Chlorine and Salt Water Swimming Pool Maintenance

In Florida, there are salt water swimming pools that actually draw water from the sea. But for most, salt water swimming pool maintenance has nothing to do with maintaining sea water. Salt water pools have a small amount of salt in the water and a chlorine generator makes chlorine using the salt. Maintenance of these types of pools is generally easier than standard pool maintenance.

Salt Water Swimming Pool Maintenance

For standards pools, maintaining chlorine levels requires the regular addition of chlorine chemicals to the water. In a salt water pool, the chlorine generator generates the chlorine constantly so it doesn’t have to be stabilized. Chlorine generators have been used for many years and have some benefits for pool owners:

Don’t have to buy chlorine chemicals
Less worry about algae forming in the pool
Keep water balanced constantly
Prevent much of the scum from forming at the waterline
Water has no chloramines
Chlorine produced is easier on the skin – less damaging

Salt water swimming pool maintenance is reduced as a result of the chlorine generated by the equipment. With less scum and algae build-up, it’s easier to keep water clear and clean. It’s also easier to keep the pool walls and waterline free of scum. Because chlorine is always being formed by the generator, the water stays balanced and sanitized.

The chlorine generator keeps pool water sanitized by transforming the salt water into hypochlorous acid. This is the sanitizer itself. The result is you don’t have to buy chlorine or sanitizing chemicals. The natural formation of chlorine is easier on the skin and the clothes. Salt water swimming pool maintenance is concerned more with equipment maintenance then it is with water balance.

Though you don’t have to invest as much time and money in water maintenance, you do have to make sure the chlorine generator is always running efficiently. If it’s not well maintained then the chlorine levels will not be adequate which can actually damage the pool. Some of the units are designed to be self-cleaning, but no matter what kind of system you purchase, the generator cells must always be clean.

Of course, in order for the chlorine generator to do its job, the salt in the water must be maintained at the right amounts. In some situations the chlorine levels can fall too low which means you must shock the water with additional granular chlorine. But as you can see, salt water swimming pool maintenance is much simpler than the maintenance on a regular pool.