There has been a lot of talk recently in the pool industry about making the switch from a standard filtering and chlorination system to salt water pool. But, before you do something like this at your own home, there are a few things that you should know about.
- Chemical balancing – salt water requires a lot of maintenance.
- Draining – there are city rules and guidelines in place when it comes to draining your salt water pool.
- Galvanic corrosion – this is a complicated electrical process that could cause a lot of problems for your swimming pool.
Chemical Balancing
When you add a salt water system to your pool, the chemical balancing process will change, obviously. Most swimming pools have a low pH while salt water pools have a higher pH due to the fact that chlorine is produced from the system. The problem here is that many pool owners think that if they buy a salt water kit, they aren’t going to need to do as much maintenance. This is not true. If corrective actions aren’t taken to keep the water’s pH levels in check, it could cause a lot of problems, including the formation of corrosive scale.
Draining the Water
Typically, a traditional pool can have its water drained out to the curb in front of the home where it will flow down a sewer grate. With salt water, you may need to have the water hauled away or some other requirements may be in place depending on where you live. This can lead to additional maintenance costs for you to worry about from season to season.
Galvanic Corrosion
This is the process where metals are submerged in an electrolyte mixture, creating a current that moves between metal components and the water in the pool. This means that the salt water in your pool may have a constant voltage, which will eventually lead to premature corrosion to the pool floor, liner, filter, and so on.
For More Information
To learn more, give us a call here at Ambassador Pools. We serve New England, including all of Massachusetts, Hudson Valley, western PA, and parts of the Midwest, including Cleveland, Akron, and Canton in Ohio.