Experience with saline pool?

[NellieBly]

We are redoing our pool from pump to plaster.
Anyone have experience with saline (rather than chlorine) system? Pros/Cons...

[Kashmir]

The Embassy Suites in Grapevine, TX has one that we swam in.  The water felt super soft, and the kids didn't smell all "chlorine-y" when they got out.  No red eyes, which for me usually happens!

[Conan71]

I still use chlorine due to convenience, and that's what I've been used to using for a long time.

A friend of mine built a new pool and put in the saline system from the git-go a couple of years ago.  The only annoyance I can tell you about it is it makes you much more bouyant.  I would try to relax against the side of the pool and my legs kept floating up.

I'm not really sure how much less it costs per year in salt vs. chlorine.  Chlorine is made in a chemical reaction with NaCl, you are essentially doing the same thing on a small scale (not precisely- but for sake of conversation close enough).  It's my understanding that you have to keep adding the salt ions, it's not a charge it once and forget it system.

If anything, I would give it a higher rating than ozonation, and I believe it's more trouble-free.  

There's probably no system which is 100% reliable at all times other than tab feeding chlorine through a mechanical feeder or floater once you get the amounts correct.  Even then, a feeder can plug up.  

The guys at Leslie's hate me, I don't buy gizmos or a bunch of liquid crap to put in my pool.  A little clarifier every now and then when needed and chlorine- that's it.

[brunoflipper]

i've had a salt water chlorine generator for 2 years...
i add some muratic acid once a month in the summer but beyond that, i've had to add salt one time at the start of last season...
other than that, my pool is crystal clear and perfectly balanced year round...
the water feels softer and the cl- is more tightly regulated at a lower ppm...
it is less irritating to sensitive eyes...
mine is damn near maintenance free and open year round...
i highly recommend it...
go to http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php
and http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/pools/

and the buoyancy is all in your head... at 3000 ppm your are not floating anymore than any other pool...

[NellieBly]

I kinda like the idea of floating easier.

Thanks for the info. I've done some online research and I think we are going to do it.

[cannon_fodder]

I just drain all the water out and refill it when it gets grungy.  The water comes from the tap lightly chlorinated and I use radiation from the sun to further cleanse it.  Otherwise it's a bi-weekly drainage fest.

I also don't need to refinish my pool ever.  I pretty much throw them away each season after the damage and chomp marks they sustain.

While not my pool exactly, this is an accurate representation:


Something similar usually occupies it also. []

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by brunoflipper

i've had a salt water chlorine generator for 2 years...
i add some muratic acid once a month in the summer but beyond that, i've had to add salt one time at the start of last season...
other than that, my pool is crystal clear and perfectly balanced year round...
the water feels softer and the cl- is more tightly regulated at a lower ppm...
it is less irritating to sensitive eyes...
mine is damn near maintenance free and open year round...
i highly recommend it...
go to http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php
and http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/pools/

and the buoyancy is all in your head... at 3000 ppm your are not floating anymore than any other pool...

Definitely was not in my head.  I was in my friend's pool earlier in the evening, my own pool later on that night enjoying a little wine.  Unless having my trunks on made me more bouyant in his pool [:O], methinks he might have had the residual a bit high.

What do you use for heat on your pool in the winter?  I let mine go dormant, way too expensive to heat w/ gas.

[brunoflipper]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by brunoflipper

i've had a salt water chlorine generator for 2 years...
i add some muratic acid once a month in the summer but beyond that, i've had to add salt one time at the start of last season...
other than that, my pool is crystal clear and perfectly balanced year round...
the water feels softer and the cl- is more tightly regulated at a lower ppm...
it is less irritating to sensitive eyes...
mine is damn near maintenance free and open year round...
i highly recommend it...
go to http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php
and http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/pools/

and the buoyancy is all in your head... at 3000 ppm your are not floating anymore than any other pool...

Definitely was not in my head.  I was in my friend's pool earlier in the evening, my own pool later on that night enjoying a little wine.  Unless having my trunks on made me more bouyant in his pool [:O], methinks he might have had the residual a bit high.

What do you use for heat on your pool in the winter?  I let mine go dormant, way too expensive to heat w/ gas.

i heat with gas until november and restart the gas in april... it runs cold nov-march, but i never "close" it... the pump/cleaner runs year round... the kids swam on new year's day (fired the heater up for two days in advance)...
i've hemmed and hawed on solar... the diy's look reasonable but i wanted to make sure it was as professional and hassle-free as possible... and if the install is off a little, i've read about some horror stories... the two installers i spoke with were complete flakes and neither my pool builder, nor two others were interested in taking it on... so i continue to vacillate...

[brunoflipper]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by brunoflipper

i've had a salt water chlorine generator for 2 years...
i add some muratic acid once a month in the summer but beyond that, i've had to add salt one time at the start of last season...
other than that, my pool is crystal clear and perfectly balanced year round...
the water feels softer and the cl- is more tightly regulated at a lower ppm...
it is less irritating to sensitive eyes...
mine is damn near maintenance free and open year round...
i highly recommend it...
go to http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php
and http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/pools/

and the buoyancy is all in your head... at 3000 ppm your are not floating anymore than any other pool...

Definitely was not in my head.  I was in my friend's pool earlier in the evening, my own pool later on that night enjoying a little wine.  Unless having my trunks on made me more bouyant in his pool [:O], methinks he might have had the residual a bit high.

What do you use for heat on your pool in the winter?  I let mine go dormant, way too expensive to heat w/ gas.

well if he was in the range of 3000 PPM (3 PPT or 0.3% saline) and seeing how fresh water is around 1000 ppm (1 PPT or 0.1% saline) there is literally a difference... but ocean water is usually around 3.5% saline and varies for most locations from 3.2-3.8% and divers consider that percentage of variability (0.6%) to be insignificant... so yeah, i guess you're more buoyant, but i sure as hell can't tell a difference...

[Conan71]

Bruno-

I take it your pool equipment survived the power outage in Dec. okay?  I guess at very worst I could have opened the plugs on the pump and filter when the power went out if I hadn't have winterized it.

Is the salinity measured as chlorides or is there a separate test?

High TDS (total dissolved solids) causes more surface tension on the water which is my understanding as to why salt water makes people feel more bouyant.  NaCl is somewhat more readily soluble and stable once in solution than other common salts found in tap water like calcium or magnesium.

At least that's as I remember it.  Amazing how much knowledge you start to lose when you don't use it anymore.

First house I owned with a pool, the gas heater was approx 400,000 btu.  That's not too bad when gas is around $3.00 per MCF, but still about $18 per day figuring about 50% load on the heater on "mild" days.  

[Conan71]

Almost forgot RE: solar heat.  I've heard of pretty simple systems which employ nothing more than black PEX pipe (I think PEX is the correct one- it's basically a UV-stabilized black plastic pipe) in a serpentine fashion.  Post filter location before going back to your pool would make most sense to me, but I've never designed such a system.

If you have a fence with good full sun you can mount it to, that's a common way I've heard of it being done.  Otherwise it can take up a lot of space in your yard or create an un-sightly mess on your roof top.

Solar covers aren't all they are cracked up to be.  They are great slime traps and more hassle than they are worth from what I've been told.

[Gaspar]

I love salt pools.  I can float and almost fall asleep without sinking.  

Personally I use an ozone generator in my hot tub and my neighbor uses a huge ozone generator for his pool.  Works well, we have never had to use chlorine or bromide. You have to change an anode every year but that's easy and worth not having to monitor and add chemicals.  No red eyes, no stinky chemicals, and my kids and dog can drink it.  

Keeps the water crystal clear, and smells kinda like a rain storm!  Look up suppliers of DelZone Ozone systems.

[brunoflipper]

quote:Originally posted by Gaspar

I love salt pools.  I can float and almost fall asleep without sinking.  

Personally I use an ozone generator in my hot tub and my neighbor uses a huge ozone generator for his pool.  Works well, we have never had to use chlorine or bromide. You have to change an anode every year but that's easy and worth not having to monitor and add chemicals.  No red eyes, no stinky chemicals, and my kids and dog can drink it.  

Keeps the water crystal clear, and smells kinda like a rain storm!  Look up suppliers of DelZone Ozone systems.

most of the pool gurus bag on the ozone systems so, i never gave them more than a passing glance...

[brunoflipper]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Bruno-

I take it your pool equipment survived the power outage in Dec. okay?  I guess at very worst I could have opened the plugs on the pump and filter when the power went out if I hadn't have winterized it.

Is the salinity measured as chlorides or is there a separate test?

High TDS (total dissolved solids) causes more surface tension on the water which is my understanding as to why salt water makes people feel more bouyant.  NaCl is somewhat more readily soluble and stable once in solution than other common salts found in tap water like calcium or magnesium.

At least that's as I remember it.  Amazing how much knowledge you start to lose when you don't use it anymore.

First house I owned with a pool, the gas heater was approx 400,000 btu.  That's not too bad when gas is around $3.00 per MCF, but still about $18 per day figuring about 50% load on the heater on "mild" days.  

all i know is, it is na+ ppm on the read out...

[Gaspar]

quote:Originally posted by brunoflipper

quote:Originally posted by Gaspar

I love salt pools.  I can float and almost fall asleep without sinking.  

Personally I use an ozone generator in my hot tub and my neighbor uses a huge ozone generator for his pool.  Works well, we have never had to use chlorine or bromide. You have to change an anode every year but that's easy and worth not having to monitor and add chemicals.  No red eyes, no stinky chemicals, and my kids and dog can drink it.  

Keeps the water crystal clear, and smells kinda like a rain storm!  Look up suppliers of DelZone Ozone systems.

most of the pool gurus bag on the ozone systems so, i never gave them more than a passing glance...

Yeah my hot tub guy poo-pooed my ozone system when I installed it.  I think it was because he knew he would never see me again. . . and he hasn't .

They aren't perfect, but they're close.