My husband and I are in the process of getting bids from 3 different pool companies to put in an in ground pool in the Dallas area.
2 questions:
1. Does a salt pool cause corrosion or not? The pool companies opinions vary greatly. Would it be safer just to go with chlorine and be done with it?
2. One company is selling a "Chemical Soil Injection" pretty hard. They say it stabilizes the soil to prevent pool shifting. Needed? or is is this like rustproofing a car (totally unnecessary!)
Thanks for your help
2 Questions: Salt vs. Chlorine/Soil Injection Necessary?
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NewPoolFamily
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chem geek
- Pool Industry Leader
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- Joined: Thu 21 Jun, 2007 21:27
- Location: San Rafael, California
As for the first question, there is no question that the increased conductivity from the higher TDS from higher salt levels increases the rate of metal corrosion and increase the chances of feeling any stray voltages as shock. There is also no question that splashed-out salt can weaken soft stone.
However, just as a regular non-SWG pool does not use zinc or plain steel because these would corrode from the chlorine, an SWG pool can be designed to mitigate the corrosion issues. Stainless steel should be used and any gas heater should use cupro-nickel or titanium heat exchangers and not plain copper. Alumninum should be avoided, such as in automatic pool cover tracks and headers. If any such sensitive metals are used, then a sacrificial anode (zinc, if no alumninum is used; magnesium, if aluminum is used) can be attached to the bonding wire and buried in moist soil (and replaced every couple of years or so). Soft stones or stones that absorb water, such as certain limestone, should be avoided or sealed.
The most negative reports are seen in certain areas of the country as described here in Texas. However, most people with SWG pools do not report such problems so it is very dependent on the specifics of the materials being used and mitigating approaches that are taken. To reduce the impact on the environment, an oversized cartridge filter can be used since it does not require weekly backwashing.
Richard
However, just as a regular non-SWG pool does not use zinc or plain steel because these would corrode from the chlorine, an SWG pool can be designed to mitigate the corrosion issues. Stainless steel should be used and any gas heater should use cupro-nickel or titanium heat exchangers and not plain copper. Alumninum should be avoided, such as in automatic pool cover tracks and headers. If any such sensitive metals are used, then a sacrificial anode (zinc, if no alumninum is used; magnesium, if aluminum is used) can be attached to the bonding wire and buried in moist soil (and replaced every couple of years or so). Soft stones or stones that absorb water, such as certain limestone, should be avoided or sealed.
The most negative reports are seen in certain areas of the country as described here in Texas. However, most people with SWG pools do not report such problems so it is very dependent on the specifics of the materials being used and mitigating approaches that are taken. To reduce the impact on the environment, an oversized cartridge filter can be used since it does not require weekly backwashing.
Richard
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