Every pool needs a sanitiser to keep the water safe, and for almost every backyard pool in Australia that sanitiser is chlorine. Salt pools and mineral pools are not chlorine-free. They just make the chlorine differently.
Here is how the three systems compare.
Chlorine pools
The traditional setup. You add chlorine yourself as a liquid, granules or slow-dissolving tablets.
It has the lowest equipment cost of the three and it works well, but it is the most hands-on. You need to test regularly and dose by hand, and chlorine levels can swing between doses. Stabilised chlorine also adds cyanuric acid over time, which needs watching.
Salt water pools
A salt chlorinator turns dissolved salt into chlorine as water passes through its cell. The pool still runs on chlorine. The machine just makes it for you, steadily, whenever the pump runs.
Most people find salt water softer on skin and eyes than hand-dosed chlorine, and the steady production means fewer swings in water quality. The trade-offs: the chlorinator costs more up front, the cell needs cleaning and eventually replacing, and you need to keep salt at the right level. Heavy Illawarra rain dilutes salt, so it pays to test after a big downpour.
Mineral pools
A mineral pool runs the same way as a salt pool, but part of the salt is replaced with a mineral blend, usually based on magnesium. The chlorinator still produces chlorine.
The appeal is feel. Many owners describe the water as noticeably softer, and magnesium blends are gentler on skin. Mineral blends cost more per bag than plain salt, so running costs are higher.
Which one suits you?
- Chlorine: lowest upfront cost, most effort. Suits owners happy to test and dose weekly.
- Salt: higher upfront cost, less day-to-day effort and steadier water.
- Mineral: the salt experience with softer-feeling water, at a higher running cost.
Converting an existing pool is usually simpler than people expect. Moving from hand-dosed chlorine to salt or mineral is mostly a matter of installing a chlorinator and adjusting the water. No major plumbing work in most cases.