As we turn the next page on the calendar, many of us will be faced with getting the pool ready for the season. Depending upon your local climate, this can be a big deal or a non-event. For the warm-weather folks that run their pumps all year long, I’ll just remind you to crank up your run times as the water gets warmer. That plus the usual advice to keep the PH in line and your filter clean. If you are lucky enough to have a salt water pool, check your salinity to see if the winter rains have diluted your salt content and add salt as required.
For the pool owners in cold climate areas, opening the pool is more involved and a great deal will depend on whether or not the pool has been covered and if the proper steps were taken at shut down time in the fall.
If your pool was nice and clean at the time of shut down, and you kept it covered over the winter, your job should be easy. My best advice has to do with the timing. Open your pool while the water is still very cool; sixty degrees or less. And most important, don’t remove the cover until you get some sanitizer in the water. It may look pretty good when you peak under the cover but there are probably a lot of microscopic algae plants just waiting for ‘ole sol to green them up. Fill your pool to the proper level, set your filter valve to “re-circulate” or “bypass” and turn on your pump. Ensure that your skimmers are free and clear and that you are getting good circulation. If you have one, turn your salt system control to 100% or hit the Super-Chlor button. After five or six hours, check your PH and balance as necessary. If you do not have a salt system, now is the time to add some chlorine. For this purpose, I like the granular Di-chlor. It is a little pricey but it will not drive you crazy trying to fix the PH. It also contains Cy-Acid, the stabilizer that will protect your chlorine from the sun when you do remove the cover. If you can feel slime on the side of your pool, I also recommend using a high-quality algaecide but only after the Di-Chlor has been in the water for eight to twelve hours.
Allow your pump to run continuously for 48 hours. Now you can remove your pool cover and turn your filter valve to the “filter” position. Continue to run your pump for another 48 hours, keeping an eye on the pressure gauge and clean the filter medium as necessary. When everything looks good, return to your normal filtration times and get ready to enjoy your pool!
Next week, we’ll discuss opening pools without covers and dealing with green pools, mean pools, and the dreaded black pool.
Cheers,
Dan the man.

As with many new technologies, the mystery surrounding saltwater pools has quickly given way to general acceptance and the do-it-yourself crowd has said, “That looks like something I can do myself!” Fortunately, they are correct and people with basic home-handy skills are converting their pools to salt in record numbers, and saving a great deal of money in the process. This article may help you decide if this project is a good fit for you...(to view entire article, visit Ezine Articles at http://ezinearticles.com/?Am-I-Capable-of-Installing-My-Own-Salt-Pool-Chlorinator?&id=5533712)

Chlorination has been the traditional method of pool sanitation for decades—almost by default, since there were no alternatives for this crucial aspect of owning a swimming pool. However, for many pool owners, chlorination is an old and outdated pool sanitization method they’ve discarded in favor of maintaining a salt water pool.
Chlorine
So what’s the problem with chlorine, anyway? It does exactly what it needs to—kills algae and bacteria, keeping the pool attractive and more importantly, a safe and sanitary place to swim. A pool that doesn’t get regular chlorine treatments will quickly become clogged with thick green algae. Depending on where you live, and especially in a warm climate like Florida, an untreated pool can become a green, sludgy nightmare inside of a week—the chlorine is definitely important.
Another important aspect of this maintenance is PH levels—the acidity or alkalinity of the water. If the PH gets too high, the chlorine in the pool isn’t able to work as efficiently. However, if the PH drops too low, the water quickly becomes too acidic to swim in comfortably. Keeping the PH at the right level is somewhat difficult, because the range at which it’s ‘just right’ is very narrow and many factors, including rain, affect this.
Chlorine is important for sanitation, but for many people it’s also a source of irritation. The harsh chemicals that are added to pre-packaged pool chlorine irritate the skin and eyes, making swimming a highly unpleasant experience. It is important to note that it’s not the chlorine that’s the problem—in most cases it’s the chemicals which are added to the pre-packaged mix.
Salt Water
The main advantage of a salt water pool isn’t that it doesn’t use chlorine. In fact, a salt water pool does use chlorine to keep the water clean. The advantage is that the pool owner doesn’t add chlorine to the pool—that means no pre-packaged chlorine, and less irritation for people who are sensitive to the added chemicals. Salt water tends to be much softer than chlorinated water, so it’s much more pleasurable to swim in, and is much less harsh on your skin. In addition, a salt water pool usually has a much lower concentration of chlorine than a chlorinated pool.
Another important benefit is more of a long-term one. In the short term, converting from chlorine to a salt water pool will involve some cash outlay, since there are a few system components you’ll need to by. It’ll run approximately $1000-$1500 to convert a traditional chlorine system to a salt water system. Over two or three years, however, the money you spend is recouped due to not having to buy extra chlorine for the pool. Just a bag of salt which is much less expensive.
Just to be clear though, salt water pools do in fact use chlorine to sanitize and the water. So if you are not adding chlorine tablets or shock, how does that work?
It works because of the chemical composition of salt, which is made up of chlorine and sodium. Within the salt water system is a unit called a salt-chlorine generator, which uses electrolysis to generate chlorine by separating the sodium and chlorine molecules in the salt you add to the pool. As the generator unit separates out the chlorine, it’s returned to the pool, where it keeps the water clean and sanitary.
A well-maintained salt pool is an absolute delight to swim in, with softer, more comfortable water that doesn’t irritate. It doesn’t taste salty, either, as you might think, because it has such a low concentration of salt that it’s officially considered to be fresh water! In the ocean, the salt concentration is between 20,000 to 35,000 parts per million, whereas in a salt water pool, it’s just 3,000 to 6,000.
Finally, don’t be fooled into thinking that a salt water pool maintains itself. It doesn’t. You still need to check PH levels and carry out other maintenance tasks. However,you’ll benefit from lower maintenance costs and a more enjoyable swimming experience, which definitely makes it worthwhile.

Salt water pools used to be the exception, but now they are becoming a widely accepted method of water treatment in swimming pools, mainly due to the fact there were a lot of misconceptions that have been cleared up, and technology has come a long way. A lot of builders are now making salt water systems standard on their new pools. Even manufactures of pool equipment have jumped on board the salt system craze by providing automated controls that are "salt system ready" and some have even ...
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Along with providing a refreshing place to unwind, traditional pools offer homeowners something less desirable: a hefty electricity bill. Because the water needs to be pumped, filtered and kept warm, swimming pools use a lot of energy. Installing the right-size pump, circulating the water, reducing water and heat loss, and heating the pool more efficiently are among the top ways homeowners can save the most money and energy.
Alex Barloewen, a homeowner in Los Angeles, California, couldn't be happier his ecofriendly pool equipment. When remodeling his 28-year-old pool, he installed solar collectors, changed to a variable speed pump and switched to a saltwater system, which generates its own chlorine. "Utility costs are about half. I was spending probably $100 a month for just the pool and now it's down around $50," says Barloewen.
In addition to being a money-saver, saltwater pools contain lower levels of chlorine than traditional pools and are free of the many potentially irritating additives and byproducts present in most chlorine mixtures. He's also experienced warmer water in the past year than he's ever had. "We finished work in May and swam from then until October in 85-degree water, all heated by solar," says Barloewen.

LAFAYETTE, IN - A $12,500 NCHS grant will enable the YWCA Greater Lafayette to begin using a salt sanitizing system in its pool, resulting in a more comfortable experience for swimmers and a safer environment for the community...

The YWCA opted to pursue the new system to improve the quality of the water and air for pool patrons and to offer the whole community a new, safe aquatic environment.

This type of system results in a safer environment because there is no need to handle and store packaged chlorine on a regular basis. Patrons will notice that a salt sanitizing system eliminates the strong chlorine smell, stinging eyes, itchy skin, and faded swimsuits associated with a typical chlorinated pool...

The salt system also is projected to save the YWCA money in the long run.

....."Raw materials and energy costs are increasing, [and] the cash cost to make chlorine caustic is 65 percent energy-related," said Rick Smith, executive vice president of Chemical Market Associates Inc., a Houston chemical consulting firm that tracks chlorine prices. "The price today vs. the price 10 years ago ... is 200 percent higher.
.....Still, the swim season hasn't hit his region. When it does, Griffin plans to tell unhappy customers to consider alternative sanitizers. "We can't predict what the price of chlorine is going to be," he said. "We're trying to convince clients to go with alternatives like the salt-generator systems.
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