Salt Water pools?

[Indy_Guy_77]

Question for the INGO brain trust:

(And no, I've not yet done any Googling)

Anyone know how difficult and/or expensive it would be to convert a "conventional pool" into a salt-water pool?

Salt water = no harsh chemicals to buy/fiddle with/inhale/kill small children/etc

(Wife and I just looked at a VERY nice home that has an in-ground pool, we don't really want a pool, but are high on the house, filling it in would be cost prohibitive)

What say ye?

-J-

 

[JosephR]

Is that even possible and does it work? Have you ever seen a salt water marsh? They can look just like a pond. And besides, would you want to have to put in a shower to rinse yourself off too? Imagine the caking that will occur around the edges and in the pumps etc.

Just pay someone to maintain the pool minimally as far as chemicals and such. Do the cleaning yourself, i.e. raking, sucking, whatever you do to leaves and such (turds?) as you'd have to do that anyway.

Hell, if you want to be different, make it a shark tank. :-D

 

[Richard]

Pool maintenance is not really that bad, at least not once you get into the routine of it.

And owning a pool is really a big plus if you enjoy your weekends and evenings hanging out & relaxing at home.

 

[bigcraig]

I know of two people that have converted over to a salt water system, they both feel it is a great improvement in water quality with the pool requiring less algae and pH control.

 

[Crystalship1]

BiggDogg has done it and RAVES about it. Says once the salt level is attained it's as easy as pie to maintain and cheap too!!!!

 

[Hoosier Gun Coat]

I've heard of these. I think the salt content is the same as your tear drops.

 

[Crystalship1]

I've heard of these. I think the salt content is the same as your tear drops.

Correct!!!!

 

[JByer323]

Interesting, but I still picture a reef.

 

[slacker]

The gym I was a member at had a salt-water pool and I prefer chlorine over salt-water. The salt was kind of harsh on your skin, and I always felt kind of sticky when I got out (think swim, get out to lay in sun, get sticky, swim again to get rid of sticky feeling.... rinse & repeat)

It's wasn't like swimming in the ocean sticky, but it was more sticky feeling that chlorine.

 

[Biggdogg]

Question for the INGO brain trust:

(And no, I've not yet done any Googling)

Anyone know how difficult and/or expensive it would be to convert a "conventional pool" into a salt-water pool?

Salt water = no harsh chemicals to buy/fiddle with/inhale/kill small children/etc

(Wife and I just looked at a VERY nice home that has an in-ground pool, we don't really want a pool, but are high on the house, filling it in would be cost prohibitive)

What say ye?

-J-

It is very inexpensive (as far as pools go) and is VERY easy to maintain. We converted our above ground pool about 2 years ago and we will never have another "standard" chlorine pool again.
Some of our good friends have an in-ground pool and salt system as well...their system is completely digital and they don't have to do anything except make sure they replenish the slt in the holding tank every once in a while. Their system cost them just at about $1k to buy AND have it installed. You can get a system cheaper than that, but they went whole hog and got one of the best systems they could find (this was also about 3 years ago too, so you should be able to find them for less).
Once your system is in and up to speed, the actual salt content is only about 1/10th of what your tears are...you can swim with your eyes open, even WITH contacts in, and have no worries about burning or stinging eyes.
If you check (and keep) your salt balance where it's supposed to be, your water will be so soft that you could even get right out of the pool, towel off, throw on some clothes, and go out for the evening if you wanted to and NOT have any feeling of chemicals on your skin. It feels just like you've stepped right out of the shower.

 

[No Time to Shoot]

I might be able to help you out here: I have been a project manager for one of the top 40 pool builders in the US and you could say I know a little bit about pools... Salt water pools are still chlorine pools. That being said the chlorine produced by the chlorine generator is pure chlorine not the garbage you buy at pool store. The salt is 60.663% elemental chlorine (Cl) and 39.337% sodium (Na), the cool thing is you never use the salt up, the only reason you have to add more salt is from dilution from rain water and people getting out of the pool and taking it with them on their skin. Because the chlorine is pure it does not have all the harsh draw backs of manufactured chlorine, so no green hair, allergic reactions, bad chlorine smell. and your pool will stay balanced better than if you were dumping shock and granular chlorine in constantly.

Another great thing is you no longer have to dump in shock after a pool party you just push a button and walk away.

I can go on on but this should get you started. Be careful there is a lot of snake oil out there that people believe in that just don't work.
Here is a good link

Also you have to buy 98% pure salt and you can buy it at Sams Club and Walmart, it doesn't have to come from a pool store.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Oops! I'd forgotten all about this thread!!!

I do appreciate everyone's input...especially BiggDogg and No Time.

I think that if my wife and I DO buy a home with a pool, that we'll most definitely look into going this route. From what little I know about it, it just seems like it would be a nicer system to have. More "people friendly", too.

But, as it stands now, I don't think that she and I are going to purchase a home that has a pool...at least not as a first home. Unless we can find one for a bargain. (The home that prompted the question isn't necessarily a "bargain" for us...)

Again, thanks!!!!

-J-

 

[oldfb]

I might be able to help you out here: I have been a project manager for one of the top 40 pool builders in the US and you could say I know a little bit about pools... Salt water pools are still chlorine pools. That being said the chlorine produced by the chlorine generator is pure chlorine not the garbage you buy at pool store. The salt is 60.663% elemental chlorine (Cl) and 39.337% sodium (Na), the cool thing is you never use the salt up, the only reason you have to add more salt is from dilution from rain water and people getting out of the pool and taking it with them on their skin. Because the chlorine is pure it does not have all the harsh draw backs of manufactured chlorine, so no green hair, allergic reactions, bad chlorine smell. and your pool will stay balanced better than if you were dumping shock and granular chlorine in constantly.

Another great thing is you no longer have to dump in shock after a pool party you just push a button and walk away.

I can go on on but this should get you started. Be careful there is a lot of snake oil out there that people believe in that just don't work.
Here is a good link

Also you have to buy 98% pure salt and you can buy it at Sams Club and Walmart, it doesn't have to come from a pool store.

It is posts like this that make me glad I support this site and come here. It could be total BS but man what a great response. I see this type of attention to detail from a bunch of you guys. Thanks and reppin ya for it.

 

[No Time to Shoot]

Thanks for the reps! and feel free to PM me if you have any other pool questions. If I can't answer them I will put you in-touch with someone that can. I might even be able to save you some money on parts.