Are Pools Really Chlorine Free?

There is a myth floating around many backyards that a swimming pool with salt in it makes a "Chlorine Free" pool. However, a salt pool is not a chlorine free pool!

For some reason, many consumers believe that adding a salt generator to their swimming pool will make the water and pool environment chlorine free. The truth is this machine does not make salt, but rather, uses salt that you add to the swimming pool water as a conducer to manufacture chlorine. Yes, it's a chlorine factory in your back yard! You can have your very own chlorine producing factory when you install a salt chlorine generator and add many bags of Aqua Salt (a specially formulated salt for pools) to your swimming pool. The number of gallons of water that your swimming pool holds will determine how much salt you add to the water. An approximate dosage ratio is 200 pounds of salt for every 10,000 gallons of water, provided you have a zero salt reading before you add. With a zero reading before adding salt (make sure you check this level as most water already has a salinity reading), you factor the gallons in the swimming pool and the manufactures guidelines for salt levels in the water- usually around 3400 ppm. Check out this handy Salinity Calculator from Pentair for a recommendation on how many pounds of salt to add based on your pool's salinity reading.

Once you have the recommended amount of salt in your swimming pool and the Salt Chlorine generator has been installed with your filtration system, adjust the dial on the chlorine generator to the level of chlorination you would like in your pool. This is exactly how liquid chlorine is manufactured. All that's needed to manufacture chlorine is water, salt and negative/positive charges, and that all happens in a salt chlorine generator.

Chlorine is a chemical that has kept America from being a 3rd world country. It kills harmful bacteria and diseases, purifies our drinking water so it is safe to drink, and creates a great environment for you and your family to enjoy your swimming pool. Chlorine is not a bad thing when used in the right dosage. A salt chlorine generator will help you manage the day to day feeding of chlorine so it does not have to be added in large doses that are irritating to your eyes, skin and nose. All this benefit can happen by you presetting your salt chlorine generator to your preferred settings and not having to manage it every day. No worries... just crystal clear water!

For more information and to see all our Salt Generators and other alternative pool water sanitizers, visit the Alternative Sanitizers category in our store.