The vast majority of the folks here use salt water systems. I caution you that the "BioGuard" pool care systems are great for the pool store and costly for you.
Think of it in mediacl terms, for every name brand drug there is a generic substitute. The pool store want you on a "system" so they can keep selling you the high priced stuff when our method of pool care has shown that the stuff you need are available at the local grocery store, big box hardware store or WalMart.
You are doing a great job by researching before you get the pool and fall into the traps set by the stores. Most folks here spend less than $50 a month on their pool and if you do go salt that may drop to less than $20 a month.
To follow the pool care methods taught here you need to arm yourself with the knowledge and tools necessary to care for your pool.
The knowledge is condensed in the
Pool School link at the top of every page. It is a great community here, but we do ask that you read and try to understand the information being taught. Questions are always welcome and folks will try to direct you and teach you the methods.
The tools are not limited to the brushes, vacuum hoses and other stuff you use around the pool, but include the most important item - one of the
recommended test kits. You can buy a kit at a pool store, but again the pool store kits generally won't cut it. To effectively practice the TFPC methods, the FAS/DPD chlorine test is essential. All these kits contain that test while very few other kits do. Think of it this way, do you see a doctor blindly prescribing drugs without seeing the patient or having tests run? Here at TFP we are going to ask for photos so we can see the condition of the water and are going to ask for a full set of test results
