See also:

http://www.troublefreepool.com/ionizer-and-ozone-t14558.html?hilit=Ionizers

http://www.troublefreepool.com/alternative-sanitizers-and-chemical-free-pools-the-truth-t3025.html?hilit=Ionizers

Scott

Thanks! We went with the Salt Water instead after reading all the information that you provided. Hope to be swimming on Mother's Day :D

Thanks Again!

We are deciding btw the two as well. We have to have an auto cover on our pool (neighbor has 5 HUGE messy redwood trees) and want it in an underground vault. The salt chlorinator systems will eventually corrode the aluminum parts in your cover down in the vault. My friend has a pool cover that is only 4 years old and she has to replace her drum and some other parts b/c of this. The pool cover companies also have language that appears to void their warranties when you have a salt chlorinator.

northcamom, this was due to someone that needed to know and wasn't told the cell was going on. Additional bonding and the use of sacrificial zinc anodes prevent the corrosion.

They can be retrofitted.

Scott

Scott-

Sorry, but I didn't understand your response above.....So do you think the copper filtration system isn't a wise choice? It hasn't been installed yet, we are still in the demo phase of the pool remodel (actually we are now building a smaller pool inside our older 20x40 and straightening it out, it was built on a skew from the house in 1957). I can still change my mind. I spoke with my pool cover guy and he said they have treated the parts in the vault that would be at risk of corrosion to try and mediate this issue, but they still have the disclaimer in their contract if you have a salt chlorinator system.

Tell them to use the zincs. They will sacrifice themselves, just like on a boat and help to absorb any stray currents. Salt, in and of itself, is not corrosive, Look at the metal top of a salt shaker. Extra bonding attachments to sink anything that isn't absorbed by the zinc sacrificial anode(s) will also ensure long life.

Scott

In our admittedly biased option:

1) Mineral pools (pools with an ionizer) have less chlorine than salt water pools (0.5ppm - 1ppm vs 1ppm - 3ppm for salt)

2) Mineral pools are less maintenance that salt water pools (no pH balancing effort or salt cells to clean - no deadly muriatic acid around the house)

3) Mineral pools are less risky than salt water pools (no chlorine gas produced, no risk of corrosion in any circumstances)

4) Mineral pools overall cost less than salt water pools.

OK, I have an ionizer and what ClearBlue Ionizer Inc said is not true. You do use less Chlorine but you must still balance your PH with muriatic acid. Having said that I love our system and have had it for almost 10 years.

@Barbara Evans - thanks for pointing that out. We do recommend maintaining pH at 7.2 - 7.6, like salt or chlorine pools. However, the mineral ions do not affect pH at all, whereas chlorine and salt chlorination has more of an effect on pH.

So typically there is less acid or base required to keep pH in that ideal range with a mineral system.

What we should say is generally less pH balancing effort than a salt or chlorine pool.