Who knows about chlorine alternatives for pools?

I have a new not-yet-installed small above ground (14' round, 4' deep) pool. I don't like chlorine. I don't want to spend a lot of money.

Saltwater?

Moss?

Ozonators?

PHMB?

Go.

Local pool/hot tub store. There are plenty of alternatives. Can I name them? HELLS NO.

Bromine?

People with hot tubs like the ozone thingies.

I use this:

http://www.spadepot.com/shop/Cleanwater-Blue-Pro-Supplies-Kit-P438C67.aspx

No smell, no corrosion problems like ozone.

To use ozone, you need saltwater in your spa, the ozone breaks the sodium chloride down into chlorine.

With bromine systems and ozone systems, you're still using chlorine in the long run.

The cleanwater blue stuff is copper salts. No smell, bathing suits last a while.

Shawn

No personal experience, but this company is local to me and has gotten a lot of press over the last few years for their moss system: http://www.cwsnaturally.com/

Bromine only really works if the temp is kept higher then 85 degrees which is why it is the choice for hot tubs.

The ozone or chlorine generators are great but pricey. If you do your chlorine correctly it is not overwhelming. Most people over chlorinate because other aspects of their water chemical makeup is out of whack. If your ph balance, stablizer and calcium hardness levels are right you really don't have to go heavy on the chlorine.

Why the aversion to chlorine?

Saltwater would probably be your best. Expensive up front, but worth it in maintenance and time.

That being said, I'm filling my inground pool this weekend.

My wife is good at it. She used to work at a pool store selling all that crap, but has now learned how to do it better (and MUCH less expensive) with virtually no chemicals, etc.

I'll ask her and report back.

I swim every day and I much prefer swimming in chlorinated pools to any of the alternatives.

Woody wrote: I swim every day and I much prefer swimming in chlorinated pools to any of the alternatives.

^This. Cheaper too than any other method for pools.

Now, if I could find someone to replace and install my inground pool liner for a decent price that's not $5000 to do.

Properly chlorinated pools are fine. The swim club near here does an excellent job. My skin does not reek of chlorine after being in the pool. Water is crystal clear.

Spend some time on the troublefreepool forum. Great bunch of folks that will help you through your questions.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/

Chlorine is not bad, I have a 23k gallon pool and when the salt water system is down use about 1/2 gallon a day. In other words, 1/2 or a gallon in 23k will never be noticed.

I have a salt water chlorinator, but its the same as adding chlorine. Instead of adding straight cl, you just add salt and that salt is converted to cl by the cell.

How much chlorine you use depends on your CYA levels. Also your PH should be in check, otherwise you will get a bad reading on the chlorine tester.

My best advise would be to buy a TF100 test kit and test the water yourself, dont go to the pool stores. They are like car dealerships and usually want to sell you a bunch of stuff thats not needed.

J

Also, for chlorine just go to walmart and buy straight clorox (walmart brand) ... Cheapest easiest way.

J

Before you use Bromine, make sure you understand it. It's not available in copious amounts, but those in my line of work understand and respect the effects it may have of someones heath.

Not at all saying it is a bad option, just understand what you're putting in your water.

i have a salt water system in my inground...best thing i've done pool related. i've been around them my entire life pretty! much, and salt water systems are by far the best. up front costs are high, but afterwards pretty much nothing. it's the miata answer of the pool world.

had a friend that used the salt water system for their above ground... you can get it at walmart... not overly expensive as I recall when you figure what you'll spend on chemicals over the next few years. the one tidbit that was bad was the first one they got eventualy rotted away in the sun... the second one she made a cover of some sort.

I use a product called Enjoy. It was recommended by the store I bought my pool from . It has clorine, but doesn't have that clorine smell or leave that clorine feeling on your skin when you get out of the water. It keeps the water crystal clear.

Salt. I have an 18' above ground pool. Bought a salt system from Wal-Mart. I forget the exact price, but it was a couple hundred. Required a lot of salt at initial start up, but from there the pool is nearly maintenance free. Every two weeks I brought a sample of water to the local pool store to check everything, but I rarely needed to do much with it. No burning eyes, no chlorine smell. Absolutely love it. It's great, especially if you don't have a ton of time to mess around.

We ran chlorine for year one, and salt for year two. Thus far, salt is better. Salt is also very cheap. It's much easier to open your eyes underwater now, too, and we don't smell like chlorine at all.

My nephew switched to salt last year and loved it, but he has had three failed electronic control units already, which has kind of negated the money saved by using salt. He's also had some corrosion issues. He's converting back to chlorine.

Salt is the bees knees

We ran it for three years. We just moved, so no longer have our own pool. If I would have put the pool up, I would have had to replace the control unit due to corrosion...and mineral deposits. But I can get a brand new Intex for $90, so it's worth it.

Fun fact, Bromine does not kill the bacteria that causes folliculitis, Chlorine does. Sounds like a minor point until your wife is covered with it. Ooops.