Salt Water vs. Chlorine: How Does the Maintenance Actually Differ?
One of the most common things we hear from pool owners is, "I want to switch to salt water so I don't have to take care of the pool anymore."
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that is a myth.
While salt water pools offer a different swimming experience, they are not self-cleaning. The reality is that both systems require weekly attention—the tasks just look a little different.
If you are wondering what your weekend chores look like with a Salt Pool versus a Traditional Chlorine Pool, here is the breakdown.
1. Adding Sanitizer (The Main Difference)
This is where the two systems diverge the most.
With a Traditional Chlorine Pool: You are the delivery system. You must physically add chlorine to the water to keep it sanitary.
The Chore: You need to check your floater or skimmer baskets weekly to add chlorine tablets. During hot weeks or after pool parties, you will likely need to pour in liquid chlorine or granular "shock" to prevent algae.
The Risk: If you forget to buy tablets or skip a week of dosing, your chlorine levels drop to zero, and the pool turns green.
With a Salt Water Pool: The equipment is the delivery system. The salt cell generates the chlorine for you.
The Chore: You generally don't have to handle chlorine pucks. Instead, you occasionally haul heavy bags of salt from the store and dump them in to maintain the salinity level (usually once or twice a season, or after heavy rain).
The Risk: If the equipment fails or the salt level gets too low, the pool stops producing chlorine without warning.
2. Managing the pH (The Hidden Battle)
Water balance involves more than just chlorine; it involves pH (how acidic or basic the water is).
With a Traditional Chlorine Pool: Chlorine tablets are acidic. Over time, they lower the pH of your water.
The Maintenance: You will often need to add a base (like Soda Ash) to bring the pH up to prevent the water from becoming corrosive.
With a Salt Water Pool: Salt chlorine generators naturally drive the pH up.
The Maintenance: This is the most overlooked chore of salt pools. You must add Muriatic Acid frequently—sometimes weekly—to bring the pH down.
Why it matters: If you ignore the high pH in a salt pool, calcium scale will build up on your expensive salt cell and pool tile, potentially ruining the equipment.
3. Equipment Care
With a Traditional Chlorine Pool: The equipment is fairly simple. You clean the filter and empty the baskets. That's about it.
With a Salt Water Pool: You have an extra piece of equipment to care for: The Salt Cell.
The Maintenance: Every few months, you must inspect the cell for calcium buildup. If there is buildup, you have to remove the cell and perform an "acid wash" (soaking it in a diluted acid solution) to clean it. Neglecting this will burn out the cell, leading to an expensive replacement cost (often $500–$900).
4. What Stays the Same?
Regardless of how you get chlorine into the water, about 80% of pool care remains exactly the same for both systems:
Skimming & Vacuuming: Leaves don't care if the water is salty. You still have to fish them out.
Brushing: Algae can grow on the walls of both pools if water isn't circulating.
Filter Cleaning: You still need to backwash or clean your filter cartridges regularly.
Testing: You still need to test the water chemistry weekly.
The Bottom Line
The difference isn't amount of work; it's the type of work.
Chlorine pools require you to consistently buy and add sanitizer tablets.
Salt pools require you to consistently monitor pH levels and clean the salt cell.
Too Busy to Worry About Chemistry?
Whether you are hauling bags of salt or buckets of tablets, pool care takes time and chemical know-how. One wrong mix can lead to cloudy water, irritated eyes, or damaged equipment.
At JA.B. Pool Service LV, we understand the unique science behind both systems.
If you have a Salt Pool, we monitor your salt cell health and keep that tricky pH in check so your equipment lasts longer. If you have a Chlorine Pool, we ensure your sanitizer levels are always perfect, so you never have to worry about a green pool.
Reliable. Affordable. Professional.
Let us handle the science so you can handle the swimming. Contact JA.B. Pool Service LV today at (702)912-8521 or email Info@jabpools.com to get on our schedule!