Have Salt Systems fallen out of favor?

[PoolDoc]

and seems to be just fine, despite my grand kids efforts to empty 1/4 of the pool on it.

[rpoldervaart]

We're in our 7th season of our salt pool, and haven't seen any degradation in ... the stone coping/waterfall.

Hi Steve. I'm curious as to what kind of rock you have on your coping and waterfall. My moss rock waterfall has some rocks that have deteriorated to below the mortar. My flagstone coping is very gradually degrading. But with my pool being 7 years old, the moss rock is the worst problem, and the coping is the lessor problem, but still noticeable. I'm in Houston.
Robert

[chem geek]

Keep in mind that the problems aren't just having saltwater splash out onto softer stones, but also having fast enough evaporation and not having summer rains dilute the water. It's the combination of splash-out and evaporation that leads to salt recrystallization pressure that puts stress on softer stone. This is probably why more problems are seen in dry and hot Texas compared to wet Florida, for example. The local stones used also matter and some builders use materials that would be a problem for a non-salt pool as well, though it may take longer to notice in such a pool.

[steveinaz]

Robert
Not really sure what the rock is, around here it's known as rip-rap. It's colorful and not at all smooth, has alot of purple, browns, reds in it.

[rpoldervaart]

It's the combination of splash-out and evaporation

Ahh. That helps explain some things. My neighbor and I both have salt pools and natural rock. We were noticing that the rock under the water line (along his water line and under my water line under the falls) was not deteriorating noticeably.