Have you ever gone swimming in a Tampa swimming pool and come out with red, irritated eyes?
Have you ever wanted to go swimming in hotel or community pool but when you got there you found the pool closed to swimming after a chlorine shock treatment?
Chlorine is the primary element used to keep a pool clean. As it kills off algae and other microorganisms, it's concentration gradually decreases and needs to be replaced. Traditional chlorine pool systems use a combination of highly concentrated liquid chlorine and slow-dissolving chlorine tablets to maintain the proper chlorine concentration for the pool water.
When the chlorine tablets are first added, their surface area is large, chlorine dissolves into the water more quickly, and the chlorine concentration of the water can be too high. Then as the tablets get smaller, less chlorine is dissolved, making the chlorine concentration too low. When the chlorine level is too low, algae grows. Algae is then treated with highly-concentrated liquid chlorine, which causes the chlorine concentration of the pool water to increase dramatically to the point that it irritates the eyes.
These dramatic swings in chlorine concentration level are frustrating, time consuming, can reduce the life of the pool, and can be unhealthy for swimmers.
Fortunately, we now have saltwater chlorination systems that eliminate the dramatic fluctuations in chlorine levels.
Bags of salt are added to the system, the salt dissolves, and the saltwater flows through a cell where a low-voltage direct current is applied. This process, known as electrolysis, converts the saltwater into hydrogen gas and hypochlorous acid. The hypochlorous acid keeps the pool clean while the hydrogen gas leaves the swimming pool water harmlessly in bubbles.
The major benefit of a saltwater system is that the chlorine concentration is controlled electronically, and chlorine levels are able to be kept relatively constant even when whether and pool conditions change. No matter how much rain, debris or swimmers enter the pool, a saltwater system automatically adjusts to keep the chlorine concentration in the desired range. For most salt water pools, the only maintenance needed is to add a few bags of salt to the system a couple times a year.
A saltwater system does have a higher initial cost, but because salt is much less expensive than liquid chlorine and chlorine tablets, the ongoing cost is lower.
With a saltwater system, you don't have to make regular trips to the pool supply store for chlorine, so It increases the amount of time you and your family can spend swimming in your pool. Another benefit is you also don't have to handle or store liquid chlorine or chlorine tablets around your home, eliminating a potentially dangerous or damaging situation if spilled or fumes inhaled.
If you are interested in upgrading to a saltwater system, or if you're considering building or remodeling your pool, from Tampa to Trinity, and Northdale to Pinellas Park, contact us at Grand Vista Pools!
