Why Salt-Water?

Ocean water has a salt content of around 35,000 ppm (parts per million). Humans have a salt taste threshold of around 3,500 ppm. Most chlorine generators require a salt content of 2500 – 6000 ppm in the pool. A unit that needs less than 3500 ppm to operate effectively is optimal. If the salt content is higher, that warm, salty water will be pretty distasteful!

Salt is a natural element found in the earth, in our body and in our homes. It is used to season and preserve our food, rinse out contact lenses and soften our drinking water. Salt is a very economical commodity. When the ions in salt are passed over specially coated blades and induced with a low voltage electrical charge it is converted into chlorine. It is the same process that is used to convert seawater into laundry bleach. When this process is incorporated into your swimming pool you have your very own “chlorine generator.”

Swimming in a mild saline solution is much like taking a shower in soft water. Generally, when people swim in a non-chlorine generator pool (a pool with no salt water in it) they feel like their skin dries quicker upon exiting the pool. They may feel and/or see a whitish residual, chlorine flaking, on the skin. In a salt-water pool (one with a chlorine generator) the water feels smooth, your skin feels smooth and many people feel more refreshed.

What Does a Chlorine Generator Do?

A chlorine generator’s main function is to produce chlorine for the pool so you do not have to buy it, store it or handle it. These are big advantages for many pool owners. Chlorine generators, when functioning correctly, produce chlorine constantly (when the pump is running) with most units. This keeps a residual of chlorine in the pool that prevents algae from growing. The secret is keeping the cell free of calcium and mineral deposits – the cell itself is made up of precious metals – it must be maintained so it can continue to make chlorine.

Through the process of electrolysis, water passing over the chlorine generator cell produces chlorine that is instantaneously transformed into Hypochlorous acid. When any type of chlorine is added to water it all makes the same thing: Hypochlorous acid. It does not matter if it is Sodium Hypochlorite (liquid chlorine), Tri-chlor and Di-chlor or Lithium based, Cal-hypo or even gas chlorine – it all makes Hypochlorous acid. Hypochlorous acid is the active sanitizer; this is what kills algae and other harmful stuff in the water. Its effectiveness is totally predicated on balanced water conditions and, more importantly, proper pH. So, with a salt water system or chlorine generator, you still must maintain your water balance (pool chemistry) properly. As long as you do this, a chlorine generator is a good choice.