What Does It Mean If My Saltwater Pool Is Cloudy
There is no direct correlation between saltwater pools and cloudy pool water, if the pool is cloudy this could be a sign of poor chlorine levels or inadequate filtration. Be sure to have your water tested to diagnose the root cause, if you have a chlorinator and the tests show that it is a lack of chlorine, then this could signal a need for a cell replacement, more salt, or both!
Salt Pools: The Truth About Salt Generated Chlorine
Given the popularity of salt chlorine generators in residential and commercial pools, it is appropriate to share some valuable information for saltwater pool owners/operators, or those considering making the switch to salt.
Listen to this topic on our Rule Your Pool Podcast
We spoke with two swim school owners who are considering switching from liquid chlorine to salt. Their reasoning is due to the competitive nature of the swim school businesspotential customers ask them if their pool is chlorinated, because they seem to prefer their kids swim in a salt pool. Those same parents genuinely believe that salt water means there is no chlorine in the water a belief that, while incorrect, is widespread.
Perhaps the myth that salt pools have no chlorine in them comes from the idea that you don’t need to add chlorine to a salt pool. But the truth is, yes, salt pools ARE chlorine pools.
Disclosure: Orenda does not produce/sell/distribute salt, chlorine, or any other type of sanitizer. Orenda products work with any type of sanitizer available on the market today, including saltwater. That being said, the health of pool users matters to us, as well as the sanity of pool operators. This article is meant to be informative about the facts, pros and cons of salt water treatment.
Salt Water Pool Vs Chlorine Pool: Pros Cons Comparisons
If youre in the market for a new pool, theres a lot that youll need to consider when choosing a type of pool. The two main pool systems that you can select from include a salt water pool and a chlorine pool. The main difference with these pool types involves the amount of maintenance and testing that needs to be done with the water. When you select a salt water pool, the generator inside the pool will maintain the chlorine levels for you, which means that the water wont need to be tested as often. On the other hand, chlorine pools require you to manually add chlorine to the water on a weekly basis.
Before you choose a pool for your home, its important to understand how these two pool types differ if you want to make the right decision. Even though both pool types provide homeowners with numerous benefits, they work very differently.
This article will go into greater details about the pros and cons of these types of pools while also providing you with an in-depth comparison.
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Do You Use Chlorine In A Saltwater Pool
One of the myths about saltwater pools is that they dont use actual chemical chlorine. This is not true. While a saltwater pool uses a chlorinator to produce sodium hypochlorite from salt that is added to the system, it still requires actual chemical chlorine at times to operate correctly.
While the amount of chemical chlorine you need to use in a saltwater pool is relatively minimal, it still does need to be used at times.
High Chemical Levels Can Cause Harm
Saltwater pools may produce chlorine, but this doesnt mean you dont have to add chemicals to the pool. Saltwater pools need chemical treatments every week.
One of the chemicals required to ensure your salt chlorine generator reaches the required stabilizing levels is cyanuric acid.
High cyanuric acid levels can harm children, pets, the environment, older swimmers, and the pool itself. Other chemical treatments required by saltwater pools are an occasional algaecide, stain clarifier, and scale control applications.
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How To Maintain Your Salt Chlorine Generator
One of the main items you need to be concerned with regarding your saltwater pool and salt chlorine generator is your pools chemistry. There are a few things you have to watch to make sure it is properly maintained. Firstly, your salt level must be monitored. If your salt level is too low you will need to add pool salt until it reaches the starting level of your salt chlorine generator.
You will also need to inspect the cell in your generator for mineral build-up. Calcium can build up in the cell of your generator over time and must be cleaned with a special solvent. You will need to refer to your manufactures instructions for specifics.
Next, you will need to manage your pools stabilizer. This stops chlorine from evaporating from your pool system. Saltwater pools use cyanuric acid which binds to the chlorine your saltwater generator produces. When the stabilizer is at the proper level your chlorine levels will be stable.
Your pools PH levels also need to be managed. The optimum pH for a saltwater pool is 7.4. This number naturally increases over time, therefore, it must be monitored. You must test your pools chlorine and pH levels regularly. This will help your salt chlorine generator to run consistently and prevent things like algae from growing in your pool. Finally, you may need to shock your pool per your manufacturers instructions. You can shock your pool with a special mixture of chlorine and water.
Does A Saltwater Pool Need To Be Shocked
saltpoolshouldsalt pools need to be shockedsaltdoshockpool
. People also ask, is it necessary to shock a saltwater pool?
The main reason why shocking of salt water pools is necessary is in order to get rid of bacteria and algae that ordinary salt concentrations are unable to take care of. This is important and it works because over time, bacteria and other living organisms become resistant to the ordinary chlorine levels.
Also Know, what type of shock is best for saltwater pool? Calcium hypochlorite, or cal-hypo as it is often called in the pool industry, is the leader is shock products because is the most powerful and fastest working shock available. This is a granular pool shock, which tends to work best with saltwater pools and it’s easy to use.
Hereof, when should I shock my saltwater pool?
When the chloramine level is 0.3 ppm or higher , it’s time to shock the pool to remove the buildup of combined chlorine. To Remove Algae.
Is it OK to put chlorine in a saltwater pool?
There are a few considerations about which chlorine you add, and how you add it, but in short yes it is completely safe to add chlorine to a “salt pool“. Do salt water pools need chlorine? – Yes. Without enough CYA the sun will burn off the chlorine in your pool as fast as your salt system can make it.
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Salt Chlorinators Vs Chlorine Tablets
One of the single most important things to keep in mind when buying a pool or maintaining the one youve got is keeping it sanitized, sparkling, and safe for your family. Thats why chlorine is a common topic here.
Whether you had a pool growing up, or are brand new to the subject, when it comes to sanitation and keeping it clean, chlorine reigns supreme. However, in todays world there are more pool chlorine options than ever including a way to make your own!
Is It Possible To Swim In A Pool Without Free Chlorine
Statistically, chlorine-free pools are more likely to get sick because they can be exposed to things that are not contained in chlorine or that have been killed by chlorine. For fairness, you can swim in the pool without chlorine, which is probably fine, but the risk to health and safety is much greater.
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Whats The Difference Between A Salt Water Pool And A Chlorine Pool
In truth, there isnt much difference between a salt water pool and a standard chlorine pool. In fact, the only difference is how they generate the chlorine needed to sanitize the water. It is important to understand that a salt water pool is still a chlorine pool. The salt water system is simply a way to generate chlorine automatically, rather than having to add it manually.
Shock Your Pool Once In A While
Once in a while, youll probably find that its necessary to shock your pool with granular chlorine. Its best to add this task to your monthly maintenance routine, but if youre just dead set against adding more chemicals, you can wait until its needed.
There are a few indicators that let you know when its time to shock your saltwater pool. One of them is that youll start to have trouble balancing your chemicals. You might also notice your water is a little cloudier or start to smell the strong scent of chloramines.
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When To Replace Your Pool Pump
How long do pool pumps last? Your pool pump should be replaced anywhere between 8 to 15 years depending on the quality, and a full replacement may cost over $800. Your pool pump is the heart of your swimming pool as it circulates water throughout, bringing water through the filtration and heating systems.
What Chemicals Do Saltwater Pools Need
Salt water pools are most stable with a pH of 7.6, and Alkalinity of 70-80 ppm. A stabilizer level of 50-80 ppm is recommended by most salt system manufacturers. High calcium hardness levels have no effect on salt water pools, but a level of 180-200 ppm may result in less scale on the salt cell plates.
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What Is A Salt Water Pool
Most people think of the ocean when they think of salt water, but a salt water swimming pool is not the same thing.
In other words, when you get a mouth full of ocean water, you can taste the salt.
But in the world of swimming pools, a salt water pool is one that uses a salt chlorine generator instead of traditional chlorine for sanitizing. This means that the pool is still chlorinated, just with a different type of chlorine.
The way the salt generator works is by creating its own chlorine with an electrical reaction between the salt in the salt cell and the electrode in the generator.
So, instead of pouring chlorine into your pool or adding tablets, the generator is constantly creating it.
And if it’s working right, it will also monitor the levels you set it to in order to keep your sanitizer levels balanced.
Salt Water Pool Vs Chlorine Pool: What’s The Difference In Terms Of Maintenance Cost And Practicality Find Out Here
Did you know that 10.4 million householdsin the US have pools in their backyards? Are you thinking of joining them?
If you’re considering installing a pool, you will have some choices to make, like whether you want a saltwater pool vs. a chlorine pool. To learn the differences in terms of maintenance, cost, and practicality, keep reading. We’ll break it all down for you.
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Chlorine Tablets & Shock
Please welcome our first challenger ~ Chlorine! This heavyweight contender has been a favorite of pool operators and pool owners for 50 years.
Whether in granular, liquid or tablet form you cant deny its sanitizing power. Chlorine can be used to shock a pool to remove bacteria.
Chlorine tablets are stabilized to protect the chlorine from the sun. You would need to add cyanuric acid to get this result in a saline pool. Adding chlorine to your pool is as easy as using a floating dispenser or pump.
Chlorine users need to stay on top of their water testing as the pH can vary quite a bit. Heavy bather loads and weather can wreak havoc on a pool. Chlorine shock can provide a much faster solution to your problem. Lets recap with some pros and cons of our first contender:
Do You Need Stabilizer In A Saltwater Pool
Maintaining a Salt Water PoolYou still need to test and adjust your water balance and chlorine levels, you still need to use chlorine stabilizer, and may need other helper chemicals to maintain water quality.
Correspondingly, what is salt water pool stabilizer?
HTH Salt Pool CareThe hth benefit Salt chlorine generators produce unstabilized chlorine, that dissipates quickly when exposed to sunlight. hth Salt Pool Care Stabilizer helps to protect and extend the life of chlorine in swimming pool water. It slows the loss of chlorine caused by sunlight.
Also Know, what chemicals are needed for a saltwater pool? 7 Essential Chemicals you Need to Open a Salt Water Pool
- Alkalinity. Low or high alkalinity can affect the pH level which means it can throw off necessary adjustments for other chemicals.
- pH. Once youve covered the alkalinity levels, youll need to adjust the pH levels.
- Chlorine.
- Salt.
Also, do salt water pools need cyanuric acid?
Cyanuric Acid in a Saltwater PoolIn fact, you should use more than pools that chlorinate with Trichlor tablets. Hayward and Pentair both recommend 60-80 ppm of cyanuric acid for their salt systems. As cyanuric acid bonds to chlorine, the chlorine residual can build faster.
What maintenance is required for a saltwater pool?
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Does Swimming In Saltwater Burn More Calories
Swimming in a saltwater pool doesnt burn more calories than a regular pool. Still, swimming is an excellent form of exercise. No matter which type of pool youre swimming in, wear goggles to protect your eyes and avoid swallowing water. Want to learn more? Find out how many calories you burn swimming.
Its important to regularly test a saltwater pool. Weekly, test for free chlorine and pH using a drop kit or test strips. Monthly, its important to test for:
- salt level
- calcium
You may need to make adjustments.
Every three months or so, you need to test the salt chlorine generator for buildup and clean it off. Also watch for signs of deposits and erosion, and perform maintenance as needed.
At any pool, its important to practice basic safety measures:
- supervise children at all times
- secure your pool with a fence so kids cant get in the water unsupervised
- enroll anyone who doesnt know how to swim in swim lessons
- enforce rules like no diving or no running near the pool
- when swimming laps, stop and take a break when youre out of breath
- warm up before entering the pool and stretch afterwards
- avoid drinking alcohol when youre in and near the water
What Is A Saltwater Pool
First of all, what is a saltwater pool? If the name has you imagining a pool filled with ocean water, youre certainly not alone.
However, a saltwater inground pool is not the same thing as taking a dip in the ocean at the Isle of Palms the name actually comes from the type of equipment that the pool uses to keep the water clean and sanitized. Rather than adding chlorine to your pool to keep the water chlorinated, you pour in simple table salt directly into your pool, stir it up a bit and the salt chlorine generator will then convert it to chlorine.
If you still have the taste of salty ocean water or images of Daniel Islands beaches flashing through your mind, not to worry. Saltwater pools use a concentration of salt that is much lower than that of ocean water. Indeed, if you can taste the salt at all, it will be mild, almost saline-like. Whereas the ocean has salt levels of around 35,000 parts per million, saltwater pools typically have 3,000-4,000.
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The Science Behind Salt Chlorination
There are two components to a salt chlorinator: the salt cell that converts salt into chlorine and the control box that tells the salt cell when and for how long to produce chlorine.
Salt cells, also known as electrolytic converters, are installed on the return line of the pools plumbing. They must be installed behind the pump, filter and heater.
As a pools water passes through the salt chlorinators salt cell, a harmless electrical charge, generated by the control box, automatically converts the dissolved salt into chlorine. The newly chlorinated water is then dispersed evenly throughout the pool by the return jets. After the chlorine has safely chlorinated the pools water, its transformed back into salt. The process happens over and over, automatically.
Using Chlorine In A Salt Water Pool For A Quick Boost
Chlorine addition by liquid, powder or puck form quickly raises the chlorine level in a pool when you need a boost. Common reasons for shocking a pool include:
- Heavy pool usage and many swimmers using it.
- Effects of UV from the direct rays of the sun.
- Heavy rainfall which dilutes chlorine and other chemicals in the pool.
- Draining water from the pool when its too high for another reason such as when you are trying to dilute another water factor.
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How Long Should I Run My Salt Water Chlorinator
It depends on your pools size. Salt water chlorinators are usually rated in GPH a measurement that dictates how many grams of chlorine the machine will produce per hour when set to maximum capacity.
For instance, the AIS Auto Chlor RP25 produces about 25 grams worth of chlorine per hour when set to 100%. Since a 50,000-liter pool requires about 200 grams of chlorine, itll take approximately 8 hours for the salt chlorinator to fully sanitize the pool.
How Do Salt Water Pool Systems Work
Salt water sanitization systems work by adding regular table salt to the pool water. The salt water is then passed through a low voltage electric current. This current energizes the salt molecules which break apart and combine with the hydrogen found in the water to form a usable chlorine-based sanitizer.
As long as the system is running, and water is flowing through the salt cell, it will continue to produce these chlorine sanitizers regardless of the current sanitizer levels present in the pool water. The rate at which the system produces chlorine is set by you. This allows you to change output levels as outside temperatures, and usage, change over the season.
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