Commercial Appeal, The - Worth The Salt

( Memphis, TN)

March 31, 2006

Convert the pool system and you make chlorine tablets a sign of the past; then enjoy the 'softer' water

Author: Jennifer Biggs / biggs@commercialappeal.com

Edition: Final
Section: Home & Garden
Page: M1

Article Text:

You can't tell you're looking at a salt water swimming pool when you see one.

All you'll see is sparkling clear water.

No tropical fish.

No coral reef.

And, of course - no dolphins!

But if you decide to convert from chlorine to a salt water system you'll notice the difference in other ways.

You'll have more time to enjoy a tropical drink on a raft in your personal backyard lagoon. One of the big benefits of going to salt is that it will slash your maintenance time.

If you already have a pool, you can convert to a salt system for less than $2,000, including the equipment, installation and hundreds of pounds of salt. Chlorine tablets and shocking the pool will be a distant memory.

"In pool care, this is probably the most dynamic change we've seen in years, since the automatic cleaner," said John McDaniel, the chief operating officer of Memphis Pool Supply.

If you're building a pool, chances are good you're going to get the converter installed on the front end (for close to the same cost as a conversion).

"I don't think I've put in a single pool in the last three years that wasn't salt water," said Jim Crone with Mid-South Pools, who said that in Europe and Australia, about 75 percent of swimming pools are salt water.

The technology isn't new, but the systems were known to be unreliable in the past. Now that the kinks have been worked out, Memphis companies are promoting salt systems for new pools and conversions for existing ones.

Jack Nichols of Hernando was leery when his pool was built last year, only because a friend had a salt water system that failed a few years ago.

"It went out pretty quickly, but he just started putting chlorine right in the pool," said Nichols.

McDaniel acknowledges it was a problem.

"They were out there, but they just weren't reliable," he said. "We never sold them because of that - this is the first year we're really opening the gates. The cells we use are made of titanium."

Nichols finally decided to give the salt system a try - and he's glad he did.

"I've got friends in the pool cleaning system and I did a lot of homework," he said.

"Most of my friends who have (chlorine) pools, it's a nightmare. But I haven't had a problem."

Virtually any pool, no matter its age, can be converted. Gunite, vinyl liner, fiberglass or even above-ground - as long as it has a pump and filter.

The conversion is simple and quick. The installer or even an accomplished do-it-yourselfer adds a flow-through cell to the pipe at the filter and installs a control panel.

A big dose of salt is dumped in the pool. When the salt water from the pool is pumped through the cell, a low-voltage electrical current causes a chemical reaction that changes the salt (sodium chloride) to chlorine.

The water is pumped back to the pool, where the chlorine attacks and destroys organic matter. Job done, it bonds back to the sodium molecules.

The process is ongoing. As long as the pump is pumping, the water is converting.

You're making your own chlorine.

You still have to test the water, and if the salt level gets low, you have to add salt.

Nichols said what he does is go to Lowe's or Home Depot, where he buys 40-pound bags of salt for about $4, and he pours them in his pool.

Problem solved.

"It's nice to have no expense of chemicals," he said. "I don't spend much of anything on it."

The standard salt concentration is 3,500 parts per million, about half the salinity of the fluid the human eye.

"It's right at what we call the 'taste threshold,' which means that some people can taste it, but most people can't," said McDaniel.

Only a tiny fraction of the salt - about two parts - converts to chlorine as it passes through the cell, although heavy users can adjust the amount by simply turning a knob.

"If you're the neighborhood hangout, you'll want to dial it up," said Bobby Shute, service manager at Memphis Pool Supply. "And you'll want to adjust it to the season."

The warmer the water or the busier the pool, the higher the concentration of chlorine generally needs to be.

The water quality generally is touted to be superior to chlorinated water, both clearer and with a better feel.

"You find an amazing comfort in the (salt) water. It feels softer, that's the best way to explain it," McDaniel said.

"My wife and my child both have a little bit of sensitive skin, and the water is really soothing," Nichols said.

Eventually the cell will have to be replaced, which will cost about $700. Even though the cost of chlorine for a traditional - nonsalt - pool runs about $200-$300 for a season and varies depending on size, swimmer load, trees, etc., salt systems are not marketed as cost savers. Instead, they're a convenience for pool owners, Crone and McDaniel said.

For Nichols, it's the only system.

"I love it and I wouldn't change it," he said. "If I ever put in another pool, I'll do it! again."

Caption:
Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal

Converting chlorine pools to a saline system has been popular in pool-dense areas like Florida for awhile, but it's becoming popular in Memphis, too. Pool companies say salt water offers plenty of pluses. But sorry, no dolphins allowed.Photo illustration

Copyright (c) 2006 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN
Record Number: 110B6CA5C593FE68

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