While these pools are a little more expensive to install, they offer much lower maintenance costs and fewer maintenance requirements, which makes them a better long-term investment than a standard chlorine pool. While upkeep is inexpensive, startup costs can be rather pricey. In cold climates, the chlorine generator may not be able to produce enough chlorine to winterize the pool. A saltwater pool is a swimming pool that uses a saltwater chlorine generator to convert bulk salt into chlorine. They are a great long-term option and like a standard pool, they can be built or bought in any number of shapes, sizes, and materials. Bulk salt, too, requires a lot of storage space, so you'll need a shed and a cart to move it around. After electrolysis, the water that leaves the machine is now chlorinated water. So, the saltand the taste of saltin saltwater pools is about 10 times less than that of seawater. It will also corrode some handrails and ladder bolts. Salt will corrode vinyl pools that have metal wall panels. After setup, it's fairly simple to keep the pool water clean. Saltwater pools can be just as sanitary, plus the water feels smoother and fresher. The 7 Best Above-Ground Pools for Hours of Backyard Fun, The Best Pool Heaters for Year-Round Swimming, Use a Convenient Test Kit to Check Water Quality in Your Pool, The Best Solar Pool Covers To Heat and Protect Your Pool, Here Are the Best Pool Filters for Clear and Healthy Water, What Each Part of Your Swimming Pool Does. The converted chlorine performs the same functions as conventional pool chlorine: killing bacteria and algae, as well as oxidizing dirt and chloramines. The pool water is drawn into the generator, where it passes through the salt cell. Solar heaters are located on the rooftop, while solar blankets are covers that float in the pool and capture the heat from the sun. You can regulate the temperature of your pool and not worry about how cold the water is before jumping in. Saltwater does not work with all types of pools or pool equipment. In contrast to a traditional chlorinated pool, though, saltwater pools produce a pure form of chlorine that's delivered in a controlled way to prevent irritating byproducts called chloramines. Do you want to republish our data visualizations and/or articles? Howmuch.net finds the best top-rated contractors in your area, Contractors give you free customized estimates, Compare estimates & hire the contractor that will best fit your needs. Many newer chlorine generators are controlled by touch-pad control panels or by apps from your phone. Many owners of swimming pools have chosen to switch from chlorine to saltwater for these reasons, and because saltwater can mean lower maintenance costs and easier upkeep. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 12 years. Installing a pool is not a DIY job. Check out our guide if you need a loan for your home improvement project. The benefits of saltwater pools are that they offer lower maintenance and they dont need chemical treatments like chlorine pools. The comfortable feeling continues after the swim, too. Saltwater pool installation: by type of pool and for a 12x20 pool size, with all materials and professional labor included. Unlike chlorine, salt is easy to find and affordable. Local costs have been calculated by accounting for labor and material cost differences across different cities. Installing a saltwater pool can vary in price significantly from one project to the next, due to considerations like the size, material, shape, and type of pool installed. In the cell, metal blades coated in ruthenium or iridium are charged by electricity. Compared to 40 pounds of chlorinating tablets costing $250 to $350 per year, this is a significant cost saving. Cells are cleaned in muriatic acid, a hazardous chemical. Whether you are purchasing one to convert an existing pool or as part of a new pool installation, make sure that you choose a quality system. He specializes in estimating as well as design and engineering for plumbing systems, and he works for one of New York's largest union plumbing construction companies. These methods include a solar heater, solar blanket, heat pump, or an electric, gas, or propane heater. Saltwater pools are heated in the same way as standard chlorinated pools. Salt is added directly to the swimming pool water. To compare, the salt in seawater is concentrated to about 35,000 parts PPM (parts per million). Consider working with a pool installation service that can do all of the work at once to save on labor costs. Saltwater pools do not generally taste salty. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. The sensation is much like swimming in clean, fresh lake water or even like swimming in ocean water, minus the briny smell and the sand. So, a saltwater pool does have chlorine. You should always hire professionals to handle major installation and plumbing related to your new pool. Users of chlorinated pools know that harsh after-swim feeling well: dried-out skin; burning eyes; hair stripped of oils. Chlorine is a very effective sanitizing agent, but it can also leave your eyes red and hair brittle. Which Type of Pool Cleaning System Should You Buy? How much does it cost to install a saltwater pool in your city? Craftsman Estimator Costbook, complete series year 2019. Users of saltwater pools love the feel of the water, as it's smooth, silky, and soft. Salt cells need to be replaced every 3 to 8 years and each cell costs $300 to $600. Instead, a salt chlorine generator machine converts sodium chloride, or ordinary salt, into chlorine. If you need concrete work or decking installed along with your new saltwater pool, that will incur an additional cost. Richard Epstein is a licensed master plumber with over 40 years experience in residential and commercial plumbing. The cost of saltwater pool installation is basically just a couple of thousand dollars more than what it would cost to install a chlorine pool, for the cost of the saltwater system. The least expensive and most eco-friendly is solar. Not only do they know what they are doing, but they will also generally offer a warranty that could come in handy in the future. 26 Above-Ground Pool Ideas to Beautify Your Swimming Spot.

Included in the installation price is the saltwater chlorination system that converts a standard pool into saltwater. Keep your pool's regular pump and filter maintained, as the pool still needs to circulate water. Safer to store and work with salt than chlorine, Salt is usually freely available and easy to find, Regular replacement of salt-chlorinator electrode cell, High upfront cost of saltwater chlorine generator, Bulk salt for chlorinator is heavy, hard to store. Salt cells must be cleaned frequently (around every 500 hours), using either a cell cleaning stand or a bucket. In traditional chlorinated pools, keeping chlorine levels low can help minimize the less-than-ideal after-effects of swimming in chlorine. So, you may still need to resort to traditional chlorine additives during the winter. We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. While you cannot get away from the need to keep swimming pool water clean, clear, and hygienic, you can get away from the chlorine additives. While salt alone does have minor capabilities as a disinfectant, creating a saltwater pool isn't as simple as dissolving salt in a swimming pool and leaving it at that. The saltwater chlorination system is the biggest feature of any saltwater pool. To get accurate cost estimates, indicate yours: HowMuch.net was born with one mission: Understanding Money.. If you have an existing pool, most saltwater conversion systems come with simple instructions for connecting the system and converting your chlorine pool to saltwater. We create unique, beautiful, compelling, and easy-to-understand guides and visualizations to help people make better financial decisions. Starting up a saltwater pool requires many hundreds of pounds of salt to get the water to its correct levels. Swimming pools are fun, but chlorine isn't always. Inspect the salt cells often for build-up. Regularly check rubber O-rings and pump seals for signs of corrosion. Having some type of heater in your pool allows you to enjoy swimming as the weather cools down. Saltwater pools have an initial cost of $800 to $1,000 for the chlorine generator alone. After swimming in a saltwater pool, a user's skin may feel supple and moisturized, not dry. Once the chlorine generator has been set up and the pool water brought up to its required quality, ongoing costs are fairly low. Test pool water during busy season with salt strips. Saltwater pools' salinity is about 3,000 PPM. Latest prices found on Home Depot and other vendor Web sites.

Swimming pools that use chlorine additives can be converted into saltwater pools by adding a chlorine generator. Bags of 40-pound pool salt cost $5 to $20. Without caustic chlorine, swimsuits and towels last longer and keep their colors.