Are Salt Water Swim Spas Better?

Kenneth Wilson

A swim spa is the most comfortable piece of luxury money can buy you! Having your own spa at home is more deluxe than it sounds! Recently, salt water swim spas have created quite a stir in the spa market. So, many people wonder, are salt water swim spas better?

Yes, saltwater swim spas have been designed scientifically to provide you the best outcomes. The chemicals used in these spas are the least harmful. Instead, they can work great on your skin and health!

So, let's get to know what benefits these swim spas can provide you with and how much would it cost you to get your own spa! Besides, you must be clear about all the saltwater swim spa facts before you decide to get one. So, to know more about these in detail, please read the entire article.

What are the Benefits of Salt Water Swim Spa?


A saltwater swim spa comes with several health benefits. For example, it is gentle on your skin, doesn't harm your sensitive organs like eyes, doesn't have any bad smell, etc. Most importantly, it provides you with clean, sanitized water at the lowest maintenance cost!

Actually, a swim spa is somewhere between a swimming pool and a hot tub. It comes with some added features than a swimming pool, only a bit smaller. The jet stream of the water in the spa works magically on your body!

Moreover, the advent of saltwater in these spas has enhanced this experience much more. Below are some benefits of a saltwater swim spa:

Clean Sanitized Water


There is a serious misconception that using salt in a swim spa can produce harsh chemicals. In fact, the most doubted chemical here is chlorine. Actually, in saltwater spas, instead of using chlorine directly, they use Sodium Chloride. It is salt, hence the name of the spa.

When liberated from the salt, the chlorine reacts with water to produce Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl). This acid is the most widely known and the strongest disinfectant. It helps to clean and sanitize your water.

After its action, the chlorine goes back to its original compound, Sodium Chloride. As a result, you can have your clean and chemical-free water at the same time.

The Water is Soft


Most water sources have a major drawback – the water is often hard. It is mostly due to the presence of chemicals like Sulphates, Nitrates, etc. But in the case of saltwater swim spas, the addition of the salt rather softens it.

Soft water is great for your skin. It creates no harmful reactions. Also, it consumes less soap, so it is convenient to use. Soft water is like a must in these swim spas!

Gentle for Skin and Sensitive Organs


The saltwater used in these spas contains very mild chemicals. In fact, everything around us is composed of chemicals. You can barely imagine your life without the existence of chemicals. The important thing to ensure here is that the chemicals shouldn't harm you.

The saltwater used here is so mild that it doesn't irritate your skin or eyes. The eyes are the most sensitive body parts. The saltwater swim spas have been technologically designed in a way so that they can be gentle on your skin and soothing for your body.

No Unwanted Bad Smells


Swim spas that have to be treated with chemicals time and again often produce bad odors. Basically, this odor is produced from a chemical, chloramine. The addition of chlorine directly to water produces chloramine. But here, in these spas, salt is used instead. So, there is no chance of the production of chloramine and its bad smells.

Besides, chloramine is very harsh for your skin and hair. So, using salt instead of using chlorine directly can be very helpful to avoid these adversities.

Low Maintenance Cost


Most spas or hot tubs are very expensive, and their maintenance cost is like twice! You have to change the water, drain it at times, then refill it, do water treatments, and whatnot! However, in the case of saltwater spas, there is no extra hassle with these maintenance jobs.

You just test the water once in seven days. Besides, the salt keeps on regenerating the disinfectant itself. So, this lessens your expenses to half. You don't have to spend money on chlorine tablets. These tablets can be harmful when they come in reach of children! All in all, a saltwater swim spa is a blessing in this age of science and technology.

What is the Average Cost of a Swim Spa?


To be fair, a swim spa can be as cheap as 12,000$ to as expensive as 36,000$, considering all the associated costs. It depends on your location and where you are buying it from.

Swim spas are deluxe items. So, naturally, you can't expect them to be cheap. There are so many additional expenses that you have to consider besides just buying a spa.

However, if you compare their cost to personal swimming pools, they are actually cheaper. You can buy two swim spas with the same money you get a single swimming pool!

Moreover, hot tubs can be bought at around the same deals as these swim spas. The greatest advantage of a swim spa is that you can use it in all seasons, all year round, unlike swimming pools or hot tubs.

Many branded stores can provide you with the best swim spas at the cheapest deals. If you ask me, I would definitely recommend the Endless Pools and the Arctic Spas.

Are Salt Water Spas More Expensive?


A saltwater swim spa is an advanced iteration of the regular swim spa. So, it is understandable that it will come at a higher price. But the maintenance costs are much lower than the traditional swim spas. So, it is actually cheaper in the long run.

Yes, saltwater spas are more expensive. But it is worth all the money! There are so many myths regarding the use of salt in swim spas. As a result, people tend to reconsider their decision million times before buying a saltwater swim spa. But not all these myths you hear are true.

In fact, all better things are always a tad bit more expensive than regular items. Saltwater swim spas use advanced technology. They work on using salt in their system. The salinity, however, is much less from ocean water or seawater. Whenever people hear saltwater, they quickly think about seawater!

But the water here in these spas uses a special kind of controlled system to regulate the salinity. In fact, the salinity of ocean water is about 30,000-40,000 parts per million. On the contrary, the salinity of the saltwater spa is only 3,000-5,000 parts per million!

Besides, the jet stream produces a very comforting experience that regular spas don't have. So, the use of these advanced technologies makes it more expensive.

However, the cheapest saltwater swim spas are now available at the Endless Pools. You can check out their page to get more ideas. But if you want a customized spa, the prices will go much higher.

Some Things to Consider Before Getting a Salt Water Swim Spa


You must have a thorough review before you spend a ton of money on any product. Likewise, before you decide to buy your own saltwater swim spa, I would like to share some facts with you.

Everything in this world has some pros and some cons. The same is the case with a saltwater spa. Although, the myths have overshadowed the pros of these spas. But there are some inevitable facts that you need to know.

  • Using salt water can ruin the other spa equipment. Although it is claimed that the salt used in saltwater swim spas is less harsh, it still has some effects on the components. Be it your hot tub, pool, or spa; it can affect the parts if you use salt water. Actually, some residual salt can get deposited and cause reactions. It can mostly affect your heaters, stainless steel items, etc. It can damage this equipment, but the chances are very low. In fact, it happens so rarely that you don't even hear about this usually.
  • Disturbs the pH of water. Sometimes, the addition of salt can change the pH of your water. pH is the logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water. Basically, hydrogen ions are the markers of acidity. So increase in the concentration of these ions can impart acidity. Changes in pH can affect your skin or hair. But in controlled amounts, the incidence of this drawback is very little. So, don't worry much about it!
  • Requires Frequent Maintenance. This is the only drawback you should be worried about. As mentioned earlier, saltwater swim spas are very advanced in terms of technology. So, if any parts go out of order, it might be difficult for you to do replacements. Undoubtedly, it can be costly. Besides, the saltwater spa claims to regenerate its own salts and sanitize the water by itself. But no matter how much it claims, you have to clean the water, change it or refill your filters. The maintenance works are like any other regular swim spas. (Related: How to Maintain a Swim Spa) Any spa that needs frequent maintenance can become a pitfall of money!
  • Retains Some Chlorine. Actually, the salt used here contains Sodium Chloride. When it reacts with the water, it produces acid. But if the saltwater interacts with the charging cell, there is a chance it can produce actual chlorine!
    We all know chlorine can have detrimental effects on your body. It has bad effects on your hair, teeth, nails, skin, eyes, and so on. Although the amount is very little, the saltwater swim spa can have some amount of chlorine. But the chances are very low.

Conclusion


If you have made up your mind to buy your own saltwater swim spa, I will say you made the right choice. It is so comforting and so relaxing to have your own saltwater swim spa that I’m sure you won’t regret your purchase.

In this article, I tried to explain whether or not are salt water swim spa better? I hope reading this article helped you to gain some insights. Thank you for reading with patience.

Kenneth Wilson
August 24, 2021
Pool

Kenneth Wilson

Retired contractor. Currently residing in Southwest Florida. Now in semi-retirement, I write and manage this blog focused on helping home owners make savvy decisions when it comes to finding contractors and getting their projects done. I also operate remodeling design service for homeowners.

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