Contemplating salt water (saline) pool ownership? There are a few things that you need to know before diving right in. Salt pools aren’t anywhere close to being as salty as seawater. In fact, they have only about one-tenth the salinity. They aren’t completely chlorine-free either. With a saltwater system, pool maintenance is much simpler. The chlorine required is minimal. Which eliminates the need to store and handle hazardous chemicals.

Balancing salt pool chemicals can be a little bit more complex. In a chlorinated pool, when sanitation issues arise, the usual response is add more chlorine. In a salt water pool it takes a bit more than that. Any problems that occur are likely to require the assistance of a swimming pool technician. With that said, there are some great advantages with a saline pool.

Advantages

• More gentle on the skin – lower chlorine levels means less skin irritation
• No more itchy or stinging eyes
• Softer water – smooth and silky water
• More cost effective – in the long run
• Simpler maintenance – salt cells will produce any chlorine as needed

Disadvantages

• Salt pools require a large initial investment – $1,000 – $5,000
• Complex sanitation – when issues arise a technician is more than likely needed
• Damaging to metals – avoid using specific types of heaters, fixtures, underwater lighting, liners
• The cell needs to be cleaned periodically which is a bit of a messy job
• High phosphate levels can cause the generator to malfunction

When considering upgrading your current pool or building a new swimming pool it is important to keep both advantages and disadvantages in mind.