Introduction to Pool Salt Systems

Salt Systems a.k.a The Natural Chlorine Generator

Most people who consider themselves “sensitive” or “allergic” to chlorine are not reacting to the chlorine at all. The problem is packaged pool chemicals and the additives they contain. Those same swimmers who claim allergic reactions to chlorine typically experience no problems when they are in a salt water pool. The answer isn’t the absence of chlorine.

The answer is the absence of all the packaged chemicals and by-products in those chemicals. Salt systems create their own chlorine at controllable levels. This means you aren’t exposed to harsh applications of chlorine when you pour it into your pool.

Salt water pools used to be the exception, but now they are becoming a widely accepted method of water treatment in swimming pools. Many pool owners appreciate the soft feel of the water and a lot of builders are making salt water systems standard on their new pools. Most equipment manufacturers have also become aware of the fact that salt water pools are not just a passing fad. They are here to stay!

There is a common misconception that swimming in a salt chlorinated pool is like swimming in the ocean. The ocean has about 20,000 parts per million (ppm) of salt in the water, while a saltwater pool has only about 3000 parts per million salt. At 3000 ppm, you generally cannot even taste the salt. Any water under 6000 ppm is still considered
fresh water. Your eye contains about 9000 ppm salt. Since the salt water system creates chlorine, the water is still blue and also very clear. A salt system gives your pool the best water quality you get in modern society.

Salt systems have three main components:

Salt Cell - The salt cell is a series of plates with opposite charges in a cell. As the water passes between the plates,
electrolysis takes place, releasing the chlorine in the salt.

Salt - The second component is plain old salt. Salt makes the water conductive so that the electricity can pass between the plates in the cell. If the salt level goes too low, then the chlorine production simply stops. Salt is also the
raw material from which the chlorine is produced. You have to have a minimum level of about 3000 parts per million of salt in the pool water. 

Control Box - The control unit is a device that sends power to the salt cell. The unit controls how much chlorine is produced by regulating how long the power is applied to the cell. If you turn the control knob down to a low setting, then the unit might apply power to the cell only 25% of the time, thereby producing less chlorine. If you turn the control knob up, then the unit would apply power to the cell for a longer period of time and create more chlorine. The control unit will often sense the level of salt in the pool and indicate the need to add more salt. Self cleaning units have a feature built into the unit that reverses the polarity of the voltage through the cell in order to clean any scale buildup on the cell plates.