Less Chlorine

• Chlorine is hard on your skin, nails, swimsuits and hair. Saltwater pools still use chlorine, but it is created from pool salt processed through a generator, which makes the water softer and smell better.
  
  

Cost

• Starting up a salt water pool is expensive--prices vary depending on the pool system. Once the initial cost of converting to saltwater is done, the cost of salt is around $20 for an entire summer versus a bucket of chlorine at $60 every week.
  
  

Medical Benefits

• According to researchers in Australia, saltwater pools also have health benefits. A study conducted in 2000 found that skin infections decreased from 60 percent to 20 percent in Aboriginal communities studied.
  
  

Scaling

• Saltwater pools have problems with scaling--calcium buildup on the surface of the pool and the plates of the system. This is a common problem with self-cleaning systems.
  
  

Initial Startup Costs

• According to Swimming Pool Maintenance Tips, salt chlorinator systems are expensive: $1,000 to $2,000. It will take a long time before the cost savings from not purchasing chlorine will be felt.
  
  

Corrosion

• The oxygen present in salt and water is very corrosive, adding another disadvantage to saltwater pools. Salt can corrode the metal and painted surfaces of the pool.