Salt water hot tubs are often marketed as easier, cleaner alternatives to traditional systems, but some of the most common selling points are misleading:
"Salt water hot tubs don’t use chlorine."
False. Salt water systems generate chlorine from salt, so your water still contains chlorine. You're just producing it differently, not eliminating it.
"They’re maintenance-free."
Also false. Salt systems still require regular testing and balancing of pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and salt levels. In fact, imbalanced water in a salt system can cause even more problems if left unchecked.
"Salt water is gentler on the spa and your skin."
It still uses chlorine. Despite the term “salt water,” the most saltwater systems still rely on chlorine to sanitise the water. If your skin is sensitive to chlorine, the source of the chlorine (salt vs. granules) is often irrelevant and your skin may still react to it.
"You only need to change the water once a year."
While some salt water systems claim annual water changes, the reality depends on usage, bather load, and how carefully the water is maintained. In practice, many salt water spa owners find themselves needing to drain and refill more often than expected, especially if water chemistry isn’t regularly balanced.
By comparison, Hydropool’s Self-Cleaning and PureWater™ systems help extend the life of your water by keeping it continuously filtered, circulated, and purified with UV and ozone. While water changes are still recommended periodically, many Hydropool owners report going longer between changes with less day-to-day effort, because the system does more of the work for you.
These myths often lead to unrealistic expectations, which is why Hydropool offers a more transparent, reliable approach to water care with its Self-Cleaning and PureWater™ systems after moving on from salt water systems in 2016.