Salt Pool Chlorine Generator Info

Salt Pool Info

Salt pools are the fastest growing segment of the swimming pool industry today from residential and commercial pool owners. People are spending more and more money building and upgrading their pools. When you have tens of thousands of dollars or sometimes even more invested in your backyard pool why wouldn't you want to best looking and feeling water available?

In this guide I take you through pretty much everything that an informed pool owner will want to know about salt pool technology. With that said you still may have questions after reading it. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions that you may have.

Josh Ulfers, President
SaltPoolGuys.com

The Process Explained

The process uses a low concentration of dissolved salt (sodium chloride) in the water. The salt concentration is typically maintained below the salt taste threshold. A chlorine generator automatically converts the salt into chlorine, which your pool/spa requires to remain algae free and sanitized. The chlorine then reverts back to salt after treating the water. The chlorine produced by the salt makes for much better water quality compared to store bought forms of chlorine.

What's different with a salt pool?

Skin Irritation: Most people report that traditional chlorine pools cause skin irritation and dryness. However when those same people swim in a pool with a salt chlorine generator their skin actually feels rejuvenated.
Stabilizer Levels: One major problem with many forms of packaged chlorine including the majority of chlorine tabs is that it contains stabilizer. One average every 1 lb. of tablets contains .5 lbs of stabilizer. When the stabilizer level becomes too high your chlorine actually stops working making way for algae growth and creating unhealthy water. Many state health boards are realizing this and they have begun to ban stabilized forms of chlorine on public and commercial swimming pools.
Virtually Eliminates Algae: It is very difficult for algae to form and spread in a salt pool because the chlorine being produced is more effective due to the lower amount of stabilizer in the water and constant chlorine production.

The Components of a Salt Pool:

Salt: Different systems require different amounts of salt to be present in the water. The chlorine generators that we sell use only about 3,000 ppm of salt. That's only one teaspoon per gallon of water.
Controller (a.k.a. Power Supply): The controller allows you to set how much chlorine is being produced. Any of the units that we sell actually have digital display screens for ease of use. Many outdated systems simply utilize blinking lights or needle style meters making maintenance difficult and confusing.
"Boost Setting": Although this is a part of the controller we though it was important to bring up. Any modern system will have a boost button which will allow you to turn the system up to 100% production for a set amount of time (usually 24 hours). This is great if you have a swim party and will have a lot of the people in the pool as it allows you to increase the sanitation level.
Cell: This is where the chlorine is actually produced. By adding salt to the water we are making the water conductive. The cell has plates which then convert the salt into freshly produced chlorine. Some cells are self cleaning. A self cleaning cell simply reverses the polarity of the cell plates to clean the cell's surface. All of the salt pool chlorine generators that we sell include self cleaning cells.
Flow Switch/Sensors: Most systems have flow switches and/or sensors to detect water flow, water temperature, salt levels, etc.

Salt Pool FAQs

Won't it be like I'm swimming in the ocean?
This is probably the most common question that people ask us. The answer is quite simply no. Out of all of the salt pool owners who we've talked to just a handful have been able to taste salt. These pools either have too much salt or the person has a lower than usual salt taste threshold. For example a salt pool has 3,000-4,000 ppm of salt whereas the ocean has 35,000 ppm.

How and where do I add salt?
It is best to add salt in the deep end of the pool near the drain(s). The salt dissolves very quickly. While using your pool brush simply brush the excess salt over the drain and it will dissolve. Older salt chlorine generators required holding tanks installed near the pump and filter for salt however these systems are no longer produced making a chlorine generator much easier to install and operate.

Will my water look and feel the same?
No. Two major benefits of adding the salt system will be the clarity that it adds to the water and the feeling it gives to it. The clarity of a salt pool is unmatched. The water will feel much softer. With chlorine pools you typically have a weird skin feeling when you get out of the pool whereas with a salt pool your skin will rejuvenated.

What size system do I need?
The most important thing next to quality is the gallonage rating for the system. If you install a system which is too small it simply won't work properly and you will have to resort to using store bought chlorine to help shock the pool. Example: If a system is rated for 40,000 gallons and your pool is 38,700 gallons it would be best to bump up to the next size system. Even though it may cost a little more, it will be much better in the long run.

What pool maintenance is involved with a chlorine generator?
Salt chlorine generator systems are not the end all to pool maintenance. However they do make it much, much easier. You will still need to maintain all of the proper levels (pH, Alkalinity, etc.). We find that most pool owners who have a salt pool chlorine generator and an automatic pool cleaner don't need to hire and pay for a pool cleaning service.