Saltwater Swimming Pools

The salt itself . I have found that all store bought sodium and/or pottassium chloride(salt)s particularly damaging to hair, skin and nails. It is corrosive and dissinigrating. The companies who sell water systems that include the salt canisters deny that any salt gets to you through the filtration(if you have one filter, or even if you have three filters, used in RO (reverse osmosis) ), but this is not true IT DOES. They even deny there being any difference in the salt you use. NOT TRUE. Why, then are there so many varieties of salt for sale? Also, there are a lot of companies cropping up lately that now have saltless systems. If there was no problem with the salt, then these new systems would be unneccessary. I've read that the saltless systems aren't as effective if the water is very hard, and if that's the case, then you do need the systems with salt.(I would still avoid the salt at all costs) I had a whole house RO system for 5 years and at first I had the salt delivered. They'd fill the canister all the way up. Right after these deliveries, my skin would itch and sting, my nails would peel, and much more hair than normal would come out in my brush after washing it and be extremely dry, dull and unmanageable.. NO hair products helped, and I spent a small fortune on all kinds. The water would strip out anything you'd put on when it was wet, and damp hair or dry hair conditioners would just make it more flat and dull. I discovered that as the salt would get used up it would get better and better, and that the perfect amount of salt in the canister was if it was a third full. Less than that would get worse again. So I cancelled their salt delivery, and tried 4 or 5 different salts until I discovered that Sun Gems was the absolute best. The company argued that keeping less salt in the canister wasn't good for the water system, but I'd argue back that my hair wouldn't come out, my nails wouldn't peel and my skin would clear up when I'd keep it at a third full. I know that RO systems are acidic, but I KNOW from experience that these problems were from the salt. I realize this subject is about swimming pools-chlorine is also drying and somewhat corrossive-but NOTHING like what the salt does to you. Even swimming in the salty ocean doesn't compare with what these synthetic store bought salts do to you. The stuff should be banned. I,ve NEVER swam in the ocean and had my hair come out! This salt also leeches INTO your hair skin and nails. The skin and hair seem to recover quickly, but not the nails. I,ve had my nails peel all the way down, and the skin all around them and under them become incredibly hard and painful, and resistant to ANY first aid or cortizone creams. And I have been to several dermatologists. It's not a problem with me, not nail fungus-It's the salt in the water. I have also read that the salt DOES get into your body, and you can retain it, and that if you can't figure out why you have some extra weight that absolutely won't budge, it is very possible it is water retention from this salt you are constantly exposed to if you have one of these systems. Also it is very contaminating to ground water. Thankfully I am moving soon, and I pray that I never ever see a salt canaster again in my life. ------ There is no convictive evidence for what you state above.

What has been your chemistry balance for the year - month-to-month? Without seeing the pool finish, it seems that your pH and alkalinity have been off for months. What chemicals do you add regularly or on a weekly basis? I have much doubt that it was the conversion to salt. A bad plaster job would have other signs. Please, get back to me thru my message board. So that I can further analyze situation.

Being in the pool service business, I have installed many chlorine generators in residential pools. I haven't come across a residential unit that will accomodate more than 40,000 gallons (and I don't necessarily trust the manufacturers' optimistic estimate). I've installed 40K gallon residential units for about $1,500, but it seems you will probably need a larger, commercial unit, which, I've been told, can run $4,000 to $7,000 dollars, but do your homework: you may find an online deal.

I am in the process of developing the same idea. My thoughts are to get rain water collection barrels and fill them with the backwash and add pump that is fed by the barrels to generate enough pressure for a few sprinlkers.