What Types of Water Can Go in A Swimming Pool?

Installing a swimming pool is one of the best ways to increase the fun factor in your home this summer. It helps you keep cool in the warm weather, enhances the value of your property, and most importantly, allows you to have fun with your family.

However, your job doesn’t start and end with deciding which type of swimming pool you want in your yard. You also need to think about the swimming pool water that’ll go in it. Your choice should depend on how often you use the pool, among other factors. Accordingly, pick a suitable type to keep your pool water clean and clear.

Most swimming pools use chlorinated water. Out of the gate, it’s the cheapest option, and, as far as many people know, the only type of swimming pool water. However, there are two more viable options: a saltwater pool and a mineral pool. When you’re planning to have a pool installed, consider all of your options. The most common one may not necessarily be for you.

What’s Chlorine Pool Water?

Who hasn’t gone swimming in chlorine pool water? It is the most common option in both private and public pools. It works well because chlorine interacts with several water contaminants, including dirt, sweat, lotion, and admittedly, urine (eww). The resulting chemical reaction helps treat and sanitize the pool water.

In chlorine pool water, the chemical splits into two compounds: hypochlorite ions and hypochlorous acid, both of which destroy bacteria.

What’s Different About Swimming in Chlorine Pools?

Chlorine can be used in three forms to sanitize the swimming pool: tablets, granules, and liquid. All these forms can be directly added to keep the chlorine pool water sanitized. Further, chlorine can be stored for a long time, so you don’t have to worry about it losing its efficacy.

A word of caution though – it is best to avoid chlorine pool water if you’re prone to skin allergies, irritation, and asthma. You can explore other options instead.

What’s a Saltwater Swimming Pool?

Regarded as the best alternative to chlorine, this type of swimming pool water was first used in the 1980s, and there’s been no looking back since. However, many think that saltwater swimming pools have no chlorine in them, which is a myth.

Also, this is not the saltwater you find at the beach, and it won’t taste the same either. In fact, there’s not a lot of salt in saltwater pools. They just use salt to replace most of the chlorine in their cleansing systems. The fact is saltwater swimming pools contain ¼ chlorine level (0.5ppm) compared to chlorine pools (2.0ppm).

Where chlorination systems need chlorine added to them, in this type of system, you would add special pool salt instead. Then it will interact with the salt cells in the water, which together, will produce chlorine. You’ll be creating your own chlorine in amounts that keep the swimming pool water clean and make far fewer chemicals.

What’s Different About Swimming in Saltwater Pools?

Because there’s less chlorine in saltwater swimming pools, you don’t get the downsides of a chlorinated pool. If you go in too early after chlorinating the pool, you raise the chances of chlorine irritation on your skin and around your eyes. Saltwater pools reduce the chance of irritation drastically.

This also makes the water feel different while swimming. Saltwater can feel softer than chlorinated water, which makes it a different and more pleasant swimming experience. This swimming pool water is easier on your skin as well and hydrates it better than chlorinated water.

In terms of care, saltwater swimming pools are more effective and stay clean longer than those with pure chlorine systems. This means you don’t have to add salt as often as you would chlorine chemicals. Combine this with the low price of pool salt, and a saltwater pool becomes cheaper over time compared to a chlorine pool.

What’s a Mineral Water Pool?

Mineral water pools are widely considered as a healthy alternative to traditional chlorine and saltwater pools.

As the name suggests, mineral water pools add additional minerals that keep the pool clean and clear of bacteria and algae. The minerals that most mineral pools use include magnesium chloride, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride. Together, mineral water pools cut your chlorine usage by around 50%, and with some sanitation systems like E-Z Pool, you can eliminate the use of chlorine altogether.

What’s Different About Swimming in Mineral Pools?

Like saltwater, the quality of the water in a mineral pool is better than in a pure chlorine pool. Water from mineral pools is often softer as well, and this is due to how the minerals interact with each other to clean the swimming pool water. Similar to salt water, you can avoid the irritation to your skin and eyes caused by chlorine with a mineral pool.

The main thing that mineral swimming pool water has over saltwater is that minerals don’t wear down equipment and accessories. Even if you have a fiberglass pool, saltwater will slowly break down any metal, clothing, or concrete going in and out of the pool or being splashed on.

Another big advantage of mineral pools is that they are easy on the skin. They can also help improve your health. The added minerals can soothe certain aches and pains in your body, without producing side effects like allergies and irritations.

Consider Pool Water Alternatives with Aqua Leisure

Whether you’re installing a new swimming pool or remodeling an existing one, you need to ensure you have the right filtration system. While you’ll find many types, chlorine, saltwater, and mineral swimming pool water are the most popular ones. Hopefully, the above pointers will help you understand the uses of each one.

You have more freedom to have the pool of your dreams when you choose Aqua Leisure Pool and Spas. We have a diverse catalog of in-ground and above-ground pools. You can see what they look like on our showroom floors at any of our locations with our experts who ready to help you figure out what’s best for you. Contact us today.

Posted by Aqua Leisure Pools & Spas in Pools