When it comes to your pool maintenance, those with saltwater pools really get confused and wonder how they are supposed to go about cleaning them, but the truth is, you will be surprised and fascinated at how cleaning a saltwater pool is not that different from cleaning a freshwater pool.

Don’t get me wrong – I didn’t say they are the same, but their cleaning processes aren’t that different. Salt and freshwater pools have as many differences as they do similarities. What this means is that when cleaning each of these pools, you have to approach each one differently. Remember that there is always a perfect way to maintain a pool, no matter what type it is.

Now, looking at saltwater pools, in particular, a major difference in its cleaning has to do with the chlorine generator. Basically, a chlorine generator gets rid of the salt from the pool, turning it into hypochlorous acid through a process known as electrolysis – chlorine is essentially made of hypochlorous acid.

Having said that, this generator does need to be cleaned regularly, especially considering its criticality in the pool’s maintenance. Any mineral deposits stuck on the generator should be removed right away, if you don’t want it to stop working. And when this happens, your pool becomes quite vulnerable to contamination, which means bad news for both the pool and those using it. In essence, a contaminated and untreated pool promotes the growth of algae and other dangerous bacteria, which in turn causes many problems with your overall health, as well as your pool’s maintenance.

The other important aspect of cleaning a saltwater pool regards the water pumps. You need to concentrate on your water pumps if you are to achieve a sparkling clean pool. Here is the thing, there is a lot of salt in these pools, which is why they are called saltwater pools. So, this salt can get stuck in the pump filters. If left for long, this salt builds up and crystalizes, where afterward, you find that your pump is not as efficient as it should be. When this happens, the worst thing that can occur is where your pump gets destroyed by the salt build-up, which means that you would have to buy a new pump.

The issue of salt crystallization isn’t new to a majority of the pool owners with this type of pool, as it is something that they have been experiencing for years. And even though new models of swimming pools, both salt, and freshwater, come with saltwater filtration systems, it doesn’t change the fact that there are numerous old model pools that lack these systems. That being said, you need to ensure that all the pipes taking water in and out of your pool are cleaned regularly – at least every three or four months – so as to prevent salt crystallization.

The other thing is that the salt present in saltwater pools damages your pool’s lining if not maintained properly. This is a complaint that has been raised by quite a number of people who have been using salt water in their pools, where they have said that the pool linings have been drying out due to saltwater, thereby becoming brittle and frail. To prevent this from happening, you can opt for one of the following methods; one, you can scrub the pool’s lining after every 4-6 weeks, or two, coat the pool lining with an anti-salt solution.


To sum it all up, there are several aspects you need to consider before you decide you want a saltwater pool. But the truth is, regardless of the fact that they require more attention and upkeep, especially when compared to freshwater pools, you will end up loving it, after all, people who already have them do love them.