Pros and Cons of a Saltwater System

[writer]

We're thinking of going to a saltwater chlorinating system (Heliocol) and need to know the pros and cons of these systems. All I see online is testimony from folks who like the system. There has to be a downside. What is the whole truth?

[NWMNMom]

There is always a downside to EVERY system. There CAN be corrosion issues, but there doesn't HAVE to be or it can be virtually minimized to the point of null with proper attention to the risks and maintenance. There CAN be extra work initially in setting it up, dealing with salt, possibly dealing with the system malfunctioning (as with any equipment)

It is simply a way to deliver chlorine to your pool, usually without much work on your part. There are other chlorine delivery systems out there with their own set of issues and of course the "alternative" sanitzers with a lot of questions about effectiveness and true sanitation capabilities.

I have a swg and am happy with the convenience and continuity it provides me. I keep jugs of bleach on hand just in case there is a problem.

[Phillbo]

I've had a SWCG for a little over a year now and am happy with it. I travel a lot and don't have to worry about chlorine not being added if I am gone for a week or so. The initial start up cost was about 1000.00 for the system and the salt. In the beginning I had a constant fear the system would fail and I'd come home to a green mess but that has never happened. I like being able to control when the water is being chlorinated by when I run my pump.

YMMV but I'm a happy convert

[joelq]

Hi - I've had a SWG for about a year now and really love the feel of the water. As for pros and cons:

First, cons:

- dealing with acid is a pain! As you probably know, a side-effect of using SWG is a steadily rising pH which means you will be regularly adding acid to keep your pH under control. There appear to be some ways to control the pH rise (borates) but I haven't found one that works for me. These days, I add 32 oz of acid every 5 days or so (11k gallon IG). My pH is probably still being affected by my gunite and pebble curing, so might not be as bad a problem for you as it sounds like yours is an already existing pool.

- corrosion/pitting - much of the stories out there of SWG-caused corrosion appears anecdotal and can be explained by other water quality issues, and I haven't noticed any corrosion myself, but it still makes you wonder. I have started to see erosion-type effects under my spa spillway and under my weeping wall, but how do you prove that this isn't just caused by plain old water erosion? I guess the "con" here is that you just don't know, and it will likely continue to nag you each time you see some wearing out of your coping, grout, or mortar.

- the very slight salty taste might take some getting used to.

- additional equipment start-up costs

And, the pros:

- the water feels great on the eyes and skin!

- no need to shock - I've never had any combined chlorine, and I test my water every 2-3 days.

- no need to stock-up on and handle chlorine, although I've never owned a chlorine (non-SWG) pool so I don't know if this is just as much of a pain as storing and handling acid is (which I think is a big pain).

Hope this helps!

[KurtV]

Some of the oft touted benefits of an SWG don't actually have anything to do with the SWG but accrue instead from having salty water. Those include the "feel" of the water, and the lack of eye sting. If that's all you want from an SWG you can just put salt in the water.

There's a long thread here with several posts about stone corrosion caused by salt water. It seems to be a regional issue (if it's an issue at all) and may be related to rainfall. One theory is that frequent rainfall in places like Florida and the Gulf south keep the stonework rinsed off. If that theory's right and you live in an arid or semi-arid area, you can get the same result by regularly rinsing off the stonework.

SWGs will tend to drive your pH up. In some pools, owners see no net pH rise at all as the upward pressure caused by the SWG is offset by some other variable.

SWGs have a high initial cost and are a more expensive chlorine source than bleach or tri-chlor. This thread has a good cost analysis. I figure that between initial cost, costs for additional acid, electricity costs for running the SWG, and the cost of periodic cell replacement, an SWG would cost me about $10/month more than chlorinating with bleach.

You may or may not have to shock an SWG-equipped pool. You may if you have a very heavy bather load or if a bunch of organics (e.g. leaves or pollen) get into your water and overwhelm the chlorine your SWG produced. You may if you lose power for a day or two and thus don't produce any chlorine. Ditto if your SWG has a failure. In other words, you may have to shock an SWG-equipped pool for the same reasons you have to shock a bleach chlorinated pool. There is probably less chance of having to shock with an SWG but as many poolforum devotees will attest, a pool cared for in the way advocated here will rarely if ever need shocking either (I haven't ever shocked thist pool in the almost two years I've had it).

The benefit of an SWG is that you have an extremely convenient method of getting chlorine into your pool.

[Sumo1]

This is my second summer with an SWG. I used granular CL the three years before that. I won't switch back. When I physically added CL to the pool, the CL level would bounce from low to high readings, then reduce over time. That bounce also made my pH and Alk bounce, so that I felt I was always trying to balance something. When the CL delivery is smooth and constant, the other readings stay much more in line. I made the switch for under $800. I rarely have to add much acid, usually less than 6 oz. I don't consider handling the acid to be that much hassle. A jug weighs about 6-8lb and lasts me 3-5 weeks. Hauling granular CL buckets that weigh 50lb or more was a MAJOR hassle. The last one I bought (2 years ago) was 125lb! I still have 40-50lb left, if anyone wants it!
Hal

PS- Welcome to the Forum!

[Spensar]

Some of the oft touted benefits of an SWG don't actually have anything to do with the SWG but accrue instead from having salty water. Those include the "feel" of the water, and the lack of eye sting. If that's all you want from an SWG you can just put salt in the water.

Has anyone added salt to reduce "eye sting". My duaghter went swimming in a SWG pool and she commented that it was a lot easier on her eyes. That was a shot to the pride since I keep my water in darn good balance and the chlorine level is not excessive! Food for thought.

[KurtV]

Has anyone added salt to reduce "eye sting". My duaghter went swimming in a SWG pool and she commented that it was a lot easier on her eyes. That was a shot to the pride since I keep my water in darn good balance and the chlorine level is not excessive! Food for thought.

Yes, I and many others have salt water without an SWG. You'll see a noticeable reduction in eye sting at about 1200-1500 ppm salt.

[DavidD]

I have found that closer to 2000 ppm is the point at which I notice a difference. Let me tell you, what a difference it is. Just add pure water softener salt, let it disolve and walla!

Dave

[KurtV]

I have found that closer to 2000 ppm is the point at which I notice a difference. Let me tell you, what a difference it is. Just add pure water softener salt, let it disolve and walla!

Dave

The closer you get to the salinity of tears, about 9000 ppm I think, the less eye sting you'll get. So 2000 ppm will cause less eye sting than 1500 ppm, and 4000 will cause less than 2000, etc., etc. It's a diminishing returns thing at some point though, so start low and work your way up until it's where it feels good to you.