With all the hassle, expense, and disadvantages that come with chlorine, many pool owners have chosen to go the way of the salt water pool system. On the surface, a salt water pool to them sounds like a win-win situation; the way it is marketed, a salt water pool is natural, easy, and goodness, if the ocean is made of salt, then it must be good for you pool, too. Right?
Unfortunately, these assumptions are just that– assumptions. Few look into the science of how these systems clean your pool water, nor do most realize the repeated and troublesome expenses they will have to pay– not just to keep up their salt water, but to maintain their pool itself. Salt water pools use a salt water chlorinator to derive the chlorine from the sodium chloride that makes up salt. This generated chlorine is what disinfects your pool in a salt water pool. So, really, it is still chlorine. And besides this, salt water pools are prone to corroding metals faster (so your ladders will need replacing sooner– an added expense), wearing liners and paints sooner (making your pool maintenance expenses all the more costly), and takes more upkeep to run properly than many are initially led to believe.
Another risk to salt water pools that often goes unnoticed is its damage to our environment. The excessive salt that is used with these salt systems cannot be remedied, refined, or eliminated by water treatment facilities, and so all this excess salt returns into nature, damaging wetlands and other natural, precious resources. In fact, starting in 2005, parts of California started to ban salt water pools altogether. You can read more about the Salt Water Pool Ordinance here. Added to the list of dangers you’ve already read, the ordinance ends with this goal: “to reduce the amount of chloride going into the Santa Clara River.” This coming from a directive about salt water pools.
If you’re still thinking of salt water pools, we at Intec strongly encourage you to do your research. We welcome any and all questions about copper ionization, a safe, green, and healthy alternative to both salt and chlorine pools. Copper is healthy for your pool and for you, too, which is a benefit the salt and chlorine pools cannot claim. Definitely something worth looking into.