When I bought my house in 2020, the pool was a traditional chlorine pool. The following year, I decided to convert my 33,000-gallon liner pool to saltwater.
At the time, I wasn’t a pool expert. Honestly, I’m still not. I leave most of the technical pool work to the professionals. What I can speak to is what it’s actually like living with a saltwater pool day after day for more than five years.
If you’re considering converting your pool to saltwater or you’re shopping for a home with a pool and trying to decide whether saltwater is worth it, here’s my honest experience as a homeowner.
Quick Answer: Is A Saltwater Pool Worth It?
Yes.
Without hesitation, I would choose a saltwater pool again.
The water feels better, there isn’t a strong chlorine smell, maintenance has been surprisingly simple, and it feels like a luxury feature that makes our backyard more enjoyable.
The upfront conversion wasn’t cheap, but after more than five years of ownership, I have zero regrets.
What It Cost Me To Convert My Pool To Saltwater
In 2021, I paid approximately $3,500 to convert my pool from a traditional chlorine system to a saltwater system.
I can’t tell you exactly what equipment changes my pool company made because I wasn’t involved in the technical side of the conversion. I simply told them I wanted a saltwater pool and they handled the installation.
For my 33,000-gallon pool, the total cost came in around $3,500.
At the time, that felt like a lot of money.
Looking back now, I would spend it again in a heartbeat.
When I think about how much we’ve enjoyed the pool over the years, the conversion cost has been worth every penny.
What I Love Most About Having A Saltwater Pool
The biggest difference I noticed was how the water feels.
Most people assume a saltwater pool feels like swimming in the ocean. That isn’t my experience at all.
Instead, the water simply feels softer.
It’s difficult to explain until you’ve experienced it yourself. The water feels smoother on your skin, and I don’t get that harsh chlorine smell that many traditional pools have.
That’s probably my favorite part.
When I think of public pools, I immediately think of the strong chlorine smell that seems to stick to your skin and hair for hours afterward.
I don’t experience that with my pool.
Our backyard feels more like a resort than a neighborhood swimming pool.
My Kids’ Friends Always Think It’s Cool
This might sound funny, but it’s true.
Whenever my kids have friends over, they almost always comment on the fact that it’s a saltwater pool.
For some reason, people think saltwater pools are fancy.
Maybe it’s because they’re less common than traditional chlorine pools, but guests always seem impressed when they find out.
If you’re someone who enjoys entertaining, hosting pool parties, or having family and friends over throughout the summer, a saltwater pool definitely adds a little extra “wow” factor.
If you’re planning to host guests this summer, you might also enjoy reading my article on How To Throw An Epic Pool Party, where I share some of the things we’ve learned after years of hosting pool gatherings.
What Pool Maintenance Looks Like For Me
One of the biggest surprises has been how simple maintenance has been.
I know some pool owners enjoy testing chemicals and managing every aspect of their water chemistry themselves.
That isn’t me.
My routine is pretty straightforward.
I keep an eye on the salt level, make sure my robotic pool cleaner is doing its job, skim leaves from the surface when needed, and add salt when the system indicates it’s time.
That’s honestly about it.
The robot does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning.
If you’re currently shopping for a robotic pool cleaner, I recently compared the Scuba S1 and Scuba S1 Pro Pool Cleaner and shared my experience with both models.
Between the robot and the saltwater system, maintaining the pool is much easier than I expected when we first became pool owners.
Understanding The Salt Level
One thing I have learned over the years is that my pool likes to stay around 3,000 on the salt system.
I don’t spend much time obsessing over the exact number, but I know that when the salt level starts dropping, it’s usually time to add more.
Heavy rain is often the biggest reason.
After periods of significant rainfall, I can almost predict that I’ll need to add additional salt.
Once you’ve owned a saltwater pool for a while, you start recognizing these patterns.
What Salt Costs Me Each Year
One of the most common questions I hear is whether maintaining a saltwater pool is expensive.
In my experience, not really.
I buy my pool salt from Academy Sports & Outdoors.
The last time I checked, I was paying less than $10 per bag.
Each bag weighs 40 pounds.
And let me tell you—those bags are heavy.
I usually bring one of my kids with me when I go buy salt because carrying multiple 40-pound bags by yourself isn’t exactly fun.
Most of the time, I purchase four bags at once because that’s about all I feel like loading, unloading, and carrying.
Why I Buy More Salt Than I Need
At the beginning of pool season, I typically purchase around twelve bags of salt.
Do I use all twelve immediately?
No.
But I like having extra on hand.
Nothing is more frustrating than realizing your pool needs salt right before guests are coming over or when you’re planning a weekend of swimming.
Salt bags are bulky and not particularly attractive, so I store them inside a storage container near the pool.
It keeps them dry, keeps my patio looking neat, and makes it easy to grab a bag whenever I need one.
Do Saltwater Pools Require Chemicals?
This is where my experience may differ from other pool owners.
Personally, I don’t add anything other than salt.
That’s not to say other pool owners never use additional chemicals. Every pool is different.
But from a homeowner perspective, my pool maintenance routine has been incredibly simple.
For me, the saltwater system has eliminated a lot of the guesswork that I imagined would come with owning a pool.
As someone who never wanted a complicated pool maintenance schedule, that’s been a huge benefit.
The Costs That Aren’t Related To Saltwater
One thing I think homeowners should understand is that some pool expenses have nothing to do with whether your pool is saltwater or chlorine.
For example, I recently replaced my liner.
That cost approximately $5,500.
Would I have needed to replace the liner if my pool had remained a traditional chlorine pool?
Absolutely.
The liner replacement wasn’t caused by the saltwater conversion.
It was simply part of owning a liner pool.
Likewise, I pay approximately $300 to open my pool each season and another $300 to close it.
Again, those costs aren’t unique to saltwater pools.
They’re simply part of the overall cost of pool ownership.
If you’re considering installing a pool or trying to budget for one, it’s important to look at the total ownership costs rather than focusing only on the saltwater system itself.
Does A Saltwater Pool Save Money?
This is probably the question people ask me most.
The truth is that I haven’t kept detailed records comparing chlorine costs versus salt costs.
What I can tell you is this:
I don’t feel like I’m constantly buying pool chemicals.
I don’t spend my weekends trying to balance a complicated chemistry set.
And I don’t feel like pool maintenance is consuming my life.
Whether that translates into huge financial savings probably depends on your pool, your climate, and how you maintained your chlorine pool previously.
For me, the biggest benefit hasn’t been saving money.
It’s been simplicity.
What I Would Do Differently
Honestly?
Not much.
If I could go back to 2021, I would still convert the pool.
I would still buy the robot cleaner.
And I would still stock up on salt at the beginning of the season.
The conversion has been one of the best upgrades we’ve made to our backyard.
Final Thoughts: Would I Convert A Pool To Saltwater Again?
Absolutely.
If I moved tomorrow and purchased another house with a traditional chlorine pool, converting it to saltwater would be one of the first upgrades I would consider.
After more than five years of ownership, I love the way the water feels, I appreciate the simple maintenance, and I enjoy not dealing with the strong chlorine smell that many pools have.
Is the conversion cheap?
No.
But based on my experience, it has been well worth the investment.
If you’re on the fence about converting your pool to saltwater, my advice is simple:
If the cost fits your budget, do it.
Five years later, I still haven’t found a single reason to regret making the switch.
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