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Parks & Rec Business
| Salty Dog Is salt the solution for your hard-to-please swimmers? Sparkling, shiny pool water is the goal of any aquatics director. After all, nobody likes a pool environment that leaves visitors gasping for fresh air and complaining of itchy eyes or burning skin. Swimming in tired and cloudy water is just no fun. Ironically, the primary culprit in this ever-present dance for equilibrium is also the solution, our old friend chlorine or, more precisely, how the chlorine is produced and introduced into your pool. The technology to use salt to create your own chlorine on-site and in-line has been possible for over 10 years, but only in the last few years has it become commercially viable. Driven by the rising cost of traditional chlorine and improvements in the technology, salt systems are now the fastest-selling products in the residential-pool industry. It’s no surprise they’re gaining steam in the commercial market as well. Got Salt? Those who have successfully converted to a salt-based system say they’re very happy they made the switch and point to a multitude of benefits: more storage space, fewer on-site hazardous chemicals, less cost and less maintenance. Mitch Goldberg, Facilities Director from ACAC Fitness and Wellness Center in Virginia, echoes the sentiments of many who have made the switch when he says, “We’ve seen a big savings in the cost of chlorine, very, very low maintenance and the water feels better—there’s no build-up of calcium.” He also says, “The biggest benefit I see as a pool operator is we don’t have to constantly check and fill the chlorine feed system.” Perhaps the biggest advance in salt technology is the ability to integrate it with the system already in place. For instance, one supplier offers a line of equipment that works with your current system and includes a controller that can automate pH balance and sanitizer, as well as control water temperature and backwash filters, page the operator when in alarm condition and be accessed by telephone or internet for more direct assistance. The Ahh Factor Marketers of these products, as you might expect, believe salt systems offer users better water experiences and owners of these systems better/more revenue from increased memberships. There seems to be some support for the claim. Some clubs that have made the switch claim they have had more success attracting seniors and those who are sensitive to traditionally chlorinated pools because the pool looks and feels cleaner, more natural. One supplier claims to know a club that kept a list of people who had decided to drop their membership because of issues with the pool or spa. After installing a salt system, the club invited these members back for a month of free swimming and wound up re-signing everybody. As with all products, deciding where the hype begins and ends is always a challenge, but there’s no denying salt-system suppliers are good at collecting testimonials, and there does seem to be some logic to their madness. As Paul Steinhauser, General Partner for White Bear Racquet & Swim, says, “Not having the truck deliver 6,000 gallons of chlorine annually to our club is a plus for the overall environment.” And that’s a message that sits well with everybody, but especially patrons who are looking for a greener, more environmentally friendly aquatics center. Background information for this story was supplied by Michelle Petsch, Vice President of TMI Salt Pure Corporation. For more information, visit www.tmisaltpure.com. |
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