Saltwater swimming pools

[Cindy B]

Thanks! Our health club here was the first to have a salt water pool and now our Ashland YMCA has one. But I didn't know this would work with above ground pools. Several sites say it does. We much prefer the feel and lack of chemical smell. Since I'll be renting, an above ground pool (if the lot's got a cleared space) would be perfect.

Cindy

[Kelena]

Hi Royall,

Not an expert on this, but learning a little bit. As has been pointed out upthread, the salt actually becomes chlorine by way of a generator. The salt is dumped into the pool and then the "box" or generator helps convert it to chlorine. I have spoken to a couple of pool guys (they are hard to find by the way!), with regard to a pool that was chlorine, converted to saltwater, and then back to chlorine.

Saltwater is a great idea in theory. People love it because the water is softer and has a more natural feel to it. Costs to maintain are usually comparable to chlorine. However, saltwater pools may not be as well suited to the rainy Eastside as they are to the leeward side, or to, say Southern California. In Southern California you may drop in a bag of salt once a year. In Puna, you may be looking at a bag a month, or more, because the rain dilutes the effects of the salt-converted-to-chlorine in some way. Also, saltwater pools require a little more "balancing" because of the rain. Conversion to saltwater costs about $1,500. Converting back is as easy as putting tabs, or a floaty in the pool and unplugging the salt generator. No special liner is required. In lower HPP, water may not need to be heated if the pool bottom is darker, to retain heat. How saltwater works may be location dependent. Might be able to pull it off in Kapoho; might be impractical in Hilo.

[Carey]

Glen, Our old neighbor in lower HPP had a black ferro cement in a lava puka pool. Without the heater, the water was almost always in the lower 70's (a little cool for most, but great for long laps.... but his pool was not really built for laps.... I bungeed lapped it a few times without heat, it it was ideal for me... my skinnny hubby only liked it with the heater... ) We had a stainless steel lap pool with solar heat in Chicago area, with both jets & bungee set up. I never could get my pace to ideally match the water current speed (I'd over or under swim every few strokes & end up edging the pool) the bungee systems gave me the ability to swim to my own rythum. We had first a chlorine system, then a bromine system with a solar ionizer. We were looking into changing over to a ozone system when we were able to retire here... decided to leave the pool behind (almost decided to get a container just to keep it... but...) Still want to put in a pool in our garden, but the house remodel has been eating into my pool plans....
Haven't really looked into the systems in the last 3 years, if you are on island, the home show is again this next weekend in Hilo (July 27-29th) then Aug 3-5 in Kona (check with the show sponsor HPM for more info on the home show, & to see if any pool dealers will be there)

[Kelena]

Hmmm, Carey. Lower 70's isn't what I had in mind. I would want something warmer. My information came from the pool people. I had NO IDEA you could create a pool out of a lava puka. That sounds fabulous. I love the tidepools down in yards down in Kapoho because they are warm and naturalistic. It would be great to recreate that look.