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Salt water swimming pools use special chlorine generators that produce the chlorine your pools need, which means that you never have to buy, store, or add chlorine to your pool. In order for the chlorine generator to work, the water must have a salt content of 2500-6000 ppm, with an optimal range of 2500-3500 for comfortable swimming.

In a nutshell, a salt water pool is one with a chlorine generator, so the salty water is actually a secondary effect. You could just as easily call them chlorine generator pools but that sounds impersonal and far too technical.

I won’t go into all the chemistry involved, but the chlorine generator  basically works by electrolysis to produce chlorine, which then turns into hypochlorous acid. That’s the sanitizer that kills algae and other nasty stuff in the water. Keep in mind, though, that the hypochlorus acid only works as a sanitizer when the pool is balanced and at the proper pH, so you still have to maintain your pool chemistry in order for a chlorine generator to work.

As as pros and cons of salt water pools, many people prefer the swimming experience in a salt water pool, as the water is often clearer and free of algae or chloramines that can cause burning red eyes. Many people also feel that the water in a salt water pool feels softer and smoother on their skin.

On the maintenace side, you’ll never have to handle or buy chlorine again, as the generator produces all you’ll ever need. While you will have to periodically add salt to the water to enable the generator to function, that’s a lot easier and less expensive than adding chlorine.

As far as cost, expect to pay something in the range of $1,000-$2,000 for a quality chlorine generator unit and other equipment to enable you to switch over to a salt water pool.