Hello, I'm about to start construction on our new pool soon. I've been researching salt & ozone systems and would like to get some input on some veteran pool owners of both. I've read that you need to run ozone pumps a whole lot more... so confused and I have to make a decision soon. Please help.
Salt system vs Ozone?
- Thread starter maxx2016
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!!
Salt is the way to go!!
An ozone pool still needs chlorine for sanitation, so why bother?? Anyone who tells you you don't need chlorine does not understand the science or is lying to sell a product. Do a search here on ozone and you will get numerous threads regarding the systems.
Salt is the way to go!!
An ozone pool still needs chlorine for sanitation, so why bother?? Anyone who tells you you don't need chlorine does not understand the science or is lying to sell a product. Do a search here on ozone and you will get numerous threads regarding the systems.
Welcome! 
Go with the salt, if you're determined to have an automatic system. Ozone might be useful for a heavily-used indoor pool, like at a hotel or gym, but it's a waste of money otherwise. Use the search box in the upper right for Ozone and you'll find plenty, including some technical stuff by Chemgeek.
Go with the salt, if you're determined to have an automatic system. Ozone might be useful for a heavily-used indoor pool, like at a hotel or gym, but it's a waste of money otherwise. Use the search box in the upper right for Ozone and you'll find plenty, including some technical stuff by Chemgeek.
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,028
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
Run away from the ozone 
Now a Salt Water Generator is worth every penny, you will still need to run your pump but a VS or 2 speed pump can run on low and have enough speed to generate chlorine.
We recommend at least 2 to 4 times the size of SWG, so if your pool is 20k gal you would get a 40k to 60k SWG. If you are automating stay with that same type equipment IE: Hayward SWG, pump, filter and automation or Pentair SWG, pump, filter and automation... it makes it easy in the long run because everything can communicate..
Now a Salt Water Generator is worth every penny, you will still need to run your pump but a VS or 2 speed pump can run on low and have enough speed to generate chlorine.We recommend at least 2 to 4 times the size of SWG, so if your pool is 20k gal you would get a 40k to 60k SWG. If you are automating stay with that same type equipment IE: Hayward SWG, pump, filter and automation or Pentair SWG, pump, filter and automation... it makes it easy in the long run because everything can communicate..
Welcome to TFP!
As was said, there is no Salt vs Ozone, ozone is only a supplemental oxidation, meaning it does not sanitize your water. In a private outdoor pool it is virtually no help as chlorine can more than keep up with the low bather load. As well natural sunlight breaks down any combined chlorine (the "chlorine smell" you often notice) that arise during use.
Salt is a fine choice, but neither option are required to maintain a good pool. You can manually chlorinate and the results will be just fine. It would be a good idea for you to take a look at the Pool School tab at the top. Since you are in the construction phase you have some time to get a basic understanding of pool chemistry before you even start to fill it. Pool chemicals and salt systems and ozone systems, etc are all like race cars: no matter how good they are they will only work as well as the person behind the wheel can handle them.
Hope all goes well with your build!
As was said, there is no Salt vs Ozone, ozone is only a supplemental oxidation, meaning it does not sanitize your water. In a private outdoor pool it is virtually no help as chlorine can more than keep up with the low bather load. As well natural sunlight breaks down any combined chlorine (the "chlorine smell" you often notice) that arise during use.
Salt is a fine choice, but neither option are required to maintain a good pool. You can manually chlorinate and the results will be just fine. It would be a good idea for you to take a look at the Pool School tab at the top. Since you are in the construction phase you have some time to get a basic understanding of pool chemistry before you even start to fill it. Pool chemicals and salt systems and ozone systems, etc are all like race cars: no matter how good they are they will only work as well as the person behind the wheel can handle them.
Hope all goes well with your build!
People asking about Ozone here often get the opinion that we are against Ozone, we are not, Ozone has a place, but that is almost never in an outdoor residential pool, particularly not in a sunbelt state where you get plenty of free UV from sunlight to break down the combined chlorine products.
So hot tub that spends its time covered = ozone good
Therapy pool kept at near hot tub temperatures, particularly indoors = ozone good
Maybe even outdoor high bather load pool (20+ people in the pool all day every day) = ozone good
But none of these describe the typical residential pool, even if the kids have 3 or 4 friends over to swim 2 or 3 times a week and a big pool party 4 or 5 times per year (which is an EXTREME case), add to it your location in sunbelt state so just say no to Ozone, and don't even think about UV or a mineral system
Ike
So hot tub that spends its time covered = ozone good
Therapy pool kept at near hot tub temperatures, particularly indoors = ozone good
Maybe even outdoor high bather load pool (20+ people in the pool all day every day) = ozone good
But none of these describe the typical residential pool, even if the kids have 3 or 4 friends over to swim 2 or 3 times a week and a big pool party 4 or 5 times per year (which is an EXTREME case), add to it your location in sunbelt state so just say no to Ozone, and don't even think about UV or a mineral system
Ike
What about an outdoor pool with a motorized cover? Which mostly stays closed?
- Jerryk