Hi Pool Doc,

The salt water questions are what I'm looking for. Maybe you can help. I have read allot of saltwater systems. And like anything else, all who stand to profet from the systems have nothing but good things to say and there are plenty of pages with bad things to say about salt systems. My concern is I did find a page that advocates salt systems, but they were admitting to many problems that come with salt systems.

First, all who seem to love salt systems use the fact that you no longer have to go and buy chlorine. OK, that's fine. But you still have to drive to the store and buy salt and acid for PH control when it get to high. Also the corrosion issue. Salt is salt. And even if it is considered to be a small amount of salt, I can't help but think it will corrode anything metal. Again, all who love salt say it will never happen, but there is plenty of people out there saying it will.

We have a vinyl liner. I have read plenty of sites that say if the salt system are not just right, it will coat the vinyl pool liners with whatever that can't be scraped off and it is better to replace the liner if this happens. Not to mention the gizmo that have to be changed out every 4-6 years that costs $500 - $700. And all of the sites that sell the salt systems want you to think salt systems are easier and cost less even though the systems are $1000 - $2000 and another $500 - $700 every 4-6 years. And that's if for whatever reason the electronic device is not damaged with some kind of electrical surge making it necessary to replace much sooner.

The more research I do on salt water systems it just seems like the scam of the year to get you $2000 deep before you get to the point where you have to replace the pools liner and switch the system back to just adding some chlorine. We do the chlorine at this time and it is very easy to keep a grate looking pool that feels wonderful to swim in.

So what is your thought?