How Filter Run Time Affects Salt Chlorine Swimming Pools

!±8± How Filter Run Time Affects Salt Chlorine Swimming Pools

The use of an automated salt chlorine generator is a growing trend in swimming pool maintenance. As the name implies, it's a device that automatically creates chlorine by using the chemical reaction between salt water and electricity. Instead of adding liquid or tabular chlorine to the pool manually, pool owners can rely on the salt chlorinator to produce the chlorine automatically each day while the filter is running.

The first key to success with a salt pool is to understand that the salt chlorinator only produces chlorine when the filter is in operation. When the filter is on, chlorine is being produced and added to the pool water. When the filter is off, it is not. Since the salt generated chlorine is typically the only source of chlorine for a salt pool, there is a direct correlation between the amount of time the filter runs and the amount of chlorine being added to the pool each day.

This is important for a few different reasons. First, the chlorine demand for every pool will fluctuate throughout the year depending on the weather. The water will need more chlorine during the hot summer months than it will during the colder winter months. The pool will also need a chlorine boost any time there is an increased swimmer load and certainly after a pool party, which will require running the filter for an extra few hours. Also, many people try to minimize pool related expenses by cutting the electricity bill through reduced filter run time. But with a salt pool, since there is a direct relationship between the filter run time and the amount of chlorine generated, skimping in this area could be costly in the long run if it results in insufficient chlorine production that doesn't keep up with demands of the pool.

Salt-water pools have many advantages including making the water more comfortable for the human body and allowing for a more flexible schedule of pool maintenance. But no different than a traditional chlorine pool, owners must gain an understanding of how a salt pool works and what it takes to maintain it properly. Simply stated, without enough chlorine to meet the demands of the pool, problems will quickly develop and the pool will soon be green. So, it is worth the investment of time to learn the minimum filter run time required for the salt chlorinator to produce enough chlorine. Then, increase that number by ten to twenty percent and enjoy a crystal clear pool all year long