Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Saltwater Pool
One of the biggest advantages of designing a custom home in Florida is the opportunity to design a luxury pool. Gone are the days of having to stick to the simple, rectangular pool. When you work with custom home builders in Clearwater, you can design the shape and style of the pool to meet your preferences, as well as choose saltwater or chlorine.
Saltwater pools are a new trend that are becoming more and more popular with custom homebuyers, and we’ve put together a few advantages and disadvantages to help you make your decision.
Advantages of Salt Water Pools
Less Maintenance
With a saltwater system, pool maintenance is much simpler. Saltwater pools still require some chlorine, but it’s minimal. With these pools, the salt cells will produce any chlorine as needed, but you will still want to monitor chlorine levels periodically to ensure everything is working properly. Additionally, cleaning your saltwater pool is only required about once a year, where you drain the pool, change the filter, and scrub.
Saltwater Pools Are Gentler
No more red eyes and itchy skin. Because chlorine levels are much lower with a saltwater generator, people that are sensitive to chlorine will have fewer irritations.
Softer Water
Like rainwater or water softeners, saltwater pools make water feel smooth and silky as opposed to the abrasive feel of chlorinated water.
More Cost Effective
Though expensive upfront because of the purchase of a saltwater generator, saltwater pools are actually more cost effective in the long run. With saltwater pools, homeowners can forgo buying pool chemicals on a regular basis.
Disadvantages of Salt Water Pools
More Complex
One of the benefits of a chlorinated pool, is that if there are any sanitation issues, typically the solution is to add more chlorine. With modern electric saltwater systems, any problems that occur are likely to require the assistance of a technician.
More Expensive
As mentioned earlier, saltwater systems require a large initial investment. Though it’s likely that with the money you save on chlorine, the saltwater system will pay for itself. A starting fee of a few thousand dollars can steer some people away from choosing it. The initial expenses to set up a saltwater pool can cost between $1,000 and $5,000, not including the cost of construction for the actual pool. This price can vary depending on the size of your pool, i.e., the bigger the pool, the more water you have and the more salt needed to add to the water. However, once the pool is set up and running, you’ll spend less money on it than a chlorinated pool. During the summer you can expect to spend $20 to $30 for the whole season. Upkeep of a chlorinated pool is much more expensive, and will cost about $50 to $60 a month depending on the size of your pool and the amount of time it’s used.