Both saltwater and conventional freshwater pools utilize chlorine to keep the water clean and sparkling. The distinction is that one kind of pool program creates its own chlorine, while the other needs that chlorine be added periodically. Individuals who exhibit skin and eye irritations to chlorine, and those concerned about having pure chlorine in their own swimming water may wish to think about alternatives.
Chlorine in Pools
Chlorine kills harmful bacteria in swimming pools. The chemical also works along with pool filtering systems to maintain the water clean enough to find the bottom of the pool. Chlorine tablets dropped to your typical freshwater pool react with the water to form a weak acid — hypochlorous acid. Eventually, the acidity breaks, and much more chlorine must be added into the pool to store it germs free.
Chlorine Generators
A saltwater pool utilizes exactly the exact same type of pump and filtering system as most freshwater pools, but with one additional item of gear: a chlorine generator. This generator passes a small electrical charge through pool, separating it into oxygen and hydrogen. Instead of chlorine, salt is added to the pool. Brine block, the salt used for softwater systems, or even non-iodized table salt can be used. The salt reacts with all the released hydrogen to make hypochlorous acid. Because the acid weakens, it finally reverts back to salt, and the method starts over again.
Pool Maintenance
Typically, a pool needs about 2 to 4 parts per million of chlorine. Since the chemical evaporates quickly, chlorine tablets are usually highly concentrated, and has to be added every single week, causing chlorine levels to zoom up and down. In saltwater pools, the chlorine source is secure and does not achieve the sometimes-excessive highs of chlorine. Saltwater pools don’t taste salty because they are maintained at just about 4,000 parts per million of salt. People taste salt at about 6,000 parts per million. Originally, about 50 lbs of salt is necessary to deal with every 2,000 gallons of water. After that, saltwater pools need about 50 lbs of salt each year. Like chlorine pools, regular testing for pH levels and parts per million chlorine or salt ensures that the appropriate quantity of chlorine is present to avoid algae blooms or an increase in bacteria.
Possibility of Corrosion
Both conventional chlorine and salt can be corrosive, especially to steel, which can be used in pool ladders along with some internal pump components. Salt is particularly harsh if levels regularly exceed 6,000 parts per million. Aluminum, copper and stainless steel are the most vulnerable to harm from excessive sodium, and salt can also leave deposits on certain varieties of pool finishes.
Chlorine Odor
Conventional freshwater pools typically have a chlorine smell, which can be powerful at times. Asthma sufferers may find that the wires cause them problems, and some folks just don’t like the smell in their bodies, or even in the atmosphere around their pools. Even though saltwater pools contain chlorine, it is not present in large amounts at any given time, so produce no chlorine wires to talk of.
Operating Costs
The price of chlorine production gear adds about $1,000 to the cost of building a pool. Because they create chlorine, rather than get it added in concentrated form, chlorine generators frequently run about 18 to 24 hours each day, which increases your electric bill. However, purchasing chlorine and stabilizers for your pool produces the monthly cost of substances around two to four times more than purchasing salt for saltwater pools.