Salt vs. Chlorine: Which is Best for Your Pool?
Whether you should use a salt system or chlorine system to keep your swimming pool healthy and clean is a debate that continues to go unsettled. Both chlorine and salt water systems have their pros and cons, and the main arguments in favor of either will focus on cost, maintenance needs, and health concerns. This article focuses on chlorine vs. salt water pools, with information that should help you determine which system would be best for your property.
When it comes down to it, this is simply not a black-and-white issue. There's no straightforward answer, and it'll come down to your individual needs and your specific situation. The professional Monroe pool maintenance contractors at A Perfect Pool Company have compiled some of the facts and advantages of each type of system to help you determine which would be best for you.
If you're building a new swimming pool, our pool maintenance professionals can help you make this decision at the start. And if you need a conversion, we can help with that too.
Saltwater Pool Advantages
While a saltwater system will cost more upfront, they cost much less to keep up with. When you build the system, it will cost more than a chlorine system would, and the initial price of the salt itself is more than chlorine. However, salt won't disappear, unlike chlorine, so after the initial of cost of filling your Monroe pool with it, you'll just need to add salt when the levels are off. This means that the cost will easily pay off within the first two to three years, depending on how much you use your pool.
One thing to consider is that while saltwater pools don't use any harsh chemicals, chlorine is a natural byproduct of the salt. The levels are much lower than those in a chlorine-based pool, so you won't having burning eyes or smell the chlorine.
Saltwater pools are still much safer for children and pets, and salt is much better on your skin, as it's more natural. It also won't damage your swimsuit.. Still, the chlorine salt produces will help to kill a portion of the bacteria that chlorine kills.
Advantages of Chlorine Pools
The main advantage of a chlorine pool is the amount of bacteria that chlorine can kill. A chlorine system can clean water much more quickly than a saltwater system if there's bacteria present or if the pH levels are off. Saltwater systems can take up to five days to clear up water, while a chlorine system will take 24-48 hours.
It's also much easier to add chlorine to your Monroe pool than to add salt. Chlorine comes in tablets that can simply be inserted into the water. Saltwater pools used dissolved salt, which a chlorinator then adds to the water through the use of electrolysis. Maintaining the proper salt-to-water ratio, as well as the pH levels, can also be difficult.
In the end, it's all about which aspects of each of these choices you decide are most important to you. And either way, our Monroe pool builders can help.
