Owning a pool is a great way to ensure that you always have a place to relax and cool off during the hot summer months. Typically, pools use fresh water and are treated with chlorine and other chemicals. However, saltwater pools are becoming more and more common, and for good reason. Saltwater pools have some advantages over standard pools that you might not be aware of. Here are four great reasons that you should convert your boring old chlorine pool into a lean, mean saltwater machine.

Easier To Service Due To Not Needing Chlorine 

As a pool owner, you know the hassles of having to use chlorine. While chlorine is generally recognized as a great cleaning agent, it is also incredibly expensive and can serve as a way to make life even more painful for you. Cleaning with chlorine is quite annoying – it can spill on your clothes or you can misjudge the amount of chlorine to put into your pool, causing even more work for you and your family.

Worse yet, chlorine can be quite dangerous. Chlorine should be kept out of the reach of children at all costs, as it can cause them to become sick or, in some cases, die. In addition, there are negative effects of chlorine on those who choose to swim in such pools: red eyes for most, and irritated skin for others. By replacing your chlorine-based pool with a saltwater pool, you can avoid most of these pratfalls. Saltwater acts as a natural cleaning agent and, contrary to popular belief, will not weigh down your pool with great density.

Your saltwater pool will still need to be maintained. However, it will be easier for you or a pool service to perform that maintenance. You or your pool service will need to check your pool's pH and salt concentration weekly.

Cheaper To Maintain 

Saltwater pools are considerably cheaper than their chlorine-based brethren. In Australia, where the vast majority of underground swimming pools are saltwater based, many have seen the cost of maintenance reduced from about $500 to approximately $100 a year. Take into consideration what an investment this would be to your household as well. In a real estate market where swimming pools are considered a costly luxury, one that most potential buyers avoid, saltwater swimming pools are quickly being considered a convenient and more apt alternative to the standard chlorine-based models. 

No Need To "Winterize" Your Pool

Those with swimming pools in vacillating climates can tell you that "winterizing" your pool can be a painful process. Making sure that your chlorine-based swimming pool will not become stagnant and disgusting during those cold months is a process most do not wish to undergo. By making the switch to a saltwater based pool, you will not have to experience this process at all. Simply make sure that the salt levels are adequate, and voila! There you have it: your pool will not stagnate, nor will it be subject to algae growth or odd smells during disuse. 

Saltwater Pools Are Better For The Environment

Chlorine-based pools contain caustic ingredients that are in place to ensure cleanliness. However, these chemicals can have an adverse effect upon the environment in general. Cleaning such pools requires proper disposal of said chemicals; however, to err is human, and many people do not properly dispose of these cleaning agents. Saltwater pools contain nothing more than saline agents – natural salts! They are no more harmful to the environment than the salt you would find in the ocean.

As you can see, saltwater pools are a vast improvement upon the chlorine-based models. They are less costly and less dangerous. Simply put, they lend themselves to a more enjoyable swimming experience. Chlorine-based swimming pools are quickly becoming a relic of the past, so why not hop aboard the wave of the future? And while you're on the wave of the future, make a few waves of your own with your backstroke!