We're in the process of building a large in ground free form pool (42'x22')+ spa. My head is spinning on whether a SWG is healthy for my family or not. I've read they'll dehydrate your body, create dangerous chemicals etc. I honestly cant make up my mind. Is there a definitive, unbiased place to read up on the safety of salt water pools?
Trying to make a decision on SWG
- Thread starter texasmeat
- Start date
We are on our 2nd salt pool (we moved from Florida to Virginia and had to start over). In my opinion a salt pool does not dehydrate your skin or hair, and actually feels better than a chlorine pool, which IMO does dehydrate. I don't know what dangerous chemicals it could possibly be creating???
I think pool companies don't like to sell salt systems because it reduces their sales over time, since you aren't spending all of your money on chemicals, and therefore they won't promote the sale of salt. They will tell you how bad it is, how it will corrode your pool. Our new pool was made specifically for salt.
In 6 years of having salt pools I have only seen green water once, and that totally my fault for not adding salt and turning the system on soon enough in the season. 24 hours on superchlorinate and we were back to normal.
Talk to experienced pool owners, like myself, and I don't think you will hear a lot of negative comments about salt.
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A saltwater pool is a chlorine pool. All the same chemicals are present in both. All the SWG does is generate the chlorine for you instead of you having to manually add it everyday. Either are perfectly safe if you maintain the chemistry correctly.
The "harmful" chemicals that could be created are CC (combined chlorine) and only might result if you are not maintaining a high enough FC level (which is a function of your CYA) in either type of pool.
How much Pool School have you read? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
The "harmful" chemicals that could be created are CC (combined chlorine) and only might result if you are not maintaining a high enough FC level (which is a function of your CYA) in either type of pool.
How much Pool School have you read? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Firstly, let's be clear. A salt water pool IS a chlorine pool. Repeat: A Salt pool/salt water pool IS a chlorine pool. Rather than using liquid, solid, or granular chlorine products, the chlorine is made/generated with the SWG/SWCG/SaltWaterChlorineGenerator.
Most folks that use a SWG love them. The water does feel softer and silkier.
If you do a search, you will find lots of threads with pros and cons of a salt pool.
Correct, a salt pool is a chlorine pool, I apologize for that. But there is difference in how your skin and hair feel after the swim, the smell of your clothes. If pool stores really wanted to sell them, they would set one up and let everyone take a dip. 
You can add salt to any pool and have that feeling even without a SWG. Borates supposedly make the water feel even better.
If you smelled a lot of chlorine, then that pool was not balanced well.
If you smelled a lot of chlorine, then that pool was not balanced well.
I agree with this. If you decide to install a SWG just be aware that it can be very hard on some of the soft flagstones we get here in Texas. Be sure you seal, and re-seal periodically, any natural stone near the pool. I would avoid flagstone altogether.
I converted to a SWG this spring and it is great. Lovely clear water, low maintenance, nice feel on the skin. Well worth it.
Compared to typical liquid chlorine pools, the only people harmed by SWG pools, are the people who make their money by selling pool chemicals.
I can't imagine owning a pool without a SWG.
I can't imagine owning a pool without a SWG.
Wow, thanks for all the responses. Yes, I have read the pool school thoroughly. I was referring to an article I had read that talked about the chlorine produced by SWG's is more concentrated and more toxic than store-bought chlorine. Is this BS or what? Is the chlorine produced identical?
You don't want to swim inside the SWG cell. the chlorine is pretty concentrated there. But yes, it is BS.
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the chlorine is pretty concentrated there. But yes, it is BS.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My PB gave me every reason under the sun as to why I did not want a SWG. "The walls are steel and the salt will eat them" the cells have to be replaced". It is expensive to buy". Blah blah blah. All malarkey.
The bottom line is those that say you don't want them either A) don't understand them and how they work or B) sell chlorine tabs and floc.
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The bottom line is those that say you don't want them either A) don't understand them and how they work or B) sell chlorine tabs and floc.
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Hemess
0
I can't believe choosing between SWG and old fashioned manual addition of chlorine was such a huge decision for me....it really is a no brainer...go salt.
Saturday I went in to my pool supple store (amazing local business, so friendly and so NOT chain business). The guys in there know me by name and they asked, "where have you been all summer?" The answer of course was, "my pool has been great!" Pool business see very little of their salt customers.
Saturday I went in to my pool supple store (amazing local business, so friendly and so NOT chain business). The guys in there know me by name and they asked, "where have you been all summer?" The answer of course was, "my pool has been great!" Pool business see very little of their salt customers.
svenpup
LifeTime Supporter
What article? It is impossible to refute some phantom article.
Yes. Total BS.
No. An SWG is better since it provides a more constant level of FC. This allows you to use a lower target FC since you don't have the daily fluctuations and you never accidentally forget to add chlorine.
I maintain a lower FC with my salt pool than a similarly balanced regular pool would require. So there's the end of that argument.
Chlorine is chlorine. It is an element on the periodic chart. There aren't different versions. It isn't like the SWG makes some weird isotope of chlorine that isn't present in a bottle of bleach.
I like the idea of a SWG, but there are corrosion issues you should plan for. Specifically, make sure the diving board platform and basketball set-ups are polymer or stainless. We chlorinate with bleach, but our friends have basically the same pool and have a SWG. Their basketball set-up lasted one year, but the replacement was made for salt water and they have not seen other issues. I am still on the fence about any long-term issues on all of the aluminum coping associated with an auto-cover, but would like to not lug the bleach bottles as well