How to Convert a Commercial Pool from Liquid Chlorine to a Salt Generator

Converting a pool to salt is better for swimmers' health and the pool's budget.

Chlorine is added to swimming pools to sanitize the water, making it clean and safe for swimming. This harsh chemical is toxic when ingested in its undiluted form by humans or animals. When added to the pool water chlorine may cause skin or eye irritation, discoloration of hair or clothing and headaches due to the odor. An alternative to liquid chlorine is changing the pool to a salt generator, which converts common salt into chlorine for the pool. The amount of generated chlorine is significantly lower and the pools are less expensive to run.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Salt generator system
• Salt
• Pool water testing kits

Instructions

1. Check the owner's manuals (or contact the manufacturers) for the existing pool equipment to ensure that the equipment is compatible with a salt pool system. Ensure the type of pipes connected to the pool are also compatible with salt pool systems. Salt may be too corrosive for certain pool systems and replacing the entire pool system and connecting pipes may prove to be too difficult and expensive to make the salt conversion worthwhile.

2. Drain the current pool water. The chemically treated water in the swimming pool is unnecessary and may cause damage to a salt system.

3. Refill the pool with fresh water.

4. Select a salt generator from a brand that you trust. The generator should have easy to read controls and should produce enough chlorine to support the pool system (check with a pool care specialist for recommendations regarding your specific swimming pool).

5. Wire or have the generator wired to the same electrical source to which the pool pump is connected. This causes the salt generator to be powered on when the pump is powered on so that they can work together.

6. Add salt to the pool. Pool grade salt is recommended to get the best performance from the salt system. A pool care specialist can best recommend an appropriate amount of salt to get your specific pool up and running.

7. Check the chlorine levels and pH levels in the pool water regularly to determine whether your generator needs to be adjusted to make more or less chlorine. You can also take a sample of water into your local pool care store and have them test the water for you, making recommendations about which adjustments to make for the pool.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, the initial amount of salt you add to the pool is much greater than the amounts you add to maintain the pool later on.

References

• "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organic Living"; Eliza Sarasohn and Sonia Weiss; 2009
• Red Square Pools: How to convert your pool to Salt Water
• Home Minders: Should I Convert My Chlorine Pool to Salt Water?
• Custom Built Spas: Saltwater Sanitizing Systems For Spas and Pools! It's Time To Make The Change!