Swimming Pool options

[buck12]

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.

 

[dragoneggs]

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.

 

[homesteader13]

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!

 

[riptides]

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.

 

[shooterdon]

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

 

[shooterdon]

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

 

[Crazydad]

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.

 

[kenmac]

chlorine is all I have ever used in my pool. The chlorine has Never bothered any of my dogs

 

[MossRoad]

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.

 

[fatjay]

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.

 

[MossRoad]

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.

I only add salt at the start of the year when I top off the pool. I add enough to bring it up to 3500ppm. Then I don't have to add any more salt for the rest of the year, unless we get a huge rain that overflows the pool and dilutes the salt.

Salt cannot evaporate. Therefore, once it's in the pool, it stays in the pool, regardless of how much water evaporates. So as your pool level drops due to evaporation, the salt level increases. As you add water to the pool, the salt level decreases.

Chlorine tablets have to get added constantly and consistently throughout the year, wether it's by an automatic system, or manually.

If you forget to add chlorine to your automated system, or to your manual system, you'll be out of chlorine eventually, whereas with salt, you don't have to worry about forgetting, because you never have to add it regularly, because it's always suspended in the water.

The only thing you have to worry about is a power outage that kills the saltwater chlorine generator, but then, your filter pump will be dead too, and so would your automated chlorine dispenser if you had one.

 

[dragoneggs]

I only add salt at the start of the year when I top off the pool. I add enough to bring it up to 3500ppm. Then I don't have to add any more salt for the rest of the year, unless we get a huge rain that overflows the pool and dilutes the salt.

Salt cannot evaporate. Therefore, once it's in the pool, it stays in the pool, regardless of how much water evaporates. So as your pool level drops due to evaporation, the salt level increases. As you add water to the pool, the salt level decreases.

Chlorine tablets have to get added constantly and consistently throughout the year, wether it's by an automatic system, or manually.

If you forget to add chlorine to your automated system, or to your manual system, you'll be out of chlorine eventually, whereas with salt, you don't have to worry about forgetting, because you never have to add it regularly, because it's always suspended in the water.

The only thing you have to worry about is a power outage that kills the saltwater chlorine generator, but then, your filter pump will be dead too, and so would your automated chlorine dispenser if you had one.

That seems to be the beauty of saltwater system in a nutshell, and why I want to go that way next time. Less maintenance assuming your plumbing can handle it.

 

[fatjay]

But still chlorine is present in the water, even if there is an addition of salt. I steadily add chlorine to my system through tablets much in hte way your salt system steadily converts salt to chlorine. Your pool salinity is much higher in the start of the year compared to the end of the year i suspect if you only add once though. But the chlorine level is constant in ideal circumstances. The point is salt isn't a replacement for chlorine as an either-or, salt is converted to chlorine steadily through a system that separates the chlorine and sodium. Which means a salt water system would be as hazardous to animals as a regular chlorine system.

 

[hunt4570]

Eddie, do yourself a favor and go salt water!! I've had both, add chemicals all the time kind, and the one I have now with salt water. A salt water pool is still a chlorine pool. There is a chlorine generator that basically turns the salt in the pool to chlorine. Its as close to maintenance free as you are going to get!
All my cats and dogs drink out of it all the time with no ill effects. Think about it... billions and billions of kids are in pools all the time, they have to make that stuff safe! Yes you have to pay attention to it, but with the salt system generator that is very easy to do. I'm in a warm climate like you are and my pool is open all year long, lots easier than closing and then opening every year!

"Trouble free pool" .com is a good source of information but some things on there (yes I belong) you have to take with a grain of salt.. they are kind of pool snobs on there. My pool is pristine all year long without going through all the hoops they want you to!

 

[riptides]

...My pool...

Nice. And nice layout too.

 

[hunt4570]

Nice. And nice layout too.

Thanks, Its been a project. We started with a little farmhouse.. re did it, added the pool and cabana and all the good stuff. Is about where we want it now.

 

[MossRoad]

But still chlorine is present in the water, even if there is an addition of salt. I steadily add chlorine to my system through tablets much in hte way your salt system steadily converts salt to chlorine. Your pool salinity is much higher in the start of the year compared to the end of the year i suspect if you only add once though. But the chlorine level is constant in ideal circumstances. The point is salt isn't a replacement for chlorine as an either-or, salt is converted to chlorine steadily through a system that separates the chlorine and sodium. Which means a salt water system would be as hazardous to animals as a regular chlorine system.

My pool salinity is constant all year long. I keep it at 35000ppm by adding water back to the normal level as needed due to evaporation.

As I've mentioned twice before, the only time I have to add salt is if we have torrential rains that overflow the pool and dilute the salt. Then I take advantage of the excess water and backwash the filter to get the pool to normal level, measure the salt level with a test strip, and add enough salt to bring it back to 3500ppm.

 

[Big Barn]

Another vote for salt water pool.

 

[dragoneggs]

Another vote for salt water pool.

View attachment 661952

Can't wait for our hot August... will bring my suit. Wife said, 'I hope so'.

 

[dodge man]

I will throw out another thought, vacuuming your pool. I had an above ground and did it by hand with a pole or climbed in and did it, which was usually easier. I always wanted one those that crawled around on the bottom automatically but I do not think they work on above ground. Just keeping the pool vacuumed goes a long way on keeping the water clear.