Intex Salt Water Pool System - Product Review

Who doesn't want a pool to cool off in on those hot summer days, especially if you live in the South? One of the biggest drawbacks-and one of the reasons many people don't have one-is the cost of chemicals and the aggravation of testing, balancing and trying to keep algae from taking over. A Salt Water Pool System may eliminate those negatives. If you have an above ground pool or are thinking about getting one this swimming season, you may want to consider the advantages of converting to or starting with an Intex Salt Water Pool System.

What is it? The Intex Salt Water Pool System is a chlorine generator. Simply put, you add salt to the pool water and the chlorine generator uses the salt to create chlorine. Does this make the water salty, like the ocean? No. The ratio of salt to water is very small and you are unlikely to even notice the salt content.

Does it require other chemicals? Not from our experience. We have been operating our Intex Salt Water Pool System since early last year and have added nothing but salt.

Why use it? At the manufacturer's website (url below), they explain the benefits of using the system rather than chemicals. One of their most compelling statements, at least for this author, is "Traditional packaged chlorine is a dangerous, unstable, hazardous chemical." One always runs a risk when using chemicals and chlorine can be particularly ugly. It can burn the skin and eyes, can accidentally be inhaled and do damage to the lungs and whatever you do, don't wear any clothing or shoes you don't want to risk when you are working with it-we all know what bleach can do! As for swimming in chemically treated chlorine water, if it isn't properly balanced (and sometimes even if it is), it can burn your eyes, leave your skin dry, your hair brittle and eats away at fabrics.

How often is it used? The system comes with an automated operation setting, so you will have to experiment a bit with the amount of time required to keep your pool "perfect." But the system is not hard to operate and we have ours set for seven hours per day when it is in full use during the summer.

Is it hard to install? No. If you read the instructions and follow them, it shouldn't take more than a couple hours to get it set up and running. The biggest thing to watch for is leaks. If you get one, try tightening. In reviews of this product elsewhere, I have seen that some people have complained of leaks, but we had no problems.

Is it expensive? Based on our usage, no. We calculated how much we would have spent for chemicals over the last year and the system has already paid for itself.

Where can it be purchased? You can purchase direct from the manufacturer, from other online sources, or from your local Walmart. We tried purchasing ours from Sam's, but they were out of stock early. We ordered through Walmart and paid $169.00. You save shipping if you have it sent to the store and then pick it up. As of this writing, Walmart is advertising the same system for the exact same price as last year. However, if you are interested, don't wait to order it. When season hits, they may go quickly. They are becoming popular.

We left our pool up over the winter, set the Intex Salt Water System for a minimum run time and kept track of the salt, adding it when the system told us it was needed (another nice feature). We pulled the cover off this week to find sparkling clear water. Since the system has now paid for itself and we won't have to buy chemicals this year, other than the very inexpensive salt (also available at Walmart), we may just buy a heater, so we can swim year round. Our family whole heartedly recommends this system for both cost saving and a healthier life.