Benefits and Side Effects of Saltwater Pool
The main benefit of a saltwater pool is that it can be relaxing and help you unwind, which of course is the point of owning a swimming pool. Saltwater pools do not have the harsh chemicals of traditional chlorine or bromine pools. There are no strong odors and it’s very soft on your skin and eyes. It also helps make your pool look great all the time without the need for harsh chemicals.
Saltwater pools are also friendlier to your skin and hair, which can take damage from harsh chemical treatments like chlorine or bromine. If you have sensitive skin, a saltwater pool is definitely worth considering because it will be better for you. The water is also much better for your eyes, to the point that you don’t even need to wear goggles when you’re in it.
Saltwater pools are extremely easy to take care of. You do not have to work hard every day scrubbing and cleaning them like chlorine or bromine pools; all you need is a once-a-week vacuum to clean them up.
Swimming pools are great places for families to have fun together, but they’re also a responsibility. If you own any kind of pool, you need to make sure the proper equipment is available and it is regularly maintained. Even if you hire someone else to take care of it for you, be aware that pool problems can come up at any time, so you need to be ready.
One of the most essential parts of pool maintenance is keeping your water clean and pure. You don’t want chemicals in the water that will irritate you or your guests, so every single day you should be testing the chlorine levels of your pool on your own.
This is a very important step, and it is even more crucial if you have a saltwater pool. When the chlorine levels are too low in your water, your pool will become cloudy and green with algae growth. This can be very difficult to manage by yourself, especially if you don’t want to use harsh chemicals that may irritate people or pets swimming.
The best way to ensure that your pool is always clean and safe for swimming is to invest in an automatic salt water chlorine generator. These generators produce chlorine on their own, so you do not have to worry about checking the levels every day. Saltwater chlorine generators are an affordable way to take care of your pool so you can spend more time having fun in it.
Saltwater pools are also very easy to install and maintain since they do not need any kind of chemicals or complicated systems like traditional swimming pools. If you know absolutely nothing about how to set up an in-ground pool, this is the ideal option for you. Saltwater pools are also cheaper than traditional chlorine pools because they don’t need chemicals. Saltwater pools are also very easy to clean, which saves you time and money.
Saltwater pools are great for people who want to save money on their pool maintenance services because they do not use harsh chemicals like chlorine or bromine.
They are very easy to set up and maintain, especially if you hire someone else to make sure it is done right. If you’re wondering if a saltwater pool is for you, all you need to do is ask yourself what kind of pool would be best for your family and how much work it would be to maintain it.
Dangers of Saltwater Pools:
“All salt systems deposit sodium and chloride ions into the pool water. Liquid chlorine or dry tablets, produced from salt, react with these ions to produce hypochlorous acid (HOCI), which is used in disinfection. Older style low-pressure sodium systems also emit a small amount of visible light radiation (sodium photoluminescence).
The amount of chlorine produced by a salt system is much less than the quantity needed to produce chloramines and other disinfection by-products. Disinfection by-products such as chloramines are not present in any significant concentration in properly operated modern swimming pool water.
During periods of low use, such as during the winter, cyanuric acid levels in the pool water may also build up beyond safe limits.
A salt cell produces chlorine 24 hours per day, even when no one is swimming. When combined with low pH, this situation can result in scale formation on pool surfaces and equipment.”
Saltwater Pools are Corrosive to Metals:
“The corrosion rate for most metals increases as pH decreases below 7.2. Chlorine reacts with water to form hypochlorous acid (HOCI), which is used in disinfection, and hypochlorite ion (OCl-). These corrosive elements are commonly referred to as free available chlorine or FAC. If FAC contacts metal, it will corrode. For instance, FAC can dissolve steel rods used in pool supports within a few months”
Saltwater Pools Cause Ear Infections:
“Saltwater does not enhance the risk of swimmer’s ear since this is largely associated with poor hygiene habits, which are less commonly found among children who swim in saltwater pools.”
No evidence that saltwater pools are easier to keep clean:
“In both systems, large quantities of dirt and debris accumulate on the bottom of the pool. In fact, approximately 80% of a swimming pool’s surface area is hidden from view at any given time because it is buried beneath the waterline or in the depths of the skimmer basket where it cannot be readily seen. Both systems require pool operators to frequently and thoroughly vacuum the pool.”
all of your hair falls out if you swim in a saltwater pool
“Skin and eye irritation may result from chemical burns, primarily due to excessive chlorine levels or byproducts such as chloramines. The use of an automated system alleviates concerns regarding the amount of free chlorine present. Any good chlorinating system will have a sacrificial anode rod to take care of corrosion.”
“Saltwater pools are not known to have any other effect on hair other than drying it out.” this is also false. If you swim in a saltwater pool, your skin cells fall off, therefore all the debris from the pool is in your hair.
The way to stop getting ear infections in saltwater pools:
“All swimmers should shower prior to entering the pool, and take extra care when exiting. The use of alcohol-based sanitizing gel on ears immediately after swimming may be beneficial, but only if rinsed off before entering the water.”
The Need for saltwater pools:
“Pools without salt systems require 4-5 ppm of free chlorine to control algae and bacteria. Salt systems, on the other hand, only use about 0.7 – 1.0 ppm of FAC. Thus, a pool with a salt system has less than half the concentration of FAC that a non-salt pool does.”
“Many of the newer salt systems use recycled brine, which reduces water consumption. Indeed, for every 1000 gallons of pool water, only 500 gallons of freshwater is used to produce 2000 – 3000 gallons of chlorine.”
the effect on hair “Saltwater pools may dry the hair, but this is primarily due to the lack of proper rinsing by swimmers after swimming, which leaves salt residue on the hair.”
“The human body naturally balances electrolytes through the ingestion of food. The ingestion of pool water does not significantly affect electrolyte balance in healthy individuals.”
the effect on ear infections “Ear canals contain special cells called “hair cells” which are responsible for our sense of hearing. These cells act like antennae picking up sound waves and transmitting them to the brain where they are interpreted as sound.”
“Hair cells in the ear canal will not be damaged by small amounts of chlorinated water or salt.”
the visual effect on saltwater pools “Salt is visible in water because of its refractive index relative to that of water.”
the health risk on your eyes if you swim in a saltwater pool “The primary cause of eye irritation is chlorine. Swimmer’s eye is far more likely to occur with FAC levels above 1 ppm, while the risk of irritation is very low at levels below 0.3 ppm.”
how to make a saltwater pool “In the case of a new pool, installers should fill the system with non-potable water from another source to ensure that all surfaces are saturated before adding salt. Fill the holding tank and then add dry salt until full. The salt must be free-flowing granular salt without any additives, such as anti-caking agents. These should not be added to pool water.”
how much salt should you put in your hot tub “Not all systems are the same so it is important to follow instructions provided by the manufacturer? For example, some systems require the water level to be above the saltwater generator or brine tank.”
“With a spa, you must first calculate how many gallons of water are in the system. A good rule-of-thumb is that most spas have 100 – 200 gallons of water.”