A Salt Pool

What is a salt pool, and why would I want one?

With North Texas’ long swimming season, and especially here in Rockwall near the lake, “Salt” pools are becoming very popular.

In essence, a chlorine generator (the official term for salt systems) is nothing more than a piece of equipment that uses electricity to split a molecule of salt into hypochlorous acid (the active ingredient, if you will, for sanitizing pool water). After this process, the salt reforms again and is continuously split, reformed, and on and on. The beauty of a chlorine generator is that salt doesn’t “wear out”. The only way it goes away is through splash out, heavy rains, or backwashing. The salt is usually kept between 2700 ppm (parts per million) and 3400 ppm. To provide a point of reference, that is about half the level of a tear, or about 1/20th of seawater. Most swimmers can’t even taste it.

The hardware required is pretty basic- a “cell” that is plumbed inline after the pump and filter, and a power module that usually mounts to the wall. The cell contains rows of thin plates that perform electrolysis that splits the salt into chlorine. It is important to keep these plates clear of mineral deposits to make sure the system runs at top efficiency. Many current automated systems can skip the extra power box and mount directly to the main power center. On some above ground models, there is a timer included with the power center as an added bonus. Most systems will be self-cleaning, which means they reverse the power flow every so often to minimize mineral deposits in the cell.

Most manufacturers recommend inspecting the cell every 90 days, and suggest cleaning the cell as needed with a muriatic acid/water mix as needed. I tell my customers to get a bucket, pour the recommended mix through the cell, and continue until there is no more visible calcium on the plates. With our hard water, it is especially important to clean the cell regularly.

It is VERY important to remember a salt pool is NOT maintenance free. The basic difference is how the pool gets chlorine- no more storing and throwing chlorine into the pool- outside of an occasional shock dose when needed. However, you still must monitor and correct alkalinity, pH, and Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer). Most customers see a consistently higher pH with a salt system, but find that a few doses of muriatic acid every week keeps that in check. With darker bottomed pools, this is especially important as the water is holding more solids (the salt as well as minerals, etc.). Since the water is more “full”, calcium is more likely to settle out and lighten those dark finishes. Some specialty chemicals have been designed to reduce this effect, so it’s important to add these regularly. NEVER use feed salt or table salt when adding to the pool- they are not pure and may contain iron or iodine which will stain pool surfaces. Water softener grade salt or better (over 99% pure) is optimal.

Once you swim in a saline pool, you’ll notice your hair and skin are softer, your eyes are not red, and the water will tend to be clearer than before. And the best news of all- most pool owners expect to recoup the initial cost of the hardware in the first four years, while enjoying that nicer swimming environment. So go ahead and learn more about salt- and next time you go on vacation you won’t have to worry that you didn’t fill that tablet floater before you left!