Salt Water Filter Systems for Pools

Salt

• Food-grade table salt or pool salt is dissolved into the water. After the pump has run for about 24 hours the salt water system--or chlorine generator--can be powered on to produce chlorine. The salt content is around 3,000 parts per million (ppm), or about 25 pounds of salt per 1,000 gallons of water. In comparison, human tears have a salinity of about 4,500 ppm while the ocean is around 9,000 ppm.

Chlorine

• The generator has an electrolytic cell that breaks down the salt and allows it to combine with the hydrogen and oxygen in the water. As the water passes through the cell, molecules recombine and chlorine begins to clean the water. As the water moves through the system and back into the pool, the chlorine has done its job and returns to salt to repeat the process.

Maintenance

• Maintenance on a salt water system isn't much different than a regular chlorine pool. The pool must be brushed and skimmed regularly, the water should be tested and adjusted every few days, and the filter should be checked and cleaned every one to two weeks. The generator's cells should be checked at the same time as the filter and cleaned with an automatic cleaning cycle or a mixture of muriatic acid and water. Most systems have a reverse polarity function that works automatically for a brief period during each hour the unit runs.

Installation

• Installation of a salt water system is easy and can be done by anyone with a basic knowledge of tools and pools. Install the unit after the pump and heater are in place, and on the line that returns water to the pool. When the pump is moving water through the generator, and the generator has power, it will produce chlorine. If the pump isn't running, however, the generator will not produce chlorine as it can't move the water alone. Some suppliers have combination units available that include a pump, filter and generator. However, if you already have a working pump and filter it's not necessary to get a new one.