It may come as a bit of a surprise to you, but ordinary chlorine swimming pools are no longer as common as they used to be. For years they have dominated the market, providing the foundations for the majority of swimming pools in leisure centres, hotels and private villas. But that’s all been changing in recent times.
As time has passed, a different type of swimming pool has reared its head- those filled with salt water. More and more people are opting to purchase salt water pools rather than their chlorine counterparts, but why is this? Surely if people wanted to swim in salt water they’d just go to the beach, right? Don’t worry, there’s a lot more to it than that.
There are plenty of benefits to getting a salt water system for your pool, and if you choose to go
down this route then you’ll be able to see this for yourself. But what are these benefits, exactly? And how do salt water pools actually work? We’re here to tell you just that.
So what are the physical differences between a saltwater pool and a chlorine one? Well, the way they are cleaned is a way to start. To clean a chlorine pool, physical chlorine tablets need to be added on a regular basis in order to keep cleanliness at a high standard. On the other hand, saltwater pools are cleaned by an electrical system known as a salt chlorine generator. This more or less does what it says on the tin, and cleans a pool by turning salt into chlorine; this in turn cleans the pool.
If you’re going to get a saltwater pool, you need to make sure you read up on how to look after it and maintain it. Look out for chlorine levels, salt levels and the amount of calcium in the pool, as these are three factors which can play a big part in how safe your pool is to swim in. Cleaning out your salt chlorine generator once every few months is also vital; this will ensure the continued production of chlorine which will help keep your pool clean and the people who swim in it healthy.
Before we continue, if you want to find out more about salt water pools and salt chlorination just follow this link. You can read about where you can purchase salt water pools and read some reviews on the best systems on the market, giving you a head start when it comes to picking the right pool for you.
So what are some of the benefits to purchasing a saltwater pool? One is that it could well save you money in the long term. While the initial purchase of a chlorine pool ma be cheaper than buying a saltwater system, it tends to work out cheaper in total for those who want a pinch of salt. That’s because you won’t have to continually buy chlorine tablets for cleaning your pool, as an electrical saltwater system does this by itself. All you’ll have to worry about for the most part is making sure your cleaning system stays unblocked and working fine by itself, and if this ever gets a bit tedious just remind yourself about all the money it’s saving you.
This leads us onto another benefit which was already touched on in the previous paragraph- you won’t have to spend as much time manually cleaning a saltwater system and you do with a chlorine pool. Chlorine pools have to be manually cleaned on a regular basis, and chlorine tablets have to be dropped into the pool frequently in order to keep it up and running. Contrastingly, saltwater pools are run and powered by an electrical system, which cleans the pool by itself. We’ve already spoke about this salt chlorine generator, but it really does offer you so much leeway when it’s time to clean the pool. It’ll do it all by itself while you sit back and relax, and all you have to worry about is ensuring it doesn’t get blocked by emptying or draining it every few months.
Now, a lot of people absolutely detest the smell of chlorine swimming pools and you can’t exactly blame them. While it’s not exactly the worst smell in the world, if you’re looking to go for a nice relaxing swim you don’t really want to be constantly getting frustrated about the smell of too much chlorine. Saltwater pools have got a different smell to traditional swimming pools, and so offer a nice alternative if you’re looking to avoid the overwhelming stench of chlorine. Who knows, maybe you’ll even find that it smells like the seaside!
Saltwater pools are also less likely to cause some of the problems that chlorine pools do. A lot of people have experienced their hair turning green after swimming in chlorine pools, which is never a good thing. Imagine hosting a party to celebrate your new swimming pool and after half an hour you and all your guest’s hair has turned to a murky ogre-like colour. Noone wants that, do they? Swimsuits are also much less likely to get bleached or change in colour after exposure to a saltwater pool, whilst it is quite common for this to happen in chlorine pools. We don’t want to have to continually spend more money on new swimming gear, especially right after spending quite a bit of money to purchase a swimming pool in the first place. That’s why buying a saltwater pool can provide you with so many benefits.
There has also been a lot of research undergone which suggests swimming in a saltwater pool may be healthier for you than doing so in a chlorine pool. This is because the chlorine fumes which tend to linger around the water surface in chlorine are often very annoying and irritable for a lot of people, especially those with conditions such as asthma. Saltwater pools are much more unlikely to have these kinds of fumes floating about, and even if they do they evaporate more easily. All in all, a lot of research suggests it’s easier to breathe in and around saltwater swimming pools.
With all that being said, there is a simple benefit which saltwater and chlorine pools have in common; they provide a great source of exercise. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise you can take part in, and it has so many benefits. Your heart rate is improved without putting too much impact stress on your body, allowing you to build up your cardiac fitness and health without the same injury risks which taking part in other sports bring. Your muscle strength is also improved a great deal, which shouldn’t come as a surprise when you look at the physiques of professional swimmers. Your muscles tone very quickly when you swim, giving you a great excuse to purchase a saltwater pool and get swimming on the daily. Your lung health also gets a big boost if you swim a lot, with your cardio fitness levels shooting through the roof at the same time you are working on muscle strength. You’ll also find it much easier to keep your weight under control, as swimming regularly at a decent level will allow you to either maintain or lose weight depending on what your requirements are. While these benefits are experienced by all swimmers no matter what kind of pool they swim in, it gives you another great excuse to purchase a saltwater swimming pool system and add to the benefits we’ve already discussed in previous paragraphs.
Saltwater pools are also great for your skin. This offers a great alternative to chlorine pools, which often leave your skin feeling dry and flaky after you exit them. This can have poor long term effects on your skin’s overall health, so purchasing a saltwater system can help you a great deal. Salt water is known to be a great natural moisturiser, providing an easy way to keep your skin nice and smooth. So not only will you be able to enjoy the pool itself, you’ll also come out of it every day feeling like a Greek god. It can also help a lot with skin conditions such as acne, once again highlighting its great skin properties.
This next one may seem a little far-fetched, but salt water pools are actually believed to help with our mental health. Salt water tends to have great relaxation properties which are amazing at soothing our minds, so if you’re regularly swimming in a saltwater pool you’re less likely to get stressed all the time. We can’t be too careful with our mental health, so a saltwater pool can go a long way to helping you have peace of mind.
Saltwater pools are also thought to be a lot better on your joints than traditional chlorine pools. This is because they contain the mineral bromide, which is really effective at easing pains deep in our muscles and joints. There aren’t many worse pains than these and it often feels like there’s no way to get rid of them, which is why saltwater pools offer such an easy and effective way to relieve pain. Even if you have suffered an injury (a sporting one, perhaps), you’ll still find it easier to perform recovery training in a saltwater pool because of the effect bromide has on your muscles and joints; it’s easier to move and therefore easier to train and recover.
There are also a lot less side effects when you swim in a saltwater pool compared to when you swim in a chlorine pool. Sensitive areas of your body, such as your eyes and skin, are less likely to get irritated and your overall swimming experience is therefore more likely to be more enjoyable. Noone likes the burning feeling chlorine can give you if it gets into your eyes, so do yourself a favour and purchase a saltwater system!
The water in saltwater pools has a much smoother feel to it as well. This makes it a lot more desirable for a lot of people who are thinking of buying a pool, as they are fed up with the rough and dry sensations which are created by chlorine pools. If you’re looking for a much smoother and relaxing swim overall, you should definitely consider a saltwater system for your pool.
Of course, there are a few disadvantages to getting a saltwater pool. For starters, they are a lot more expensive when you originally buy them, which could set you back quite a bit of money. However, as discussed earlier, this is cancelled out and then works out cheaper in the end as time passes. They cost more up front, but are cheaper to maintain and act as a very sound investment.
They are also a lot more difficult to fix than ordinary chlorine pools. Because they are built in a much more complex manner, even the most minor of problems can require a technician to be hired to get your pool back up and running. This could prove to be a bit of a hassle, but at the same time the pool systems are that high-tech that they are also much less likely to break in the first place.
Salt can also cause damage to a variety of different materials, so you need to be careful with the tiling and lighting you use in your pool; you don’t want it degrading after a few months or years. As long as you do the proper research and are careful with your choices, however, there’s no reason at all as to why you can’t enjoy your saltwater pool and reap all of the benefits we’ve discussed in this article.
