Homes in Perth can benefit greatly from having swimming pools. Given the city’s warm to hot weather, a swimming pool provides an ideal form of relaxation, exercise, and socialisation. To fully enjoy these benefits, the pool water must be kept clean and safe.

Dirt, microorganisms, chemicals, and other pollutants continuously go into the pool water, and are likely to cause health and safety hazards. Pool water sanitation is accomplished through a combination of different methods, such as the use of a salt chlorinator.

What is a Salt Chlorine Generator?

As the name implies, a salt chlorine generator produces chlorine from salt (sodium chloride). The Western Australia Department of Health states that this is the most commonly used method for disinfecting swimming pools at home.

How do they work?

A salt chlorinator requires the pool water to have a minimum of 3000 – 5000 ppm (parts per million) salt concentration. As salt water passes through the pool’s circulation system, it flows through the salt chlorinators electrolytic cell. The process of electrolysis breaks the water and salt down into hypochlorous acid and hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas escapes into the air while the hypochlorous acid sanitises the water, later on reverting back to salt, until the cycle is repeated.

Will the pool water taste salty?

The required concentration minimum (3,000 ppm) is below the threshold by which humans perceive salt by taste (3,500 ppm, to be exact). By contrast, seawater has a salt concentration of around 35,000 ppm.

Why use a salt system?

Any pool chlorination method requires that chlorine levels be routinely checked and maintained. Salt chlorinators offer a clear advantage in that they don’t require much effort to operate. They also reduce the production of chloramines, which are the typical cause of eye and lung irritation, as well as the chemical odour associated with chlorinated pools.

Live Strong indicates that a salt chlorinator avoids chloramine build-up by replenishing the chlorine levels constantly without intervention from the pool owner or maintenance workers. By contrast, traditional chlorination methods require manual addition of chlorine when it gets depleted.

How to Get One

Trusted pool companies such as Palm City Pools offer packages that include a new salt water chlorinator. These salt systems are included with fibreglass pool prices along with other filtration equipment essentials.

Sources:

Swimming pools and spas, Health WA

What are the Benefits of a Salt Water Pool?, Live Strong