[winknod]

I'm going to experiment. I live alone and plan taking a shower before going into the pool every time. I'll also keep it covered when not in use, so I won't have to run the pump too much.
I'll do the initial fill with salt and see how it goes.

I've read that the ppm of salt that you use is not much higher than tap water and I've also read that many people just skip the chlorine generator and run the water through a regular pump. I found a pool forum & bookmarked that lists the ppm and how to test.
As long as the pump and plumbing are not made of corrosive material, I don't see a problem.

Worst case is that I have to replace the pump in a year or I'll get algae and have to shock the pool and switch to typical pool chemistry.
Salt alone is not corrosive, you need oxygen to form rust. So ladders or anything metal around the pool that is made of corrosive prone materials will be corrosion.

Many people are allergic to chlorine and are not even aware. It can cause high blood pressure. Anyone with high blood pressure should stop using their chlorine pools for a couple of months and check their blood pressure again. (This happened to a friend of my dads who had been using a pool at his gym several times a week, so extreme chlorine conditions.)

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by winknod

I'm going to experiment. I live alone and plan taking a shower before going into the pool every time. I'll also keep it covered when not in use, so I won't have to run the pump too much.
I'll do the initial fill with salt and see how it goes.

I've read that the ppm of salt that you use is not much higher than tap water and I've also read that many people just skip the chlorine generator and run the water through a regular pump. I found a pool forum & bookmarked that lists the ppm and how to test.
As long as the pump and plumbing are not made of corrosive material, I don't see a problem.

Worst case is that I have to replace the pump in a year or I'll get algae and have to shock the pool and switch to typical pool chemistry.
Salt alone is not corrosive, you need oxygen to form rust. So ladders or anything metal around the pool that is made of corrosive prone materials will be corrosion.

Many people are allergic to chlorine and are not even aware. It can cause high blood pressure. Anyone with high blood pressure should stop using their chlorine pools for a couple of months and check their blood pressure again. (This happened to a friend of my dads who had been using a pool at his gym several times a week, so extreme chlorine conditions.)

Keep us informed. My guess is you won't get two weeks...algae.

Give you a hint though. Once you see any algae jump all over it. That stuff grows exponentially once it gets started. So get it early or spend many days at it.

[yellowsnow]

The Capt is right, once the algae gets going....it's a job to get rid of it.

I have a salt pool and I have no problems with decking. corrosion, or any of the stuff mentioned. It's like swimming in lovely soft water. But I can tell you for sure, you can get algae. I treat the water a couple times per summer with silvertrene. I tried a lot of other brands but nothing works as well as that stuff!

First you brush the pool really well. Add the silvertrene into the skimmer so it gets sucked into the filter. Then run the filter for 24 hours straight and brush again during that time. The silvertrene will stay in the filter for a while and continue to protect against algae.

If you already HAVE algae you have to brush with a metal brush and make sure all the algae is damaged or broken open with the brush. Then you add the silvertrene. You may have to treat several times.

[WestieJeff]

All I can say is that if you keep your chlorine levels in alignment with your cyanuric acid level, you will not have algae. Period. I have yet to see this disproven.

Silvertrene, PhosFree, and Polyquat (although Polyquat is ok in some circumstances), and other metal based addatives are all expensive ways of dealing with a problem that should be controlled strictly by cheap chlorine.

Hardly anybody tests cyanuric acid, which is why they have an algae problem in the first place.

[AA702]

The best preventive algaestat is a Polyquat 60 (percentage). Comes in many brand but will prevent most types of algae with the correct CYA and CL levels. Silvertrine (silver based) or any Copper based algaecides are also good but they have some side effects when used improperly. Just dont let your CL drop to 0 for too long or algae will grow. Get a good DPD FAS test kit and make sure your CYA is under 80ppm. SWG systems are great if they work correctly, but they do not always work and when they malfunction, you still have to use good old CL.