to help explain the differences!
- The main difference between a standard chlorine pool and a saltwater pool is one piece of pool equipment called a salt chlorine generator or sometimes called an electronic chlorine generator.
- This piece of equipment produces it’s own pool chlorine from a small amount of pool salt.
- Saltwater pools have still have chlorine!
- This chlorine is less harsh on the skin and eyes and has no chlorine odor.
- A saltwater pool has 1/10th the level of salt in the ocean.
- You still have to balance the water in saltwater pools. The proper pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness and stabilizer levels must be properly maintained.
- The initial cost of a saltwater pool is higher due to the salt chlorine generator, pool salt purchases and replacement of the salt cell (every 5 years,) but maintenance is much easier, the water is softer and doesn’t irritate the eyes and skin.
- If desired, any pool can be switched from chlorinated to saltwater by installing 2 components: 1-salt cell 2-control unit.
It is important to remember that despite the type of pool you have, proper safety products such as a safety pool cover are the most important part of any pool.
