How to Maintain a Saltwater Pool

Whether you’ve already installed a new pool or decided to switch out your current one, making the switch to saltwater can be very beneficial. You’ll enjoy softer skin, a lower usage cost, easier maintenance, and more. To give you an idea of what you can expect once your new pool has been installed, we’re going to go over how to maintain a salt water pool to ensure the best swimming experience possible.

Sanitize the Pool’s Water

Have you ever seen a swimming pool filled with water that’s murky or green? What about one that actually has a bad odor? These problems are due to a lack of sanitation. But it’s a lot worse than just having ugly water.

When you don’t sanitize a pool, microorganisms can thrive and quickly multiply. It’s also possible that these pools can become infested by disease-spreading pests. This is why it’s necessary for you to use some type of oxidizer to keep it clean.

Salt water pools generate free chlorine on a constant basis, which helps keep them sanitized, but you must monitor it to ensure that it’s at a sufficient level. You need to calibrate the salt chlorine generator’s setting so that it meets your swimming pool’s sanitation needs. Also, you may be required to make small seasonal adjustments or use the system’s “boost mode” following heavy pool usage.

Check Circulation & Filtration

Have you noticed that swamps tend to be murky and dirty while streams look perfectly fine? Although the environment itself is a factor, this often happens because a stream that’s constantly moving makes it harder for impurities to accumulate, whereas a swamp’s stagnant state makes it a lot easier.

Since your swimming pool is obviously stationary, you need to take steps that allow for proper circulation and filtration. The basic rule is that your pool pump should run long enough to circulate 1-2 times the amount of water in your pool through the filter each day. This automatically assists with filtration because debris will constantly be moved through the filter. Just be sure that you clean the filter once the pressure gauge has risen approximately 8–10 PSI over the normal baseline.

Balance the Water’s Chemistry

Now, we come to the big boy: water chemistry. What we’ve discussed so far—sanitation, circulation, and filtration—is in service to your swimming pool’s chemical balance. But, those things are just the beginning. If you want to learn how to maintain a salt water pool, then you absolutely must pay attention to these four elements of pool chemistry:

• Monitor the Free Chlorine Level — As you probably suspect, we’re starting with the most important part. Your salt chlorine generator should be set at 1-3 ppm (parts per million), which will keep your water looking blue and prevent microorganisms from accumulating. If your pool is brand new, you may want to adjust the setting after a few days.
• Monitor the pH Level — You always hear a lot about your swimming pools pH balance, and for good reason. If the pH level is too acidic or alkaline, this can make your chlorine ineffective. In most cases, this simply comes down to adding muriatic acid to lower the level. However, we suggest that you invest in a pH balance system that will do the work for you.
• Minimize Chlorine Demand — There are certain elements that will cause your pool to require more chlorine than it should. The number of phosphates, nitrates, and stabilizer found in the pool at any given time is one of these. If you have problems with these three things, then your chlorine demand will be very high.
• Monitor the Salinity — Even if you don’t know anything about salt water pools, the fact that salinity is a key factor probably won’t come as a shock. Most salt water systems require a salinity level between 3,000 ppm and 4,500 ppm. You usually only need to check the salinity after it rains, or the pool’s been drained. For most homeowners, adding just a few bags of salt each year will be sufficient.

Contact Larsen’s Pool & Spa to Install a New Salt Water Pool

Larsen’s Pool & Spa has proven itself as the premiere custom pool builder in Tampa Bay and the surrounding areas. We can help you design and build a salt water pool for your home. If you have any questions about our new pool construction, pool remodeling, or pool financing options, reach out to us at (727) 786-POOL (7665) today.