Salt Water Pool Maintenance 101: Do You Need a Salt Water System?

Are you unsure if you need a salt water system? We're here to break down the basics of salt water pool maintenance.

Are you already tired of this cold weather? Are you looking forward to summer days, barbeques, and jumping into your pool?

One of the best parts of summer is getting to go swimming. If you own your own pool, you can relax without worrying about the hassle of public pools, especially post-COVID. 

The one downside is maintaining your own pool. If you have any experience with pool upkeep, you know that chlorine and other chemicals to keep your pool clean can become expensive.

Unfortunately, due to a chlorine shortage, chlorine has become more expensive than ever before. How can you keep your pool clean with the shortage and the rising cost of chlorine?

Keep reading to discover an alternative to pool maintenance in saltwater pools and saltwater pool maintenance.

The Chlorine Shortage

The chlorine shortage starts with a fire breaking out at BioLab in August of this year. As residents of Lake Charles, Louisiana recovered from Hurricane Laura, BioLab, which was damaged in the storm, caught fire.

BioLab produces chlorine and because of the fire, production has been halted, which has hit the pool cleaning industry in a hard way. The chlorine demand has been high throughout 2020 due to stay-at-home orders. The BioLab fire has cut supply by about 1/3 and the shortage is expected to last into 2021.

Chlorine is the most recognizable and most common way to maintain pool cleanliness, but it isn't the only way. Saltwater chlorinators generate their own chlorine - and it does it all with salt!

Saltwater Chlorinators

 Despite the name, saltwater pools aren't salty like ocean water. Ocean water has a salinity level of 31,000 ppm (parts per million) and human tears are 9,000 ppm. Saltwater pools are only 3,000 ppm.

Maintaining your pool is straightforward as long as you are vigilant about equipment upkeep. Clean your filter, pump, and skimmer on a regular basis to ensure they work properly.

The salt chlorinator cell is what converts salt into chlorine. When salt is added, it passes through the cell, and through electrolysis, converts into chlorine.  

Saltwater Pool Maintenance

Saltwater pools are easier and cheaper to maintain. Because the saltwater chlorinators make their own chlorine, these pools require far fewer chemicals to maintain a clean pool.

Saltwater pools require hundreds of pounds of salt to operate, which is generally pretty cheap if purchased locally. Much of the cost of these pools is spent on the initial cost of the equipment.

Your upkeep will also consist of measuring free chlorine, salt, pH levels, hardness, alkalinity, and stabilizer. Make sure to test your pool after severe weather and before and after pool parties. You will need kits to conduct these tests on your pool.

If you need help balancing your pool, there are pool calculator apps to assist you. 

Lastly, saltwater pools do require some chemicals to help maintain their cleanliness. Sanitizers are good to have on hand, such as chlorine tabs or granular chlorine in case something happens to the pump, filter, plumbing, or salt cell.

Algaecides will aid in keeping your pool algae-free and clarifiers are good for your pool after using an algaecide. If you are new to pool ownership or would like more help maintaining your pool, there are guides on pool maintenance to assist you.

Pool Maintenance and Cleaning

If you're looking to make the switch to a saltwater pool or need help cleaning your pool, Silver State Pools can help you with your needs. You can schedule an appointment so that we can meet with you. Check out our blog to learn more on saltwater pool maintenance or general maintenance tips.