Salt Water Pool Conversion

April 21, 2023 

From Jim Rattray, CRMC President:

As Colonial Ridge Club reconsiders whether to convert our pool to a salt water filtration system, here are some useful links and information regarding the pros and cons (and some general FAQs) about salt water pools versus chlorine pools.

CRMC has also looked into the UV and other alternatives, but determined that was not viable for our pool.

HomeAdvisor: Saltwater Pool vs. Chlorine

https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/saltwater-vs-chlorine-pool/

Updated 2022

This is the information we sent around last year when we were considering the vote.

Discount Salt Pool: Debunking 5 Common Myths About Saltwater Pools

https://www.discountsaltpool.com/Should-I-get-a-Salt-Water-Pool-System

Updated 2019

Bob Siegel (Concord) sent this information.

Information passed along by Gene Berkery (Fairfax) in an email:

From a friend maybe send out or post in mailroom

Although salt water pools have been around since the 1970s, their popularity has grown rapidly in recent years. This is due in large part to their reduced cost in upkeep. They’re also easier on your skin, hair, and eyes, and you’ve probably heard salt water is healthier than chlorine, too.

Maybe you’ve been thinking about salt water pool conversion to take advantage of all those benefits. But what a hassle that change would be, right? Actually, the conversion process is fairly simple.

Chlorinated pool water can be hard on you because of chemicals called chloramines. These compounds are created when the chlorine in your pool water comes into contact with things like urine and sweat, and they can be harmful in two ways.

First, they aren’t effective at disinfecting the water like chlorine, so water cleaning is inhibited. Second, they cause irritation of the eyes, skin, and lungs. Strong chloramines can build up in the air surrounding a pool, especially indoor pools. When the air is thick with these chemicals, it can even cause coughing or trigger an asthma attack.

Frequent exposure to chlorine can even cause some people to develop an allergy or sensitivity to the chemical. And for those who are already sensitive to it, swimming in a chlorine pool can cause rashes, hives, and itchy skin beyond the simple dryness you may experience from chlorine exposure.

If you have respiratory problems, such as asthma or allergic rhinitis, you may find your symptoms exacerbated by frequently swimming in a chlorine pool. If your pool is causing you discomfort, a salt water pool conversion could be just the solution you’re searching for.

Switching away from harsh chlorine has to be a positive, right? Sure. But the most important thing to understand is that salt water pools are not actually chlorine free. However, the presence of salt in the water reduces the kind of eye and skin irritation you may experience by swimming in a chlorine pool.

A salt chlorine generator creates the same kind of chlorine used in a chlorine pool. It’s imperative to keep chlorine levels stable to inhibit the formation of chloramines.

In a salt water pool, when chlorine levels are stable, and chloramines are not present, the salinity of the water is much closer to the salinity of your natural tear ducts.

This is why it doesn’t hurt to open your eyes in a salt water pool, and why your skin and hair won’t feel as dry after swimming.

You might be surprised to learn that salt water pools contain far less salt than seawater. The ocean’s salt level is 35,000 parts per million (ppm), roughly ten times more salt than that water in a salt water pool.

As a result, the water feels quite soft, and you won’t notice the salt in a salt water pool the same way you do at the beach. It doesn’t even taste salty—but you still shouldn’t drink it.

You may have heard about one potential issue with salt water systems called galvanic corrosion. If you’ve ever lived near the ocean, you’ve seen what happens when salty air and water beat up on metal over time.

Is this really a problem with salt water pools? It can be. It doesn’t just occur on metal objects outside your pool, but can also happen when metals are present in your pool water. You can help prevent this is by installing a zinc anode.

Cheers

Gene