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How Does a Saltwater Pool System Work?

Updated July 12, 2019

Table of Contents

  • Benefits of Salt Water Pool
  • How Do Salt Water Pools Work?

If you’ve never heard about saltwater pools, you’re probably thinking, “If I wanted to swim in salt water, why not just jump in the ocean?” But the salt water in the sea is much different than the saltwater pools that use a salt chlorine generator to convert salt into chlorine. Besides the money you save from purchasing chlorine, saltwater pools have a number of other amazing benefits – swimmers attest to the smooth texture of the water, and the absence of the usual pool’s chemical smell.

You might hear other names for saltwater pools – salt chlorine generator, salt water chlorinator, saltwater chlorine generator, or a salt water pool system – all mean pools that utilize direct salt-to-chlorine conversion for water sanitation.

Benefits of Salt Water Pool

With a saltwater pool, you’re no longer adding chlorine to the water – you’re adding salt into a salt chlorine generator which creates the chlorine on the spot. Instead of the acidic smell and feel of chlorine in the water, you have a slightly salty, silky texture, and maybe no particular smell at all.

Because the saltwater chlorine generator creates chlorine directly into the pool, there’s no more constant trips to the store to buy chlorine – you only need to refill the salt every once in awhile. And the salt just as effectively destroys bacteria, algae, and other microbes that turn your water unappealing colors, smells, and could even make you sick.

Since there are lower amounts of chlorine in the water, there is less irritation and redness from the eyes and skin. Studies suggest that saltwater pools are probably better for your health, since chlorine manufacturers add many harmful chemicals to their mix. On the same token, saltwater pools reduce your exposure to chlorine, which is reported to have long term negative health effects.

How Do Salt Water Pools Work?

The salt chlorine generator utilizes an electric current to convert the inserted salt into chlorine. The household AC current between 120 and 240 volts becomes a low-voltage DC current that is sent into an electrolytic cell. As the current runs through one electrode to another, and as salted water runs through the electrodes, it creates chlorine. You can use the computer-controlled device to adjust the level of chlorine being produced, and at what time of day the generator runs.

The saltwater chlorine generator is not a filter, pump, or chemical-adder. A saltwater pool is still technically a chlorine pool; however, it directly converts the salt from its granular form in the water into chlorine through electricity. Less chlorine is present, but keeps the pool just as clean, making for a healthier and more pleasant swim.

Skeptics often cite that salt corrodes parts of the pool – that’s why the chlorine generator cleans itself after it has been active for several hours. Most salt chlorine generators have sensors built into the unit to monitor flow and for automatic shutdown in case something goes wrong.

Even though chlorine is still the end product of the process, pool owners are spared from having to handle chlorine directly. The immediate conversion of salt-to-chlorine is also what gives the water its characteristic silky, smoother texture. You don’t need to purchase chlorine, add it, or keep it stored anywhere on the pool premises. People who are allergic to chlorine don’t need to handle it in its physical form just to keep the pool clean.

Since the salt chlorine generators only produce as much chlorine as the pool requires for sanitation, saltwater pools need much less maintenance than traditional chlorinated pools. There are those who will cite the overall greater cost of owning a saltwater pool – however, many pool owners are more than willing to pay a higher amount in order to reduce the burden of maintenance, keep their health in order, and gift themselves with a softer, gentler swim in a saltwater pool.

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