For information about the actual process, see How to Convert Your Pool to a Salt Water System.
One of the first questions that pops into a pool owner's mind when they begin considering converting their pool to salt is, "how much will it cost?" We're going to go through a few scenarios to help you estimate how much it would cost you to convert your own swimming pool.
The basic costs involved are... 1) the price of the saltwater chlorine generator (the equipment), 2) the cost of the salt to put in the water, and 3) installation costs. To determine the total cost , there are significant variables that can be unique for every swimming pool owner, so in this help guide we'll give a few different example scenarios. For comparison purposes, we'll be converting a typical 15,000 gallon pool that is ready for swimming.
If you're new to this, the most important thing to remember about a saltwater pool system is that by eliminating the need to buy chlorine, shock, and algaecide, it pays for itself pretty quickly and gives years and years of savings. Also remember, it's not necessary to drain your pool or replace your equipment in normal circumstances, and the whole conversion process usually take about an hour.
Scenario 1 - DIY Pool Owner, Average Pool Use, Temperate Climate
Matthew is 35, married, and living in his first home in Parkville, MD. The house came with a pool, and after the initial excitement wore off, he and his wife will swim maybe once on the weekends during the summer, with the occasional get-together with other couples at their pool.
1) Equipment Cost - Given the usage and environment of the pool, Matthew goes by the system sizing recommendations and chooses a system that is about one-size large than his pool size, in this case a 25k gallon pool system. For example purposes, an average market price for this system could be in the ballpark of $700 (though you can certainly find one priced lower or higher).
2) Salt Cost - Based on Matthew's pool size of 15k gallons and the system's 3000ppm salinity requirement, he needs about 10 forty pound bags of salt. At about $5.40 each, he's spending $54.00 on salt.
3) Installation Costs - Matthew is decently handy. He already has a hacksaw lying around to cut his PVC plumbing pipes, but can't find any PVC glue in his garage. At the hardware store, he buys PVC glue for about $5.14, and decides to buy a little extra PVC pipe and PVC fittings just in case he measures wrong and needs to redo the pipe joint like he did when he fixed the lawn sprinkler head last month. Playing it safe, he's out the door for $18.94.
Matthew cuts and glues the pipe to plumb the salt system into his piping in about 45 minutes, and connects its power cord to his pool pump's timer in about 6 minutes. He dumps the salt into the pool in just under 8 minutes. Matthew has converted his pool to a salt system in under an hour, and for about...
$772.94 - Total Estimated Cost. Looking back a year later, Matthew was shocked that he only spent about $34 dollars on his pool for the rest of that year for some muriatic acid to balance the pH.
Scenario 2 - Pool Owner, Heavy Pool Use, Tropical Climate
Kim is 52, and lives in Gulfport, MS. Her young grandkids are constantly swimming in her pool, and she has done a lot of research and knows for sure that a saltwater pool is the best way to go, and has even picked out the exact system that she needs. However, she doesn't want to bother with installing any equipment on her pool.
1) Equipment Cost - Given the usage and environment of the pool, Kim wants to make sure her pool stays clean even in high summer when there might be a dozen kids swimming in it. She doesn't think twice and goes for a large-size system, in this case a 40k gallon pool system. For example purposes, an average market price for this system could be in the ballpark of $900 (though you can certainly find one priced lower or higher).
2) Salt Cost - Based on Kim's pool size of 15k gallons and the system's 3000ppm salinity requirement, she needs about 10 forty pound bags of salt. At about $5.40 each, she's spending $54.00 on salt.
3) Installation Costs - Kim finds a local handyman online with good reviews. He's installed other saltwater systems, and he says "besides, even if I hadn't, it's just cutting and gluing PVC pipe and connecting a set of wires. It will take me less than an hour, my minimum rate is $125."
Kim's handyman cuts and glues the pipe to plumb the salt system into the piping in about 30 minutes, and connects its power cord to the pool pump's timer in about 6 minutes. He dumps the salt into the pool in just under 8 minutes. Kim's pool has been converted to a salt system in well under an hour, and for about...
$1079.00 - Total Estimated Cost. Looking back a year later, Kim was delighted that she only had to spend $52 on her pool for the rest of the year for some muriatic acid to balance the pH and some clarifier to help the filter remove all the sand and dirt the kids tracked into the pool.
Scenario 3 - Pool Company Customer
David is 44, living in Huntington Beach, CA, and always uses the pool with his kids at least a few times every week. He is friends with all his neighbors and hears them keep talking about their saltwater pools. He's been happy with his pool service so he asks them what they think about it. They tell him that they've been in the pool business for almost twenty years and they don't prefer saltwater pools, but a lot of people want it and they can certainly convert his pool for him, and since he's used their pool service so long they tell him installation will be free.
1) Equipment Cost - The pool company only uses one system for every saltwater pool they do, and even though it might not be the best one for David's pool and it only costs them about $700, they sell it to him for about $1800.
2) Salt Cost - Based on David's pool size of 15k gallons and the system's 3000ppm salinity requirement, he needs about 10 forty pound bags of salt. Sold to him at about $12.50 each, he's spending $125.00 on salt.
3) Installation Costs - Luckily, David's pool company isn't charging him any more for installation.
David's pool company cuts and glues the pipe to plumb the salt system into the piping in about 30 minutes, and connects its power cord to the pool pump's timer in about 6 minutes. He dumps the salt into the pool in just under 8 minutes. David's pool has been converted to a salt system in well under an hour, and for about...
$1925.00 - Total Estimated Cost. Looking back a year later, David wasn't very happy to realize that the pool company was still charging him $100 every month for service, because he thought that he didn't need all that chlorine any more. What were they still charging him for?
The moral of the story? Even if you don't convert your pool to salt water yourself, you can get one installed for usually half as much as you'll hear from a pool company. But if you have some basic DIY skills (with the confidence of having our unlimited tech support), you can convert your pool to a saltwater system yourself and save big.