New Pool: Salt System or UV Ozone?

[erikpiazza]

Hi folks,

I'm getting very close to signing the contract on a new pool build in southern California and am struggling a bit with the decision as to what type of sanitation system to use. One contractor tells me that the Del UV Ozone system he uses is the best and cleanest system there is. Another contractor says that the UV Ozone systems are "snake oil" and that a salt system is far more reliable and effective. I've searched far and wide for reliable information that helps me to make a choice here and so far I have yet to find a single person who can vouch for the UV Ozone systems' efficacy (other than the people selling said systems). Does anyone here have a pool that relies on one of these systems and can shed some light on the subject?

[Teapot]

Essentially you need a primary sanitiser in the pool at all times, chlorine is the most common and arguably the best. A salt system will provide this. UV ozone on the otherhand are only working when the system is on and ozone is a very short lived but powerful sanitiser. Low pressure domestic UV systems do not always kill pathogens but damage them so they can repair themselves and multiply quickly. Commercial medium and high pressure do kill pathogens but they usually have a separate chlorine dosing system as well.

The best systems are hybrid units using salt chlorination but with a lower salt concentration to provide background primary sanitiser and also produce hydroxyl radicals which are more powerful than UV ozone. The hydroxyl radicals can also breakdown body oils etc which chlorine stuggles to do.
http://sugar-valley.net/en/productos/oxilife/
https://www.elecro.co.uk/products/aquat ... s/quantum/
These are a couple of examples.

What filtration are you going to use? This can also have an effect as poor filtration means more finer particles that can sheild pathogens from UV ozone. The best filtration is DrDrydens AFM activate media that works well with all sanitisers.
https://www.drydenaqua.com/our-solution ... yden-daisy

[erikpiazza]

Thanks for this great info. We're going to go with the SWG and Fusion Soft mineral sanitizer. I'll have to check the paperwork about the filtration as I can't recall off the top of my head.

[Teapot]

Be careful with the mineral sanitiser, copper silver can biild up over time and cause bad staining. Whilst not doing much else. If you have a tiled/ plaster pool there is no way I would fit one as staining is even more likely.
Yes check what filtration as the comfort and ease of pool care depends on excellent filtration

I would go as far as saving the money from the mineral sanitiser and puting it towards the filtration, there is only one activated glass and that is Dr Drydens AFM Activate, it completely changed my filtration.

Are you going to use a variable speed pump?