On 2/25/2014 2:53 PM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Tue, 25 Feb 2014 13:55:59 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 2/25/2014 1:32 PM, F*O*A*D wrote:


What little I have read of this thread reinforces my long-held belief
that owning a swimming pool requires more effort than it supplies fun.


Naw, we are just debating how a pool gets chlorinated using a salt system.

I am no pool expert but curiosity has prompted me to try to understand
the process. That said, and having had three conventional pools (two in
Florida and one up here) and one salt based system at our current pool
the advantages of the salt system are crystal clear to me (pun intended).

1. Far less maintenance. Pretty much automatic.
2. Cheaper to operate. Salt is cheap. Pool chemicals aren't.
3. Clearer water.
4. Softer water.
5. No need to inventory or store dangerous chemicals.

Only disadvantage is a higher initial cost.

I should mention however that all salt systems are not the same.
Some are manual systems and need more checking, adjustments and
intervention. We opted for the fully automatic, microprocessor based
system that senses and adjusts as requirements and demand dictate.

At the beginning of the summer season the cell is operating
approximately 55-60 percent of the time that the pool pump is on.
By the middle of the season it has dropped to about 45 percent of the
time and towards fall it is operating about 30-35 percent of the pump on
time.

A friend in North Carolina has a new pool - a year or two old. During a recent visit he said it was
a 'salt water pool' although the salt was very mild. He bragged about how easy the maintenance was
compared to other pools he'd had. He loved it.

If I were ever to have a pool, which I'm not, I'd definitely be looking into that salt system.



Like I said, I am no pool expert but I played one on TV once.

When we ordered our pool installation the contractor originally wanted
to put the pump, filter and heat pump in a location near the pool that
would be noisy, very visible and would detract from the whole cabana and
landscaping work. I argued to install them behind the cabana, out of
sight and where they wouldn't be heard. The pool contractor balked,
stating that the pump manufacturer (Hayward) did not recommend placing
the equipment that far away from the pool and would not warranty their
performance. The whole project came to a halt.

I researched the pumps available from Hayward and taught myself to do
all the conductance calculations to determine water piping diameters,
manifolding and valving. I then found a Hayward "SuperPump" in their
catalog that met all the performance criteria for the conductance
calculations. I submitted all the data to the pool contractor who
forwarded them to Hayward. Hayward responded within a week giving a
thumbs up to the design and our preferred location of the equipment and
stated that a full warranty would apply.

Contractors sometimes try to take the easy route.