Talked to a few pool builders, 2 have said they would stay away from salt water. From what ive read on here,most everyone recommends salt water. Would hate to go wrong in this area so any advice would be appreciated. Im in central valley California.
Salt Water Generator or not
- Thread starter rgz82
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,276
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You will find the vast majority of us on the forum with SWCG would never have a pool without one. They add the chlorine your pool needs every day. You still need to test often, adjust the % setting when needed, check pH, TA, etc. But not having to carry liquid chlorine home, store it, add it every day, makes them priceless in my book.
Pool builders do not like them because many pool owners do not manage their pool water chemistry. They have a pool 'service' do it and they then have issues with scale, poor pH management, etc. Do your own pool service. Get a robot to clean the pool.
Pool builders do not like them because many pool owners do not manage their pool water chemistry. They have a pool 'service' do it and they then have issues with scale, poor pH management, etc. Do your own pool service. Get a robot to clean the pool.
I wouldn't have a pool without one. Its so easy to maintain the chlorine.
I have 3 friends with SW pools also, and they feel the same way.
Im sure most of the folks here at TFP feel the same, and there are thousands of us.
So I dont know why PBs dont recommend SWGs, but we hear that a lot.
I will say this though, if you are going to have a SWG, then planning for that is key. And what I mean is dont go pick out a set of wrought iron patio furniture, because it will rust quicker around saltwater than fresh water. Aluminum, polyplastics and lots other materials are SWG friendly, so keep those types of things in mind.
I have 3 friends with SW pools also, and they feel the same way.
Im sure most of the folks here at TFP feel the same, and there are thousands of us.
So I dont know why PBs dont recommend SWGs, but we hear that a lot.
I will say this though, if you are going to have a SWG, then planning for that is key. And what I mean is dont go pick out a set of wrought iron patio furniture, because it will rust quicker around saltwater than fresh water. Aluminum, polyplastics and lots other materials are SWG friendly, so keep those types of things in mind.
How has your decking around your pool held up? That seemed to be the biggest complaint from pool builder. I've spent alot of time researching on this forum and had my mind set on SWG but was thrown off when pool builder disagreed.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,276
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
We have pavers. No effect.
Realize that a pool chlorinated with liquid chlorine will have ~1000 ppm salinity after a season or so. A SWCG pool has 3000 ppm salinity.
Realize that a pool chlorinated with liquid chlorine will have ~1000 ppm salinity after a season or so. A SWCG pool has 3000 ppm salinity.
82,
Here is a story for you that I have shared in the past...
I have a rent house that came with a pool and Flagstone coping... It was a standard tab-fed chlorine pool... You could look at the coping and see where some of the coping stones were shedding very thin lays of sand.. other stones right next to the "bad" one were not.. About 50% of the stones were good and 50% bad... About a year later we converted over to a saltwater pool, that was about 6 years ago.. Today, the bad stones are just as bad as they were 6 years ago and the good stones just as good as they were.
The point being is that the quality of the stone has a lot more to do with stone wear than the very small amount of salt that is in the pool water.
I currently have three saltwater pools and none of them have had any issues with saltwater.. I will never have another type of pool. If I could only choose between the stone I wanted or a saltwater pool, saltwater would win every time... The visual pleasure will soon fad, but the chore of maintaining a pool will go on forever. I suggest that you get the easiest one to maintain to begin with.
Thanks,
Jim R.
Here is a story for you that I have shared in the past...
I have a rent house that came with a pool and Flagstone coping... It was a standard tab-fed chlorine pool... You could look at the coping and see where some of the coping stones were shedding very thin lays of sand.. other stones right next to the "bad" one were not.. About 50% of the stones were good and 50% bad... About a year later we converted over to a saltwater pool, that was about 6 years ago.. Today, the bad stones are just as bad as they were 6 years ago and the good stones just as good as they were.
The point being is that the quality of the stone has a lot more to do with stone wear than the very small amount of salt that is in the pool water.
I currently have three saltwater pools and none of them have had any issues with saltwater.. I will never have another type of pool. If I could only choose between the stone I wanted or a saltwater pool, saltwater would win every time... The visual pleasure will soon fad, but the chore of maintaining a pool will go on forever. I suggest that you get the easiest one to maintain to begin with.
Thanks,
Jim R.
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