The use of salt - a saltwater pool - is rapidly becoming a popular sanitizer for pool water; it will soon be the most popular sanitizer for pool water. Regardless of the sanitizer you are currently using, a conversion to salt and the required salt generator is an upgrade. And, for the most part, it's a simple upgrade - just have a salt generator installed, plumbed and wired inline with your pool equipment.
Foreign and overseas markets were the first to use salt in pools with absolute success as a sanitizer. As salt passed the test of time overseas, its international success quickly spread to the United States. Just like with the foreign and overseas markets, salt was used in the United States with the same initial success and acclaim. Today, salt is a very popular sanitizer choice for pool water, and its use is growing exponentially every year in US markets.
Other than salt, there are certainly many other proven sanitizers for pool water, such as:
- chlorine
- bromine
- biguanides
- mineral-chlorination
- ion-chlorination
- ozone
While some of these are stand-alone sanitizers and others are co-sanitizers (to be used in conjunction with trace amounts of traditional chlorine), they are all proven to be effective sanitizers of pool water. If you have a history with your chosen sanitizer, if you are comfortable with that sanitizer, and if you are satisfied with the results of that sanitizer, then use that sanitizer. But, while doing so, at least research salt and the use of a salt generator to sanitize your pool water.
You can read the Pool Manual for more information about sanitizing pool water, salt and salt generators.