Swimming Pool options

   / Swimming Pool options #41  
Pool companies do not recommend salt systems for 2 reasons.

1. an honest reason - corrosion is a concern.
2. a selfish reason - they won't be selling you pool chemicals very often.

When we ran our saltwater pool for 8 years, I generally did this:

open the pool
top off water
measure salt level
add 4-5 bags of salt $20.
Add 8 oz of algaecide $25 for 32oz bottle.
Add 3-4 gallons of bleach $12.
Add CYA chlorine stabilizer $15.
Enjoy pool for summer.
Add 2oz of algaecide each week.
End of summer, drain down 12" of water and add 3-4 gallons of bleach $12.
Cover pool.

Nothing added all summer long except weekly algaecide. Since salt can't evaporate, all you have to do is keep the pool water level at a relatively consistent level. If there's a drought, you have to add water. If there's a lot of rain and the pool overflows, you may have to add some salt and CYA. But that's rare here.

Now if a kid poops in your pool, or a squirrel dies in it, then yes, you have to shock it just like any other pool.

What I enjoy about the salt water pool is that it's soft water. Smooth and silky. Just a very slight tasted of salt, like your tears. You can open your eyes and not feel a thing, as it's the same salt level as your eyes. It's easy to monitor the levels. You don't get wild swings. The sun doesn't affect the chlorine levels very much. It doesn't wear out your swimwear. It's easy on your hair. It takes me about 10 minutes a week to maintain it.

Now while you save a bunch in chemicals, you spend a lot in electricity, because the salt water chlorine generator pulls some amps.

So I doubt that I save much money with salt water. What I save in chlorine and shock costs, I probably spend near in electricity, so it's probably a wash financially. It's just a lot nicer feeling water and less time messing with chemicals.

We are having a pool installed as soon as the installer gets to us and it will be salt water because the ladies (three of them) like the way salt water makes their hair feel. $2200 extra but happy wife, happy life :). I can’t complain when I was buying my new tractor last year she insisted for me not to cheap out and get what I really wanted.
 
   / Swimming Pool options #42  
Saltwater seems to be the trend these days especailly with hot tub/spa installations. As long as you have proper plumbing, I don't see the down side.
 
   / Swimming Pool options #43  
We are having a pool installed as soon as the installer gets to us and it will be salt water because the ladies (three of them) like the way salt water makes their hair feel. $2200 extra but happy wife, happy life :). I can’t complain when I was buying my new tractor last year she insisted for me not to cheap out and get what I really wanted.
^^^^
This!
I built a new, bigger dog yard MUCH bigger than it needed to be, because that is what my wife wanted....
I too am enjoying my new tractor!
 
   / Swimming Pool options #44  
You can get "smooth" water with "proper" alkalinity levels in a pure chlorine system too.

So Moss, what about the squirrel that poops in your pool?

My maintenance this week consisted of trying to get a bull frog out of the pool. I gave up, and when I returned an hour or so later, it was back by the Koi-less pond.

LOL.
 
   / Swimming Pool options #45  
I have a pond with a liner. Pond is about 55x70x11 ft. Had it for 6 years now.

I use a product called Aquashade and add about a quart once a year. Never had algae. Safe for fish and critters. I get at Tractor Supply.

Aquashade™ Dye | Lake and Pond Aquatic Colorant
 
   / Swimming Pool options #46  
I have a pond with a liner. Pond is about 55x70x11 ft. Had it for 6 years now.

I use a product called Aquashade and add about a quart once a year. Never had algae. Safe for fish and critters. I get at Tractor Supply.

Aquashade™ Dye | Lake and Pond Aquatic Colorant
 
   / Swimming Pool options #47  
Eddie, here in the hill country near Austin we have really hard water. A new shower head will start showing signs of it in 30 days or less. If you are on a well and you have similar water think about that in your pump and dump plan. My tile gets a rough feel fast if the water is not treated. It might build up fast in your pump and filter system. If that’s the case you could by a cheap softener from Sams or Costco and run the hose through it and regen after each use with a trap over it to protect. Just something to think about.
 
   / Swimming Pool options #48  
chlorine is all I have ever used in my pool. The chlorine has Never bothered any of my dogs
 
   / Swimming Pool options #49  
You can get "smooth" water with "proper" alkalinity levels in a pure chlorine system too.

So Moss, what about the squirrel that poops in your pool?

My maintenance this week consisted of trying to get a bull frog out of the pool. I gave up, and when I returned an hour or so later, it was back by the Koi-less pond.

LOL.

The baby pooped in the pool. The squirrel died in the pool. Both required me to shock and sanitize.

 
   / Swimming Pool options #50  
Unless your dogs will habitually drink out of the pool, chlorine won't hurt them.

Salt water systems in pools means you're adding salt, instead of chlorine tablets. But then, the salt(sodium chloride) is split apart so you still end up with chlorine in the water, the way you introduce it is different. Chlorine tablets when improperly stored/used can be dangerous and cause burns, so I guess salt has that going for it. If you had no chlorine suspended in the pool algae would grow on the surfaces with nothing to kill it. Even with chlorine, I still get a bit of algae.
 
 
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