If you have a pool in your background already or have started shopping around for a custom pool, chances are you’ve stumbled upon the debate of chlorine vs. salt water pools. One of the greatest debate topics in the world of home pools, there are pros and cons to both chlorine and salt water pools. Chlorine is the most common chemical used to kill bacteria in swimming pools and Jacuzzis, however, in recent years people have been opting for salt water pools over chlorine because of health concerns. Before we dive into the advantages and disadvantages of chlorine vs. salt water pools, let’s make one thing clear. While many green parents and eco-friendly folks are concerned about overexposure to high levels of chlorine absorbed through the skin in this type of pool, the reality is that it would take a lot of chlorine to cause any damage. In fact, salt water pools also have chlorine in them, throwing that debate point out the window.

That being said, it is important to stay on top of the maintenance and upkeep of your pool (regardless of which route you go) in order to ensure the chlorine levels are where they should be and are not posing any dangers to you or your loved ones. There is no clear cut ‘winner’ when it comes to chlorine vs salt water pools, it all depends on your preference and how much maintenance you are willing to put in.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Salt Water Pools

Again, we would like to reiterate that salt water pools do have some level of chlorine in them, however, the chlorine level is much lower in a salt water pool than a chlorine-specific pool. In a salt water pool, the water is chlorinated through chemical electrolysis that happens by way of a salt water generator or salt water chlorinator. Because of how this is done, salt water pools have less chlorine and do not dry the skin out as much as chlorinated pools. Let’s now take a look at a few of the advantages of salt water pools:

• Less maintenance
• Lower overall cost
• Safer for your pets, kids, and family
• Inhibits algae naturally
• Easier on swimwear

Here is a look at a few of the disadvantages of salt water pools:

• More up-front costs than chlorine pools
• A consistent salt-to-water ratio level must be maintained
• Salt must be added to the pool weekly or monthly, depending on environmental factors
• It can take three to five days for the water to clear up in salt water pools

Advantages and Disadvantages of Chlorine Pools

Chlorine pools are historically better at clearing up bacteria in the water than salt water systems. In fact, the water in chlorine pools will typically appear much more transparent than that of salt water pools. It should only take 24 to 48 hours to clear up the water in chlorine systems.

Here is a look at the top advantages of chlorine pools:

• Easy to operate
• All you have to do is add tablets to the system in order to clean the water
• Chlorine is efficient
• Cost-effective
• Costs less to install initially

Let’s now look at the disadvantages of chlorine pools:

• Chlorine can be harmful to human skin, eyes, and hair
• More maintenance-intensive than salt water pools

To learn more about our Hurst swimming pool options or if you have any questions about chlorine vs. salt water pools, please contact Mid City Custom Pools today.