Pool Saltwater Treatment

Saltwater treatment creates chlorine in the pool as needed.

Chlorine is common in most pools, but it can cause a few problems. When it interacts with too many particles, it tends to form foul-smelling particles. Sometime people may be sensitive to the touch or smell of these particles and have trouble enjoying traditional pools. Saltwater treatment is a way to treat pools without mixing so much chlorine and other chemicals directly into the water.

Definition

Saltwater treatment replaces the average chlorination process with a generator that literally creates chlorine from salt. This means that the pool needs only a low level of salt in order to be purified, and many of the problems associated with chlorine are avoided. The water must cycle through the chlorine generator in order to be purified, but this is done with the help of the pool's pumping system.

Process

The chlorine generator splits apart the salt molecules in the water using a small amount of electrical current. Half of the salt molecule is actually a chloride, which the generator uses to purify the water the same way other chlorine treatments are used. When it is finished, most of the chlorine bonds naturally back to the sodium and becomes salt again.

Maintenance

Saltwater pools are extremely low maintenance. The salt very rarely needs replacement or updating, since it is restored after purification sessions. Sometimes a small amount of bromine is added to the pool for extra sanitization, but this is a more simple process than measuring for chlorine. The cells of the generator grow dirty, and users will need to clean them about once a year.

Benefits

Saltwater treatment gives the water a neutral pH and a softer feeling than chlorinated water, which is helpful to those with sensitive skin. In addition to have low maintenance requirements, the saltwater pools do not require as many added chemicals to the pool water, which can also improve water quality. Salt levels are low enough that they are rarely discernable.

Considerations

The water in a saltwater pool is more corrosive than normal pool water, and there is debate as to whether this will wear away pool components faster or not. Corrosion rates depend on what the pool components are made from. Saltwater treatment is usually more expensive to install than chlorine pools, although lower maintenance requirements lead to lower costs over the years the pool is used.

References

• PoolCenter: Chlorine Generators
• PoolPlaza: Benefits of Salt Water Pools