Qs about salt v. chlorine

[DMS2014]

Sooooooo I want a saltwater pool. I have been told that they suck, that it was a fad, that it's corrosive and will eat the pump, that salt is chlorine, blah, blah. Went to a pool supply store yesterday and I was told that that's not true, that you can use any pump and the insides are plastic and won't be eaten Nor will your plaster! I was also told the solution to the chlorine was the oxygenator thing. But the pool store guy said they don't work very well in our part of the country.

Cripes!!!!

I have a headache. Then last night I saw that you have to make sure that your skimmers are plumbed a certain way bc builders will take shortcuts and that will cost us money over the years. It's very important to us that we build an efficient pool. I want to save money down the road not up front and for a long time.

So what is true? we also want to put in a hot tub but not attached to the pool. Can we bury it? we figure if the guy is out digging the pool, why not dig a hole? Just thinking........

Oh, and what about solar panels for heating and cooling down?
OH and what about the in ground pool cleaner built specifically for your pool? Is it really worth the money????It's made by...Platinum? No. that's not right. Too lazy to run downstairs and look.Paramount. (I yelled down to the husband)

This is a very big investment and I want to make the right decisions. Can y'all help me here?

 

[JasonLion]

A SWG can be an issue for certain kinds of soft natural stone, which happens to be common around Texas. Other than that there really aren't any significant problems.

Skimmer plumbing problems are quite unusual. Though a fair number of builders will plumb a main drain to the skimmer, which is very unfortunate. The main drain should be plumbed back to the equipment pad.

You can partially bury a hot tub, but you do need a way to access the drain, and also the equipment repair panel in case some part ever requires repair.

Solar panels are good if you have somewhere to put them.

In-floor cleaning systems have some significant negatives, though many people in dusty areas love them.

 

[Donldson]

I will let others offer the pros and cons of an SWG, but a salt pool IS a chlorine pool. It converts electricity and salt in to chlorine. The chlorine is then used and becomes salt again and the process starts anew.

There are only 3 sanitizers approved in the US, chlorine, bromine, and biguanide (baquacil). Any other "alternative" such as ozone, UV, or minerals will require you to still use one of those 3 sanitizers.

At TFP we recommend the use of strictly chlorine, either produced by an SWG or added in the form of sodium hypochlorite (often called liquid chlorine or bleach) either manually or through an automated system. Bromine cannot be stabilized against the sun and is not a great choice for an outdoor pool and you will find a whole list of people on the site who will never use baquacil again. Alternatives are discouraged overall. Some are not helpful, some are marginally helpful but cause a whole host of other problems.

If you have any concerns about chlorine safety please read up in the Pool School. There are a LOT of myths and misunderstandings on the subject. And welcome to TFP!

 

[doobs41378]

We love our SWG and would get it again in a heartbeat if putting in a new pool....

 

[kwnewbie]

We love our SWG also. We are in the Houston area, have had the pool for a year now and have zero complaints.

 

[zimm]

Go salt! I converted. Beats adding chlorine everyday. Read up on salt pools in pool school (see button at top?).

The pool is still technically "fresh water" compared to ocean water. For a SWG, it's only 3000 parts per million which is saline or tear level. Ocean water is 35,000+ PPM.

 

[Divin Dave]

I love my Saltwater Generator just as much as I love Saltwater fishing !! They both ROCK!

 

[DMS2014]

I just noticed everyone has their pool stuff at the bottom. Now if I coudl see pictures to go with that
thank you for the replies.
I browsed pool school a bit but didn't see a topic that addressed my particular questions about salt v chlorine.
I had heard that salt is chlorine and that it eats natural rock and you have to seal it.

Ahh I forgot about being able to do maintenance on the tub. thanks for that.

Does anyone have any thoughts on hot tubs or where I should start looking? I want a therapeutic one with a lot of jets.

I got an email from one pool building today asking about plaster if we wanted the pebble tec. He's trying to price it for us but I want more than one builder's drawing and prices. They come out but then I see nothing.

 

[DMS2014]

Oh, one other things - one PB said something about adequate drainage, that a lot of builders don't use a certain size pipe and they don't have it flowing out away from the pool....

 

[pooldv]

We are on our second saltwater pool. Love it, every pool we ever have from now on will be salt. Solar panels are great. Make sure you listen to Isaac-1 and get a solar controller. Our Pentair Solartouch paired with the VSpump makes all the difference in solar efficiency.

 

[bpricedo]

We have salt and wouldn't have it any other way. I have a freestanding spa and just use bleach in it but I'm glad I don't have to in the pool. 3 years now have never had a green or cloudy pool. The water is a little salty, certainly not like seawater, more like sweat.

For spas, I have owned 2 Hot Springs spas. Have loved them both. The first one I bought in 1998, just traded it in last year. The new one is very nice though it has a slick glossy finish and my old one had a nice pebbly textured shell that I liked better. Other than that, the strength of the jets and the overall design is much better, it is very therapeutic. Ours is the Vanguard. We like the open seating rather than the loungers. I wouldn't bury it as Jason said above. Would need a french drain as water could not go around the shell plus access to the equipment, etc. Ours is up on the deck by the pool, it looks nice. I have a link in my sig, can see pictures there! The last page has pictures of the new spa by the pool.