A saltwater pool can be found in commercial places as well as in homes, and there are many reasons why you can consider a saltwater pool. If you have a fibreglass pool in your house, then it is beneficial to install a saltwater pool. Most pools nowadays are made of fiberglass, considering the numerous advantages it offers. If your swimming pool is made of fibreglass, then converting it to a saltwater pool is easy. The article looks at why you should use a saltwater pool. It also tells you what all are required to make your pool a saltwater pool.
All You Want To Know About A Saltwater Pool
1. What Is It?
A saltwater pool is a type of swimming pool that has salt in it. Normal swimming pools need chlorine to be added to them for maintenance. The chlorine purifies the pool. The problem with chlorine addition is that chlorine water can cause problems for swimmers. Some people are sensitive and experience rashes. A saltwater pool offers a solution for this. It has a salt-chlorine generator. Salt is added to the water, and the generator breaks it into sodium and chloride. The salt in it is in low quantity and hence it does not leave a salty taste. It contains hardly a tenth of the salt found in seawater.
2. Benefits Of A Saltwater Pool
If you get a saltwater pool, then there are many benefits you can experience. They include:
- The chlorine level in a saltwater pool is lesser than in normal pools. This makes it convenient for use by people who have allergies or problems due to chlorine in the swimming pool.
- In fact, people with allergies will be benefitted from swimming in a saltwater pool. The salt is good for the skin and can be helpful in allergies.
- Saltwater is good for the skin. It is a natural exfoliator and can even help in moisturizing the skin.
- Electrolysis is a process used in saltwater pools to separate sodium and chlorine from salt. In the process, hypochlorous acid is created. This acts as a disinfectant and can kill harmful microbes in the pool.
- When you swim in a normal pool with high levels of chlorine, you may smell of chlorine. You will not face this problem in a saltwater pool.
- Swallowing saltwater by mistake can make you feel nauseated in the sea due to excess salt. You will not face any such problem in a saltwater pool since the salt content is very less. It is just like tasting a teardrop. You can even keep your eyes open in a saltwater pool and won’t feel any stinging pain in the eye.
As can be seen, the benefits of a saltwater pool are related to your health. The health benefits are why you should consider having a saltwater pool. The many benefits offered are why most people prefer having saltwater pools at home. A study showed that nearly 80% of pools had switched over to saltwater pools.
3. Is A Saltwater Pool Good For A Fibreglass Pool?
It is obvious that a saltwater pool will contain salt. The question here is when salt is added to a pool, how will it affect the material from which the pool has been made. What effect does this have on concrete, fiberglass, and other materials? The answer to this question will tell you if saltwater is suitable for a fibreglass pool.
- Concrete pools are common. Especially, older pools are made of concrete. If a concrete pool is converted to a saltwater pool, what will happen? Salt has a negative effect on cement. Over a long duration, salt can erode the cement layer in a pool. As a result, the surface will become rough. This makes using the pool a problem. Abrasions and scratches can occur. Of course, this takes a long time. Saltwater and concrete do not go well together.
- Some people use a container pool or a pool with vinyl lining in it over a steel frame. Vinyl pools are popular because they are low-cost. If you convert such a pool to a saltwater pool, then salt can affect the pool negatively. Salt corrodes metal. The vinyl layer is meant to protect the metal but it is not very strong. The result could be corroded pool material.
- The most popular material used to make swimming pools is fibreglass. It is strong, durable, and easy to maintain, which is why it is so popular. Salt from a saltwater pool will have no effect on glass. Further, the glass used in a fibreglass pool is non-porous in nature. As a result, salt will not cause any impact on a fibreglass pool. Any salt collected can be easily cleaned.
From the above, it is very clear that the best type of pool for a saltwater pool is one made of fibreglass. Salt does not impact glass in any way. If you convert your fibreglass pool to a saltwater pool, there are no negative and you will enjoy all the health benefits it offers.
How To Get A Saltwater Pool?
Now that the benefits of a saltwater pool are clear, the next step is to get a saltwater pool. How would you convert your pool to a saltwater pool?
It is very simple to convert your fibreglass pool to a saltwater pool. All you need is a saltwater generator. You then need to add salt to the pool. The saltwater chlorine generator works on the principle of electrolysis. It needs a motor to operate it. Once you add the salt and run the pump, the process starts. It produces chloride that helps to keep the water pure without causing problems. This is because the chlorine is very low in concentration.
The saltwater generator needs cells to work. A set of cells usually lasts for around 3 years. It may cost anywhere from $600 to $2000 for the cells. The actual cost would depend on your pool size.
The next issue to consider is maintenance. You need to regularly add salt to the pool for the system to work. This is actually an advantage. The cost of salt works out to be around $20 every year. If you needed to use chlorine, you may need to pay 6 or 7 times more.
You need to run the pump for around 8 hours daily. This will ensure the salt is converted to chlorine. The cost of running the pump needs to be kept in mind. Another key maintenance aspect is cleaning. Most pools have bacteria and algae that would need to be cleaned, taking up time. The salt in the saltwater pool acts as a disinfectant. This helps to keep away algae and bacteria. This reduces your maintenance work. The overall work and costs for maintenance are less when you have a saltwater pool
Things To Keep In Mind If You Have A Saltwater Pool
When you have a saltwater pool, water from the pool is likely to splash all around. This cannot be stopped. If the deck area is made of concrete, then the salt will erode it. Over time, the surface will become rougher. You are likely to have metal railings and even steps in the pool. Salt will corrode the metal.
The solution to this is to avoid metal and concrete. Alternately, you can use fresh water to wash the railings and deck area regularly. This will ensure salt does not accumulate and cause problems.
A saltwater pool offers many benefits. Salt does not cause any problems when used in a fiberglass pool. This is why you go ahead and easily convert your pool to a saltwater one. Get in touch with a pool consultant or contractor to help you get this done.
