Are Salt Water Swimming Pools a Better Choice?

It may not burn your eyes, your skin may feel softer, and your hair will not turn green. Although it would seems that a salt-water pool system would be a natural way to go that might not necessarily be the case. The chemical name for the salt used in salt-water pools is sodium chloride. Sodium chloride is the raw ingredient used in making chlorine. The only difference is that the salt-water pool makes the chlorine itself with a salt-water chlorinator instead of you buying the chlorine and adding it yourself.

The initial cost of salt is much more expensive then chlorine. The major difference though is that salt rarely has to be replaced. A properly built pool minimizes salt loss from splash outs or leaks. In most cases you will only have to replenish water that has been lost through evaporation. Evaporation leaves the salt behind so in this sense it lasts and lasts. Some erroneous reports have stated that salt water swimming pool owners will have to replace about 400 lbs of salt each year. This would only be true if your average owners is splashing out or losing about 16,000 gallons of water each year. This just does not happen.

What you will end up paying for though are the parts that corrode due to exposure to salt. Pumps and gears can easily succumb to corrosion to due to salt exposure. Natural stones and pool furniture will also suffer from regular exposure.

With all the cons and problems of a salt-water pool and the salt-water chlorinator, it does not seem to be the perfect choice anymore. Just because the salt-water works in the ocean does not mean that is should be brought into your swimming pool. There are much better and chemical free ways to produce the crystal waters of the ocean in your own swimming pool.

There are more natural cleaning systems so that you don't have to rely on harsh salt and chlorine chemicals in salt water pools. An ionic water purifying system using copper ions and including a natural oxygen oxidation process is one such method that cleans your pool water. Water cleaned naturally with such a purifying process is sparkling clear and the water remains cleaner for a longer period of time, regardless of how many bathers use your swimming pool.

So what is the better choice for you? Probably neither. The constant care and difficulty associated with both chlorine and salt systems is enough to turn anyone off. Instead consider a chemical free solution. Chemical free pools are cheaper to maintain and do not expose you to extra salt and chlorine.