Different types of pool systems
CHLORINE POOLS are the most common pool system in the world.
The chemistry of chlorine helps fight germs to keep pool water sanitized, so swimmers are not exposed to harmful levels of disease-causing microbes, but chlorine also has side effects.
Extremely high amounts of chlorine gas can be hazardous to your breathing. Chlorine is common because it used to be the cheapest system to operate, but it requires a lot of monitoring and testing to be safe for human use.
SALTWATER POOL is an alternative to a traditional chlorine pool. Even if you do not add chlorine tablets to a saltwater pool, it still contains chlorine. a saltwater pool is cleaned by a filtration system called a salt chlorine generator. The system uses electricity to convert the salt in the water into chlorine, which cleans the pool.
Saltwater pools contain more chemicals and have a higher maintenance cost compared to chlorine pools. They are a cheaper investment, but are expensive in the long run, as they have to run 24 hours a day to keep producing chlorine for the pool. Once the system is turned off, the pool is no longer disinfected.
Disinfecting your pool water with UV can help reduce chlorine use, however, it is not completely chlorine free.
Ultraviolet rays kill bacteria, but can only do so through direct exposure to ultraviolet light, so the remaining water in the pipes may still contain bacteria that will contaminate the disinfected water once it returns to the pool. To overcome this, many systems still rely on adding chlorine to the system as aback-up sanitation.
Completely chemical-free OZONE POOL systems are available, but are extremely expensive. Ozone pools operate with a separate holding tank that contains the same amount of water as the pool. The water is then passed through the tank and disinfected with ozone. Once disinfected, the water is returned to the pool. Ozone, however, is extremely dangerous and lethal if inhaled or if it enters the pool.
Source: Newsletter NatureSwim - October 2022