Saline Pools – Fresher, No Chemicals, Easier to Maintain
July 5th, 2008 categories: Coconut Grove Real Estate
Interested in a pool that doesn’t require the addition of chlorine or other chemicals, one that leaves your skin feeling fresh with no residue, one that doesn’t harm bathing suits or turn hair green? Then you may be interested in installing a saline pool system in your home.
At my listing on Washington Street in Coconut Grove the owners have put in a salt water pool (picture of their beautiful free form pool to the right). I am new to the whole idea of salt water pools and assume that many of my readers are too so I decided to do a little research and ask a few questions.
Mike, the owner and builder of the home on Washington Street, originally wanted a saline pool to keep the toads out (apparently they were having a problem with the bufo toads coming into the pool and leaving behind a huge mess). But once he looked into installing a salt water pool, he realized that there were many more benefits including better water quality and ease of maintenance.
How does the saline system work? First, you add salt (good old table salt) to produce a very mild saline solution (about 1/3 the salinity of human tears, or 1/12 the salinity of the ocean). Then you install a chlorine generator. When the salt water passes through the chlorine generator – a chlorine gas is instantaneously released into the water and dissolved. You never have to add any harmful chemicals or “shock” the pool. The chlorine generator produces a sanitizer/oxidizer that keeps the water perfectly balanced, but also prevents the formation of “chloramines” and other “chlorine compounds” which are produced by regular pool chlorine and can be harmful. So the bottom line is that you don’t get stuck handling all those chemicals, you don’t have to store them around your house (or transport them), your family and children aren’t exposed to the harmful side effects of regular pool chlorine (red eyes, dry skin, allergies, among others), it is environmentally and ecologically better, prevents algae growth, there is better water quality, and there is cost savings because saline pools require less maintenance than a regular pool.
It seems to me that salt water systems are the future for residential pools.
I looked through the homes for sale in Coconut Grove that have saline pools and there were only 3.
- 3005 Washington Street | 4 Beds, 4 Baths | 4,392 Square Feet | Guest Quarters | Contemporary Design | New Construction | Asking Price: $1,900,000
- 4001 Hardie Avenue | 1,774 Square Feet | 3 Beds, 2 Bath | Built in 1951 | Asking Price: $899,000
- 3680 Stewart Avenue | 5 Beds, 5 Bath | 4,570 Square Feet | Located in the gated Entrada Estates | Built in 1954 | Asking Price: $2,150,000
Read your post earlier but didn’t leave a comment. Then, later tonight I ran across this picture and just had to go back & let you see it. It was just so cute and made me think of your site with the coconut. Hope you enjoy it –
Susan
http://www.awwpix.com/_pics/Cute_Pictures_108/Cute_Pictures_1088.jpg
Thanks for the picture, I can add it to my collection of coconut pictures. Maybe I can use it in a post sometime!
You are very welcome!