[Cajundaddy]

This is a game I have played for a very long time. If you do it right, pool maintenance only requires about 15 min per week to keep the pool clean and sparkling, with no chlorine taste, smell, or other negative side effects. Test the water weekly and pay attention to the results. Adjust dosage as needed. If you ignore the pool it will get ugly and swimming will get pretty uncomfortable.

My recommendation: K.I.S.S.

-Get an auto cleaner, a VS pump, and a good quality filter system, and run it long enough.
- Use 3" tabs for residual chlorine levels and shock treat monthly, or after a swim party in summer with liquid. Test every week and adjust your dosages as needed. Adjust pH as needed maybe once a month or less.

After 20 years working with salt chlorine generator systems I am less enthusiastic about them. When everything is working perfectly they do work but they are very expensive compared to traditional CL2 methods. They do require a lot of cleaning, fiddling, and repairing when the cell scales, the cell fails, the board fails, the flow switch fails, and if you ignore them they are very scale forming and will quickly make the pool very uncomfortable to swim. Certainly more expensive and every bit as labor intensive as not owning a salt system. There are just as many green pools out there with failed salt systems as green pools out there with failed maintenance routines.

Most other alternative sanitizer methods work well as long as you are diligent with your maintenance routine but are 5-10x more expensive to use. Whatever sanitizer you choose, test weekly and be diligent with your routine. This is far more important than whether you choose traditional Cl2, salt chlorine generator, Biguanide, mineral, ozone, UV, or any other sanitizer. They are only as effective as the person applying the technology.