I have been told that pools with a SWG are easier on the skin/body/hair that chlorine pools. Is this a true statement? The reason I ask, is that I am also under the impression that the SWG still generates the same chlorine that is used in most pools, so not sure why it would be better water. Can someone answer this simple question for me?
Basic SWG question
- Thread starter Yev
- Start date
I think it is a perception issue. You are correct, chlorine is chlorine, it's all the same.
The salt makes the water feel softer. The recommended chlorine levels for SWG pools are less than for non-SWG pools.
An SWG pool has salt in it, which isn't normally present in a non-SWG pool. That salt level is closer to the salt level of the human body than it would be in a non-SWG pool, so ever so slightly less harsh. The water feels silkier and there is less eye irritation. You could add salt to a non-SWG pool and get the same effect.
The other effect is that SWG pools are typically better managed than non-SWG pools. It doesn't need to be that way, it is certainly possible to take care of a non-SWG pool well. But in practice people seem to have fewer problems when they have a SWG, so lower CC levels. Since CC is an irritant, on average a SWG tends to have lower CC levels and is less irritating. Of course if you care for your non-SWG pool in the way we recommend that wouldn't be an issue there either, as it is simple enough to keep CC down without a SWG if you know what you are doing.
The other effect is that SWG pools are typically better managed than non-SWG pools. It doesn't need to be that way, it is certainly possible to take care of a non-SWG pool well. But in practice people seem to have fewer problems when they have a SWG, so lower CC levels. Since CC is an irritant, on average a SWG tends to have lower CC levels and is less irritating. Of course if you care for your non-SWG pool in the way we recommend that wouldn't be an issue there either, as it is simple enough to keep CC down without a SWG if you know what you are doing.