Salt Water Pools vs UV Disinfectant Systems

Saltwater pools reduce the levels of microorganisms by 99.9 percent or more, down to safer levels. There are some products that burn up contaminants like body oils, urine, sunscreen or perspiration. While saltwater pools only sanitize and cannot burn away the contaminants, ultraviolet disinfectant systems powerfully burn these contaminants away. Ultraviolet disinfectant systems can actually be added to the saltwater pools to help improve their water quality and lower the levels of chlorine.

Maintenance

The only maintenance needed on a UV system is to annually replace the UV lamp and clean the quartz tube inside of the UV unit. This will typically take about five to ten minutes using a screwdriver and a crescent wrench. Maintenance on a saltwater pool system is not difficult, but requires a little more detail and must be done frequently. Some of the saltwater pool maintenance chores include checking the salt levels, checking the calcium deposits and cleaning the water pump.

Chlorine

Saltwater systems go through a system called electrolysis in which the water is forced into a special metal cell that is charged with an electrical current. During this process, chlorine is created. This chlorine does the same thing as chlorine that you purchase. The UV system does destroy chlorine, but only a small amount. The UV pool system has a chlorine feeder in which chlorine is applied. UV systems save chlorine since a lot of chlorine is not required. Although some of the chlorine is destroyed, it is destroyed without adding more.

Set-Up/Install

When installing a UV disinfectant system, the unit will be plumbed inline or installed as a bypass unit along with the filtration system. It is to be installed after the filter is installed and before the heater is installed. With the saltwater poll system, a chlorine generator is installed into your pool. Once that is installed, instead of adding chemical chlorine to the pool water it is generated using salt. Added salt passes through a cell where it has a reaction generating chlorine.

UV System Pools and Salt System Pools

UV pool systems can be added to pools that have the salt system to help lower the chlorine to a safe level. If a UV system is not installed, saltwater pools will develop a lot of disinfection by-products. After swimmers leave a pool, their contaminants can mess up the quality of the pool water. UV systems help eliminate these by-products with their ultraviolet light, leaving your pool safe, clean and easier to maintain. With a saltwater system, owners reap a big benefit in not having to purchase chlorine since they basically have a mini chlorine factory in the pool. The water feels and looks exactly the same whether you have a UV disinfectant system or a saltwater pool system.