Salt vs. Chlorine new guy question

[jeffn]

I live near Charlotte NC and I am just starting my search and hear about salt being superior to chlorine tubs.  What about electricity costs for salt? I was told a salt tub needs temp to be at least 60 degrees constantly.  Is that true? Thanks for any responses.

[cranbiz]

A salt tub IS a chlorine tub. It uses electrolysis to break down salt to chlorine.

Things to consider:

A salt generator is not a forever device, you will need to replace the salt cell every couple of years and they are not cheap.
Not all manufacturers offer it and if it's not a factory option, running a salt system could void your warranty.
A properly balanced chlorine tub is not any more difficult to maintain than a salt tub.
A normal chlorine tub can be converted to salt simply by the addition of a drop in salt cell with something like the Saltron mini.

My wife wanted a salt system tub but the only ones that came with factory salt were the Hot Springs / Caldera lines (and limited to certain models) and my local Hot Springs dealer caused that not to happen.

Several manufacturers have gone to the FROG system. It's supposed to be easy to maintain, I'll know soon if it really is as my FROG@ease  Artesian Nevis should be here today. The downside is the FROG@ease cartridges are not inexpensive ($50 for 3 months) and don't appear to last as long as they all state. The cartridges are also not refillable (as designed but not in practice if you can do a google search)

[Hottubguy]

Would you keep a hot tub lower then 60 degrees?  Other then adding cool zone on a Caldera or Hot Spring spa I’m not sure how you can get it under 60 degrees

[The Wizard of Spas]

I might be on an island on this but I am a big detractor from salt in general as it applies to hot tubs. 

To clarify - I am very aware from first hand experience that salt systems in pools are terrific (the technology has progressed and the product is both widespread and way beyond the first generation and thus the bugs are worked out and cost is way more palatable), that "salt" isn't always NaCl (there are bromine systems that are dubbed as salt, fyi), there are different brands / applications of salt systems in the industry, and it is not always an apples to apples in terms of discussing the specifics as it relates to hot tubs.

Seeing the back-end from a manufacturer's point of view, (and to further the point made by cranbiz in the above post) there is a lower life span in the cells that I see.  The upkeep and cost of both the mechanical aspects and the chemical aspects really hinder all the positive aspects.  This is further compounded by easier products to manage (such as, but not limited to, @ease) that give you many (if not all) of the benefits of the salt system w/o the cost and maintenance.

And maybe this next point isn't fair as it is based on pure hypotheticals (so I understand the flaw in my own point I am trying to make), but if this industry wasn't heavily-based on commission, and had more back-end information from service techs available to share knowledge, I wonder how the narrative would be framed in terms of this discussion.

BUT - I must also admit that there is nothing but positivity in the feedback from my customers who did indeed go the salt route.  Furthermore, I understand my whole issue with the product is based on both cost and maintenance and for some that is a total non-issue.  Thus all of the above notes may not at all be salient to you. 

Clear as mud, right? 

Hope this helps.  Good luck moving forward.

[CanadianSpaTech]

I'm with the Wizard. Not a fan and as a service tech I often see the damage caused by them that is usually attributed to homeowner misuse or misunderstanding of how it works and what is required to maintain a "salt" generator system. The only time I advise (and even then I don't really) buying a spa with a salt system is if the spa is at a cottage where they might not see the spa for weeks on end. A simple well understood Bromine or Chlorine based system that both sanitizes and controls organic contaminates is what I would recommend.  Keep your filters clean (WEEKLY wash out... every 6 weeks a 24 hour deep soak with filter wash) and purge the plumbing with AHH-SOME every 3 mths when draining and you will reduce the amount of chems required weekly to maintain a clean and healthy spa. I get customers using test strips daily and adding this or that and at the end they are bathing in a big chemical bath.  When it comes to Chems...less is best...you can always add a bit more but you can't remove it. Does it look clean and smell clean then it's likely good to go.

[BullFrogSpasMN]

We sell a Bromine based salt generator and love it, we can install it on a 300 gallon spa or a 14000 gallon swim spa, replacement cells are under $250 and we've been seeing about 5-6 years on a single cell, less water changes, less chemicals, easier for customers to maintain/less confused phone calls so it's a win/win in my opinion.  I'm definitely in the minority on this board and that's fine because in fact there are a lot of 'sub par' systems on the market, you really have to find a dealer that has thoroughly vetted/tested their system and knows what they are doing which unfortunately cannot be found in every hot tub market across the US.

If you don't have access to that type of dealer I will say in terms of traditional products the @ease system like mentioned above is a good alternative.  Good Luck!