Below we have listed the most common alternatives for sanitizing pool and spa water.
You can decide for yourself what system you would like to use in your pool.

Salt Systems
The main function of salt generators is to create chlorine from salt. The chemical
name for salt, NaCl is Sodium Chloride. While salt generators require that you
purchase salt instead of chlorine, you are still swimming in chlorine and you will
experience all of the problems you will experience swimming in a chlorine pool - the
chemical smell of the water, the red eyes, the toxic chemical constantly entering your
body through the skin, etc.


The Experts Agree: The cancer-causing abilities of chlorinated water. >>


Water Softners using salt also add a significant amount of salt to your tap water. The
harder the water the more salt is added.

Mayo Clinic: Water softeners: How much salt do they add? >>
Mayo Clinic: Sodium surplus: Shake the habit for better health >>

Salt generators are expensive devices and consume a lot of electrical current by
applying a high voltage across a cell. The amount of chlorine produced is such a
small amount that the system must run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You must
maintain your water chemistry and the cell must remain free of mineral deposits or it
will not function properly. What you think you are saving from buying chlorine is lost by
the electrical consumption. Salt generators are better than buying chlorine, but they
are very corrosive and the generator chamber has a limited life, and when it goes,
and it will go, it can cost you $400 to $1000 to replace.


8 Reasons Why ECOsmarte Beats Salt Systems >>
.

Mineral or Catalytic Cartridge System
Mineral cartridge systems are sold under the following trademarked names: Nature2,
Vision,and FROG. These products kill contaminants, primarily bacteria, in the water
as it passes through a cartridge. This means the pump and filter must run for long
periods of time to treat the tens of thousands of gallons of water in a swimming pool.
Pool suppliers, who sell these systems, often recommend that you run your pump and
filter 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

While, these systems do reduce the need for chlorine or other chemical oxidizing
treatment, they do not eliminate the need for these chemicals.

These systems also require a trip to the pool store to purchase expensive cartridges.
In some cases more than one cartridge may be needed in one season. There is no
obvious way to determine when these cartridges fail to be effective. Their
effectiveness may expire prior to the cartridge contents being totally depleted.

Biaguanide Chemical Products
Water purification additives containing biaguanide chemicals are sold under the
trademarked names of Baquacil and Soft Swim. The active ingredient in these
products is known as biaguanide. Unlike chlorine, biaguanide is not an oxidizer, so it
does not irritate your body by reacting or "burning up" organic contaminants the way
chlorine does.

Biaguanide does provide a higher quality of water than chlorine treatment but it is
very, very expensive. Sometimes costing several times more than chlorine.

Biaguanide needs to be purchased in bulky containers and needs to be manually
added to the pool water regularly.

After prolonged use of biaguanide, some pool owners complain that it takes more
and more of the product to achieve the desired water quality. Pool owners also
mention that the product causes a unique odor in the water after extended use.

Ozone Generators
Ozone generators use a special ultra-violet light to kill bacteria. Like the cartridge
systems mentioned above, ozone generators only kill contaminants in the ozone
chamber and provide no residual protection to the water in the pool. To be effective,
the pool pump must run almost all of the time.

Ozone units designed for swimming pools are very expensive and draw a lot of
electric current. These units are better suited for spas but are not practical for the
volume of water in most swimming pools.

Even the best ozone units will not totally eliminate the need for chlorine or other
chemical oxidizing agents in the pool water.

Ionizers: electric or solar
There are numerous ionizers on the market today. Some are solar floating ionizers,
some are electric copper and silver ionizers and others are electric copper ionizers.

In general terms, ionizers do a good job of killing organic substances in the water but
ionization alone is not sufficient to sanitize your swimming pool water. Ionizers still
require chlorine or other toxic chemical oxidation to be added to the water to provide
adequate sanitization of the water.

Chlorine or Bromine Chemicals
Chlorine is still the most popular means of sanitizing swimming pool water. It does an
excellent job sanitizing water, but it does so at a huge price.

Chlorine is a very caustic, corrosive chemical. It is effective because it attacks
anything organic. Unfortunately, it also attacks the skin, hair, and eyes of the humans
swimming in it.

Chlorine is toxic and hazardous to handle, ingest or breathe. It is also dangerous to
store. Chlorine can be extremely flammable.

Chloramines, a by-product of chlorine and organic waste, are known carcinogens.
Unfortunately there is no practical way of preventing chloramines from forming in
chlorinated swimming pools.

Maintaining chlorine levels at minimal acceptable levels can be very difficult to do at
times. Residual chlorine is highly affected by the water temperature, rain, pH, and
number of swimmers. Chlorine is absorbed in the skin of swimmers and therefore the
more people that swim in the pool, the more chlorine is absorbed by their skin and
the more chlorine that needs to be added to the pool water to properly sanitize the
water.

See More on the Harmful Effects of Chlorine >>
What Can Ecosmarte Do?
Pools and Spas - Crystal Clear water without the use of harmful chemicals

Home Water Treatment - Drink Bottled Water quality water from your home tap
whether you receive water from a well or the city. Removes Chlrine and other
harmful chemicals.

Commercial Water - Treat water for businesses and eliminate the use of chemicals.

Watterfalls/Koi Ponds - Have naturally clean water in your watterfall or Koi Pond.

Golf - Create looser soil and greener grass on a golf course.
I am writing to let you know how
much our family loves our
swimming pool since we
purchased the ionic water
purification system from
ECOsmarte. We live in Central
Pennsylvania and have an 18ft. x
36 ft. in the ground pool of twenty
seven years. During this period
of time we have tried several
methods of water purification.
We started with and used
chlorine (HTH) for thirteen years
and then switched to baquacil for
four years and finally in 1996 we
purchased the ionic purification
system from ECOsmarte which
we are currently using and like
very much. The great thing about
the ionic purification system is
that once you get your water
chemistry in balance there is
very little work to maintaining a
picture perfect pool. More
important is the fact that this
system provides you pure water
without any toxic chemicals and
at the same time saves you the
expense of those chemicals. In
addition, the ionic system uses
very little electricity so it is
inexpensive to operate. After
using all three methods of
purifying our pool water I would
recommend the ionic purification
system by ECOsmarte over all
the other methods. You can't
beat this system with all the
advantages it has to offer. Thank
you.

Roger Guss - Pennsylvania
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