Howdy

[spenhawk]

Hey Gang,

I'm a newbie to pools. We live in a North Houston neighborhood in Texas. We are in the design phase of our in-ground.
We have been asked the dreaded question; Chlorine or Salt. Multiple people / website have pointed me to TFP to help get answers to my weird questions...

Charles.

 

[woodyp]

In ground pool you can't possibly go wrong either way. Biggest reason is that a salt pool IS a chlorine pool. All a matter of how that chlorine is produced and recycled. I'd go with a salt wate chlorine generator if it's in the budget for ease of maintenance. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP!

 

[spenhawk]

Thanks for reaching out so quickly.

The quote for build includes the price for salt. I'm good with the quote.

I'm cool with the chemical fact that you have a Chlorine pool either way. Though I was initially surprised.

I have come to the conclusion that, for me, there are 2 real pros for a Salt pool

1) Great feel on the skin.
2) In the Covid-19 era, salt may be easier to find than Chlorine.

Number 1 is enough for me to lean towards salt.

My real concern ( that I cannot quantify and need help with) is how much damage can salt do to our property.

I have been told some pretty horrific stories.......

First, I have a fairly small backyard from a depth perspective.

Situation -

1) No Flagstone in pool design (Travertine for coping and lots of cool decking)
2) Grass and Trees in the back yard will be minimized to areas of easement only (Grass is bad for me)
3) In some areas, the pool will be as close to our house as 5ft.
4) The AC units will be as close as 15 ft to 20 ft. The AC units will be separated by a wood fence from the pool area.
5) No metal based furniture

Concern -

How much damage can I expect to the AC units, down spouts, Bluetooth speakers and Window metal areas with a pool that close?

Is there a preventive treatment?

Thanks

Charles.

 

[jark87]

First of all, add low maintenance to your list of pros. I’ve had a SWCG for 13 years and the only chemical I add on a regular basis is a little muratic acid roughly 1x per week to keep the pH in check. And I’m hoping to find the right pH/total alkalinity balance through the help of this site to reduce that maintenance even further.

I’ve also had the flagstone coping for 13 years and it’s in as good of shape as the day it was installed. Our pool isn’t close to the house or AC units, but I don’t think you need to be overly concerned. The amount of salt in the pool is very low - nothing like sea water. I’m sure others will weigh in with more specifics on this.

 

[spenhawk]

My mistake here.

Perhaps, I mistook for Flagstone for Sandstone........

I hear ya about the cost savings.......

Appreciate the response.

Thanks
Charles.