Saltwater pool vs chlorine pool - pros/cons?

[mhsjax]

I really don't know the upkeep/maintenance pros and cons but I will say my kids will NOT swim in a saltwater pool. The last hotel we stayed at had one, and after 10 minutes they were whining that the water was stinging every little scratch on their body. I don't know if this is normal or if they had the salt solution too strong, but my kids can swim for HOURS so for them to get out of the pool after 10 minutes I know they were pretty miserable.

That is not normal. I have never heard of this. Salt water actually makes their skin feel good and no green hair or bleached out bathing suit and no stinging eyes. My next door neighbor's son had eczema and his Dr told him that our salt water pool was very good for it, and it actually cleared up his skin.

 

[cheerful chickadee]

this might be OT but what kind of chemicals or system do WDW resort pools use? Just wondering as they gave our white bathing suits a yellowish hue.

We don't have our own pool but my parents do so we spend a good amount of time in theirs. They use baquacil. They have a hard time getting it clear sometimes, maybe I should suggest the salt water system to them. They have an above ground 16 x 20 kayak pool I believe.

 

[Too Far From Home]

I have a 29,000 gallon gunnite pool. Salt is a problem with gunnite pools - calcium deposits - so we don't use salt.

The reason that people's eyes burn in a "chlorine" pool is poorly maintained water. Proper PH and total chlorine levels are essential. People with in-ground pools usually have too much stabilizer in their pools, which creates a situation in which thay need too much total chlorine in a pool to maintain a proper free chlorine level.

Swim in my pool - it is a "chemical" pool, and your eyes will not sting one bit. Swim in a public pool and your eyes will, because (just like in public salt pools), they over-do the chemicals to be super safe.

All that said, if you are not a pool chemistry geek, the salt system is probably a better option. Once it is "right", you are set for pretty much idiot proof maintenance for the rest of the season.

 

[furb & dez]

Go salt, all the way. Cheaper, feels better on the skin and eyes, and is stupidly easy to maintain.

The only reason I would see for having a chlorine pool is if you have a compulsion for throwing away money and time.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

We have an in-ground saltwater pool. If maintained properly (acid when needed, stabilizer when needed, and salt only when the solution is diluted from an abundance of rain) the water does not sting your body, or your eyes. The goal is to reach a pH of tears.

It's simple, clean and cost effective.

 

[EMom]

I hear SOOOOO many pros about saltwater pools and if we got one, that's the way we'd go. But I have heard from more than one person (in Texas, land of the pools) that saltwater is corrosive and messes up the area around pool. (Sorry, I can't think of the right word.....it's late.) Like if you have flagstone around your pool area...where you walk.....it will start coming loose.

Has anyone had any experience like this?

 

[Too Far From Home]

I hear SOOOOO many pros about saltwater pools and if we got one, that's the way we'd go. But I have heard from more than one person (in Texas, land of the pools) that saltwater is corrosive and messes up the area around pool. (Sorry, I can't think of the right word.....it's late.) Like if you have flagstone around your pool area...where you walk.....it will start coming loose.

Has anyone had any experience like this?

It isn't the corrosive effect of the salt water - it is the way that the salt water reacts to some things. The salt water in a properly maintained pool is not very salty - you can barely taste the salt. But, as an example of items of concern, some grouts will absolutely disintegrate when subjected to salt water - even water with this low a salinity level. So, yes, it could be a problem - depends on a lot of things.