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They are both in fact chlorine pools chlorine pools The difference is that in one you add chlorine directly And in the salt water pool there is a chlorine generator that makes chlorine from the salt that that has been added to the pool. Until recently sodium chloride (common salt) was used in these pools and this gave the water a nice feel for the swimmers. Recently however a new system using magnesium and potassium chloride has been introduced making the water healthy to swim in and good to water the garden with if you are inclined to reuse back wash.

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15y ago
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15y ago

When building a new salt water pool, your cost should not be much more than a traditionally chlorinated pool . Any pool can be converted to a "salt water" pool by installing an in-line chlorine generator, which, simply stated, separates the sodium from the chloride in regular salt (sodium chloride) which is added to the pool water to a concentration of 2700 ppm to 3500 ppm, depending on the unit installed. Generally speaking, a decent salt water chlorine generator retails for about $1,000 - $1,200. There should be little (or no) additional labor expense when installing the unit while the pool Plumbing and electrical systems are installed. Then, of course, you have to buy the salt. It comes in 40 lb. bags and must be "food quality" to ensure purity. Plan on spending about $5 - $10 per bag, an average sized pool takes about 6 - 8 bags. Don't let your pool builder soak you (pardon the pun) for more than an extra $1,500 for the salt water unit installed and set up. I'm in the pool service business and routinely retro-fit "regular" pools with chlorine generators and usually charge $1,400 to $1,500 including salt. If your pool builder really wants to win the bid, you may wish to negotiate for the generator, as his cost is around $700+/- for the unit.

It initially costs more to replace an existing system with a salt water system, but if you plan to live there a long time, the costs in pool repair will be realized and the costs will even out.

The salt water system has an initial cost associated with it that a manual chlorine pool system will not have. If you are also considering a chlorine distribution system of any kind to automate the chemical process then the salt vs. chlorine initial costs would be more or less equal. The long term running costs for chlorine are slightly higher than salt systems. It should be noted that most people who choose salt systems do so because they hope to benefit from softer water, less skin irritation, less eye irritation and greater convenience in not having to purchase transport, store and use unstable liquid chlorine Instead of peaks and valleys of chlorine count, you would experience a more stable chlorine level in your pool.

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9y ago

That is an excellent question, one we wanted to know as well. So we searched our database in our retail store to determine on average how much people spent to keep their pool sanitized for a season. We used people who purchased all their sanitizers from us and we are talking about a mid Atlantic season, specifically southeastern Virginia. Our season on average runs from April to November. Here is what we came up with based on a 30,000-gallon pool. Using stabilized chlorine tablets the average usage was $313.37 per season. Using Soft Swim (aka Baquacil) the average usage was $356.82 per season. Using a Salt Generator the average usage was $158.04. These price are reflective of 2004 chlorine prices last year the Federal Government imposed import fees on Chinese chlorine products and the price of Stabilized chlorine has jump about 20% this year from 2004 prices so the savings my be greater. This does not take into account the convenience factor there is very little maintenance with a Salt Generator. 2 key things you should do on a weekly basis. 1-Test your water with a test kit make sure you have enough chlorine in the pool if not turn your unit up and if you have to much turn it down. 2-Check your pH level to make sure it is within 7.4-7.6 range the by-product of the chlorine production is a slight increase in the pH level. About once a week sometimes you can go as long as 2-3 weeks you will need to put some pH decreaser in the pool. Because the Salt Generator is shocking the pool water as the chlorine is made there is not need to shock the pool on a routine basis. It is as simple as that. Answer salt vs chlorine cost This all depends on the size of the pool the water temperature the air temperature,How many hours a day your cover is off and the time of day it is off and of course how many bathers get into a the pool and whether or not they bathed before hand.

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16y ago

If you are handy and can install it yourself you can buy a salt chlorinator for about $899. You then need about $100 of salt. Companies like Leslie's offer specials for free installation 1 or 2 times per year. Figure about $999 - $1300 depending on your location to get the system installed. The Goldline system is the best. They go by the names of AquaRite, AquaRite XL, Swimpure Plus. They are owned by Hayward Pool Products the largest manufacturer of pool equipment in the united states. This will last you for about 5 years.

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11y ago

They are actually both chlorinated. The "salt water pool" simply means there is a salt chlorine generator that makes chlorine from the salt. The water usually has a softer feel it as well.

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Q: What is the cost difference between a salt water pool and a chlorine type pool?
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