5 saltwater pool maintenance myths

Saltwater pool myths

1. There’s no chlorine in a saltwater pool.
   There is chlorine in your saltwater pool! While you don’t technically add chlorine to your pool, the saltwater system creates chlorine by dissolving salt and using electrolysis.

1. You don’t need to test and balance a saltwater pool as often as a chlorine pool.
   Actually, testing and balancing should occur just as often. Saltwater pool systems keep chlorine levels more stable, but routine testing and balancing is still necessary for the other pool water chemicals (pH levels, total hardness, total alkalinity, stabilizer). To get brilliantly clear results, test and balance your pool water twice weekly.

1. You can’t go overboard on salt.
   Not true! Because excess salt doesn’t evaporate, it stays in your pool water longer and is hard to remove. The few ways to remove too much salt are to let rain wash it out, normal splashing during pool water play and draining some of your pool water and refilling it. Avoid going overboard in the first place by adding salt slowly, testing the levels as you go.

1. With a saltwater system, you don’t need chlorine shock.
   False. Chlorine shock is essential for keeping pool water free from contaminants and bacteria with both saltwater systems and regular chlorine systems. By using HTH™ Pool Care Shock, you can get clear, swimmable pool water and avoid chlorine lock, or overstabilization.

1. Saltwater systems won’t damage pool surfaces and equipment.
   Salinity can damage your pool and pool equipment if you aren’t careful! The best way to prevent salt damage is to test and balance routinely with the HTH™ Pool Care 6-Way Test Kit and HTH™ Pool Care 6-Way Test Strips. Also, be sure to rinse off pool components, decks, furniture and vegetation often.