SWG vs Ozone Vs Chlorine

[jgotay718]

Hello Pool Master

I'm less than rookie with pools. I'm planning to build a pool at my home. We are a family of four (4) 95% of the time. I'm a little confuse with the different kinds of pools. Some friends recommend salt, neighbors ozone and family chlorine.

Please help me. Thanks in advance. Atascocita, TX (Houston Area)

 

[Smykowski]

Welcome!

Ozone is easy....don't waste your money. The sun provides UV energy for free that does the same thing as an ozone system.

Saltwater pools are chlorine pools. The difference is that with a saltwater generator, they are much more automatic. With a "manually" chlorinated pool, you will have to put some type of chlorine product in the pool every day or every other day. Cost wise, they are about the same; with SWGs you pay up front.

Take a look at this article in pool school; it may help explain a little further.

 

[Isaac-1]

Ok, first off an SWG pool is a chlorine pool, it just generates the chlorine by passing an electric current through salt water (salt is Sodium Chloride, he current separates the Sodium ion from the Chlorine ion). This allows for a somewhat easier chlorination system, but there are a couple of down sides, the salt water can be corrosive to some soft stones, like flag stone that is very popular in Texas. Also the SWG generating cells have a limited life and must be replaced every few years, if they last their typical expected life the cost of operation of an SWG vs manual chlorination is about the same, but if they die prematurely the SWG can end up costing you more money to operate.

As to Ozone, the short answer is just say no, the long answer is a well built Ozone system can in conjunction with other cleaning practices provide a reasonably sanitary pool, these are often used in Europe where they seem to have a cultural hatred of all things Chlorine. But this is not the typical small residential ozone system found in the U.S., instead we are talking systems with multi thousand gallon holding tanks, large ozone generators, etc. By contrast the inline ozonators sold in the U.S. are at best supplemental oxidation systems, which are only needed in certain special circumstance chlorine pools, primarily indoor pools, and perhaps smaller warmer than average high use pools such as those used for physical therapy. Ozone generators can also be handy for supplemental oxidation in hot tubs, another elevated temperature, relatively small high bather load (to area) application.

Having said all that the choice of type of chlorination system SWG or manual (or metering pump), should be fairly far down on the choices for building a pool, far higher should be type of pool (size, shape, depth), material selection, and equipment / automation choices, and of course placement if you have options in your yard.

 

[laceygirl]

I'm a huge bleach fan... Its easy and doesn't add anything else to your pool except for a little salt, it does what its supposed to.... You can automate your liquid chlorine (bleach) from the very expensive like a logic system with ph adjuster and acid and chlorine doser, or you can go with a product called the Liquidator, or a Stenner Peristaltic pump which works on a timer, or some guy has had great success with a $19 aquarium pump....