Both salt and fresh water pools are great for your home, but there are some key differences!
You have finally decided to get a pool built into your backyard for those hot summer days. This is a great idea because now you don’t have to worry about leaving your home and paying for a membership to go swimming. Now, you must choose if you’d rather have a fresh water or salt water pool. They are both great options and have their own perks, but you can’t choose both! From cost to pool maintenance, there is a lot to think about when choosing which type you want. Here are some factors to consider when deciding between a salt or fresh water pool.
Cost Of Equipment
With a freshwater pool, you are manually adding chlorine, whether it be in liquid form or with tablets. Saltwater pools use a generator that coverts the salt into chlorine on its own. Equipment for the freshwater pool is going to be cheaper because you can just pour the chlorine into the pool itself or purchase something to hold the chlorine tablets as they dissolve. You can also buy a chlorinator that gives you control over how chlorine is being put into the pool, but either way you are only looking at an upwards of about $150. A saltwater generator is expensive and there is really no way around it, but it does make caring for your pool a lot easier in the long run. You could spend an upwards of $1400 on a quality saltwater generator.
Maintenance
Weekly pool maintenance is required for freshwater pools because chlorine levels are always fluctuating. You also have to worry about pH, alkalinity, and hardness levels in your pool. You must test your water often to ensure that it is in good shape and you also have to manually handle the toxic chlorine tablets. Make sure that if you choose freshwater, you are committed to regularly testing and caring for your pool. Saltwater generators are pretty self-sufficient and keep pool maintenance requirements fairly low. If there is something wrong, there is a control panel that will alert you. Some generators have sensors that will keep track of water flow, salt levels, and water temperature to keep chlorination at the right level.
Swimming Experience
Because saltwater pools produce chlorine more naturally, the water is less likely to reach dangerously low or high chlorine levels. It is also less harsh than the chlorine tablets. There are some common issues that can occur while swimming due to chlorine levels being too low. Some of these include green hair, stinging eyes, and a harsh chlorine smell which can irritate nose and skin. Since you are manually adding chlorine to freshwater pools, the likelihood of these issues increases because you could always misjudge the amount of chlorine. There is a chance these issues can occur with saltwater pools, but it is a lot less common due to the self-sufficient pool maintenance qualities it possesses.
Ready To Get Your Pool Up And Running? Sunrise Pool Builders Can Help
Whether you want to make improvements to your current pool or are in the market for a new pool, Sunrise Premier Pool Builders can help create the perfect pool for you. Customizable pools and spas are just the beginning and we are more than happy to walk you through every step to choosing the perfect products for you and your family. If you’re ready to begin, contact us at 410-349-3852 or online. To see examples of our work look at our social media pages Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+.