Salt Water Pool vs Chlorine: How to Choose

Salt water pools have been growing in popularity for years. With this summer’s pool chlorine shortage, we’re hearing more and more people ask about a salt water pool vs chlorine pool, and how to choose.

We thought we’d pull together some of the facts to help you decide. Most people know all about inground pools that use chlorine to keep them clean, but not everyone knows how a salt water pool system works.

So, let’s start with that, and then we’ll give the pros and cons of each type of pool.

A Salt Water Pool Still Uses Chlorine

Wait, what? Yes, a salt water pool still uses chlorine to help keep your pool clean. The difference is that instead of adding chlorine tablets or liquid chlorine, a salt water pool uses what’s called a salt chlorine generator to turn salt into chlorine.

You can use a salt chlorine generator in a fiberglass pool and a concrete pool, as long as the concrete pool is tile lined.

Salt Water Pool vs Chlorine Pool: The Pros and Cons

Let’s dive in to what we see as the main pros and cons of a saltwater pool when compared to a chlorine pool.

Pros

There are many benefits of a salt water pool, including:

• The pool water has a silky feel, like the ocean.
• There is no chlorine smell.
• Salt water is gentler on your skin and eyes than a chlorine pool.
• Maintenance costs are lower because you use fewer chemicals.
• Less maintenance is required in general.

Cons

There are also some cons to a salt water pool vs chlorine pool. They include:

• Salt water pool cost is initially higher.
• It may be more expensive to replace parts.
• You need to test the water balance more frequently.
• Salt water is corrosive. It is not for non-tiled concrete pools.

Already have a chlorine pool that you’d like to change to a salt water pool? That’s called salt water pool conversion.

Salt Water Pool Conversion

A salt water pool conversion is when we install the salt chlorine generator and other components in an existing inground pool. This process is simplest in a fiberglass pool, because salt water will not corrode the pool interior. It will also work in a tile-lined concrete pool.

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Make It Exceptional. Make It Woodfield.

If you’re interested in a salt water pool – either converting an existing chlorine pool or a new salt water pool installation, the team here at Woodfield can help. We serve clients in the Baltimore region, including Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Cecil County, Harford County, and Howard County.

Contact us today to get started!