Re: Steps to convert to salt water
Converting to a Salt Water Chlorine Generator is not cheap. That needs to be said up front. In addition, the payback is not quick. In other words, you will NOT pay for the cost of buying a Salt Water Chlorine Generator in one or two seasons compared to pool maintenance using the BBB method or using commercially manufactured chlorine.
To answer your question:
1) You have to buy a SWCG. The Size (Chlorine Output) that you need depends on the size of your pool.
2) You have to install it or pay someone else to install it.
3) You have to buy Salt at approximately $7.00 per 40 lb. bag. The amount you need again depends upon the size of your pool. My 24' round AG pool took almost 300 lbs. or $50 worth of salt to start up.
4) You will need a good quality test kit to monitor your pool chemistry. You may already have this. You will also need to adjust other chemistry to properly maintain your Salt Water pool like CYA and pH.
5) I personally recommend that you drain and re-fill your pool with fresh water first, but it is not necessary to do this.
6) Once you buy your equipment, install it, and buy your salt and other chemicals, you are basically ready to add approximately half of the salt and gradually bring your salt level up to the desired level. The Salt level is determined by the brand of SWCG that you bought.
7) Before you do or buy anything, read the link on Salt Water Chlorine Generators Frequently Asked Questions found on the Stickie in the SWCG Section of this Forum.
8) There is no reported medicinal benefit to using salt water vs. fresh water. Most SWCG's require 10% of the salt concentration found in the Oceans of the world, and the SWCG uses that salt to put chlorine in your pool. If you are thinking of switching to Salt Water to avoid commercially manufactured Chlorine for air quality or less breathing of chlorine fumes, you might be o.k. Otherwise, being an Asthmatic with an outdoor Salt Water Pool myself, there is no miracle cure in a salt water pool.
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