We are in the finale stages before we break ground on our in-ground pool which will be a vinyl lined 16x34 humpback kidney design 3’ to 8’ deep. We have spoken with 3 different installers none of which had anything good to say about a salt systems and one has suggest using bromine as opposed to chlorine. We are at a complete lost as to what system to choose. Every person (other than the installers) we have talked to say go with salt. What do we choose?
Help! What do we choose for a water sanitizer?
- Thread starter Wess77
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,351
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum!
I am personally very biased on using salt and a SWCG. Easy. Pleasant. Consistent.
Bromine -- normally used in spas. Read How do I use Bromine in my spa (or pool)?
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
I am personally very biased on using salt and a SWCG. Easy. Pleasant. Consistent.
Bromine -- normally used in spas. Read How do I use Bromine in my spa (or pool)?
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,449
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
In order of preference:
1 - salt
2 - liquid chlorine
3 - bromine
Trust owners, not installers. Installers don't have to live with the hassles they create.
1 - salt
2 - liquid chlorine
3 - bromine
Trust owners, not installers. Installers don't have to live with the hassles they create.
So I was going with salt and a vs or 2 speed pump. My PB recommended mineral/chlorine and single speed pump. Of course I trusted the “experts”, boy am I kicking myself, do your due diligence and research. I did look into it but was shocked at how every PB we talked to said Single and chlorine! I feel like I want to swap it out even before my pool is finished
Wes,
I have three saltwater pools... I have had zero problems with all of them... I would just as soon fill them in, rather than sanitize with anything else...
In the 19 combined years I have had these pools, I have never had algae bloom.. I usually don't even answer SLAM questions, as I have zero experience performing a SLAM...
If I were to build another 100 pools, they would all be saltwater pools.
To make a saltwater pool work the best, there are several things that have to happen...
1. Make sure the salt cell is rated for at least 2 x the volume of the pool. This is because cells are rated when running at 100% output and 24/7. Making the cell larger allows you to run the cell at a lower output.
2. Salt pools are so easy to take care of, owners sometimes become complacent and forget all about keeping their water balanced.. This often leads to disappointing results.. No matter what kind of pool you have, you still must routinely test to make sure your water stays balanced...
3. You should expect that you will need to run your pump longer so that the salt cell can generate the amount of chlorine your pool needs to operate. Running longer is more costly with a single speed pump, so a VS or 2-speed pump, is almost mandatory if going with a saltwater pool.
4. A general lack of understanding about how salt systems work often leads to wrongly assuming that the salt system has failed, when most of the time it is simply operator error that is the problem, and not the salt system.. A common example is algae... If you let your FC level get too low, for too long, your pool will get an algae bloom.. Your SWCG can not generate more chlorine that an algae bloom can consume.. Many home owners assume their cell is bad, when in truth, the cell is fine and the problem is how the home owner is attacking the algae problem.
That said, if you follow the TFP pool care process, you will never get algae and you will never have to add weekly bags of "shock" or put any other magic pool store potions into your pool... EVER!
Go SWCG or go home and fill that hole in...
Thanks,
Jim R.
I have three saltwater pools... I have had zero problems with all of them... I would just as soon fill them in, rather than sanitize with anything else...
In the 19 combined years I have had these pools, I have never had algae bloom.. I usually don't even answer SLAM questions, as I have zero experience performing a SLAM...If I were to build another 100 pools, they would all be saltwater pools.
To make a saltwater pool work the best, there are several things that have to happen...
1. Make sure the salt cell is rated for at least 2 x the volume of the pool. This is because cells are rated when running at 100% output and 24/7. Making the cell larger allows you to run the cell at a lower output.
2. Salt pools are so easy to take care of, owners sometimes become complacent and forget all about keeping their water balanced.. This often leads to disappointing results.. No matter what kind of pool you have, you still must routinely test to make sure your water stays balanced...
3. You should expect that you will need to run your pump longer so that the salt cell can generate the amount of chlorine your pool needs to operate. Running longer is more costly with a single speed pump, so a VS or 2-speed pump, is almost mandatory if going with a saltwater pool.
4. A general lack of understanding about how salt systems work often leads to wrongly assuming that the salt system has failed, when most of the time it is simply operator error that is the problem, and not the salt system.. A common example is algae... If you let your FC level get too low, for too long, your pool will get an algae bloom.. Your SWCG can not generate more chlorine that an algae bloom can consume.. Many home owners assume their cell is bad, when in truth, the cell is fine and the problem is how the home owner is attacking the algae problem.
That said, if you follow the TFP pool care process, you will never get algae and you will never have to add weekly bags of "shock" or put any other magic pool store potions into your pool... EVER!
Go SWCG or go home and fill that hole in...
Thanks,
Jim R.
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,144
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Wes,
Jim and others recommended salt for me years ago. I finally did it a couple of months ago. Should have done it years ago. Life is way better with salt.
Chris
Jim and others recommended salt for me years ago. I finally did it a couple of months ago. Should have done it years ago. Life is way better with salt.
Chris
Please do not listen to your PB. Listen to these guys. I am very happy with my PB and would recommend him to anyone...to build a pool. Not so much with water chemistry. Get the SWG. You won’t regret it.