by Brittany Russell |
Dry skin. Pruned fingers. Red, stinging eyes. These are not symptoms of a disease, but rather what will occur as a result of an increase in pool usage as summer approaches. The battle over using chlorine cleaning systems or salt systems to keep pools clean has been raging for over a decade. A glance at a few facts may help you decide which system is best for you.
Salt water is more comfortable for swimmers, but don’t be fooled into thinking that there is no chlorine in these pools. In a salt-water pool versus a chlorine pool, the level of chlorine needed is lower and the pH level can be a bit higher. That means the pool water does not cause burning, itching, dry skin or green hair. It also smells and tastes better.
These pools are less expensive to maintain. A salt-water pool is a lot cheaper over time because you do not have to add chlorine tablets to the water. Instead, you just add salt. The salt water runs through an electrical system that charges the salt and creates chlorine on its own. It is initially more expensive to maintain, but in only a few summers, it will pay for itself.
It is, in general, less time consuming to maintain salt-water pools. They eat up less of your time because the control box, which charges the salt, regulating most of the water levels. Be aware that you’ll still have to check the water for pH levels as well as calcium levels.
Despite the pros on the side of salt-water pools, both salt water and chlorinated water are unhealthy for the environment. While salt water may be a bit safer, it can still cause soil and drinking water problems, as well as kill sensitive plants around the pool. On the plus side, a salt pool option is safer for pets and for your family.
Chlorine often leads to breathing trouble in trained swimmers, regardless of past history of such problems, and the likelihood increases with the amount of chlorine used in the water. A study presented at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) showed an incidence rate of over 60 percent for Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction (EIB) after several minutes of swimming in water chlorinated at a concentration commonly found in home and public pools.
Chlorine byproducts found in swimming pools are linked to higher incidences of asthma, lung damage, stillbirths, miscarriages and bladder cancer, according to credible research conducted in the U.S., Canada, Norway, Australia and Belgium.
One researcher noted that 10-year-old children spending an average of 1.8 hours per week in an indoor swimming pool environment suffered lung damage she would expect to see in an adult smoker.
Salt water is just one alternative to using chlorine to keep your pool clean. Be sure to discuss all the possibilities with a professional before installing a new system.
References:
1. ezinearticles.com/?Salt-Water-Pool-vs-Chlorine&id=1010425
2. swimming.about.com/od/allergyandasthma/a/chlorine_breath.htm
3. ezinearticles.com/?Salt-Water-Pool-Review&id=1726094
For more info, contact Sports West Athletic Club at (775) 348-6666.
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