Salt Water Pool question

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by altus2006

Does a salt water pool keep the "bathtub ring" from forming`?

altus2006

No. It does not change the calcium hardness of the water which is the cause of the tile staining. Best control for that is to drain and refill the pool regularly which of course costs $$$ and wastes water. Or, get rid of the automatic water leveler.

[JetSet]

Thanks for the replies. Turns out the stuff in my pool is calcium carbonate flakes from the chlorine cell. When the calcium hardness in the pool reaches about 8500 ppm, the electrolysis in the salt cell causes the calcium to bind together on the plates. It eventually flakes off and is returned to the pool. The pool guy told me that most people with salt water pools in Yuma have this problem but only the people with gray plaster usually notice the condition.

For those considering a salt water pool, it really is worth the money to upgrade. It is much easier to keep the pool balanced and swimming in soft water is the best (no burning eyes, odor, faded swim suites, etc.)

[Arizona Bound]

Hi.. what are the benifits of a salt water pool VS. a chlorinated pool?
Down-sides?

[JetSet]

Originally Posted by Arizona Bound

Hi.. what are the benifits of a salt water pool VS. a chlorinated pool?
Down-sides?

I am not aware of any down-sides other than the initial cost of the system. The benefits are include: no chemical chlorine, no stinging eyes, no green hair, no faded swim suites, and no chlorine odor. Some have stated that because no chlorine is generated unless the pump is running, their chlorine levels dip really low before the pool cycles on. We run our pool for about 8 hrs/night (APS off-peak) during the summer. If we maintain a good stabilizer level, our chlorine levels stay good all day. We have never shocked, or added chemical chlorine to our pool, and have never experienced any algae.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by JetSet

I am not aware of any down-sides other than the initial cost of the system. The benefits are include: no chemical chlorine, no stinging eyes, no green hair, no faded swim suites, and no chlorine odor. Some have stated that because no chlorine is generated unless the pump is running, their chlorine levels dip really low before the pool cycles on. We run our pool for about 8 hrs/night (APS off-peak) during the summer. If we maintain a good stabilizer level, our chlorine levels stay good all day. We have never shocked, or added chemical chlorine to our pool, and have never experienced any algae.

A salt chlorinator chemically produces the exact same thing as adding any other form of chlorine - hypochlorous acid. You can still get stinging eyes, odor etc. The cause of the above is under-chlorination that leads to formation of chloramines - chlorine combined with nitrogenous compounds. The reason you may find less of this with the salt water system is that it is automatic and more effective at keeping chlorine levels high enough to prevent chloramines from forming. Also, the water is just as "hard" as it always was unless you remove the calcium, but the addition of sodium (in the salt) makes it feel nicer on the skin.