by Shawn Grundy

Created on: September 20, 2008   Last Updated: September 25, 2008

Salt water swimming pools are often likened to a pool simply filled with sea water. This couldn't be further from the truth. Salt water pools is a term given to a pool whereby pool salt is added and chlorine is created by salt water pool systems rather than simply added in high quantities.

A salt water pool provides many benefits above that of regular chlorine shocked pools. For starters, you will not experience dry, chafing skin in a salt water swimming pool. You also won't see faded swimsuits coming out of a salt water pool. You certainly don't ever experience the abnormally strong burning smell of chlorine in saltwater swimming pools. Best of all, no burning eyes when enjoying a refreshing moment in a saltwater swimming pool.

When most people hear about these benefits, they automatically assume that there isn't any chlorine in saltwater pools but this would be a bad assumption. The truth is that when salt goes through saltwater pool system it is actually creating chlorine. Remember, pool salt is nothing more than sodium CHLORIDE, one of the chief ingredients in Chlorine. Why then, if there is chlorine in both a saltwater pool and non-saltwater pool, do you not get the same effects? Let me explain.

The amount of chlorine actually needed to kill bacteria and algae in a pool really aren't all that high. The super-strong smells, itching, burning and fading that we experience in most non-saltwater pools are the result of "shocking" the pool. Shocking the pool is when you add a large amount of chlorine to a pool all at once. You do this, because most people add chlorine only once every thirty days so in order for it to last that long, a large amount needs to be added. Otherwise, you would have to add small amounts every day and that would be very labor intensive. Salt water pool systems actually use pool salt to create chlorine, but only what is necessary to keep the pool clean and free of bacteria and algae. This amount is not enough to cause all of the ill effects that we usually associate with chlorine.

Salt water swimming pools will most likely become the industry standard over the next few years as the cost of the initial salt water pool systems themselves begin to drop. These systems are very maintenance friendly and they keep track of how much salt (in parts per million) are in the pool at any given time. If it runs low, you toss a bag in. What is amazing is how long the salt will last without having to add more. Because the chlorine is being made in such small amounts, and because salt does not evaporate, even when dissolved in water this solution becomes an extremely low-maintenance alternative to a typically high-maintenance hole in the ground.

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