Buggin' in with horses..

I have been working to get an above ground pool installed at the homestead. We decided to go with the salt water. So apparently there will be no other chemicals. So I found myself wondering.....If needed could I use this water for the horses? Could I somehow remove the salt?

I would think the only way would be to insall some type of plastic over the top,and collect the condensation the forms from it????

The salt concentration is supposed to be less than that of rain or human tears? So maybe your suggestion would work but that is alot of condensating when I need 25 gallons per horse per day. Does anyone know a safe level related to salinity in water?

Why go with salt water? While fresh water would require chemical treatment, look at all the fresh water you would have for family and horses.

Yeah, I thought about that after I purchased this thing....Yeah yeah hind sight is 20/20. I was trying to get out of the costly chemicals I bought prior years. And this pool it had wood grain sides so I like the idea of it matching the deck. So there is my dilemma. I have a 330 gal. tank already. I do not yet have a generator but it is on the list. Just wondering if i could somehow fit this in the plan..

You can always "fit it in the plan". You just have to figure out how and cost. Was this pool set up for a salt water pond?

Rick,

It is the new trend for swimmy pools. No chlorine or other bad stuff just pool salt. It seems to be catching on so I decided to try it. Even though my manufacturing experience tells me not to buy the durn prototype! My thoughts were with my little one. Last year she swam so much the chlorine was rough on her hair. Oh and the there is the wife miss all natural with white blonde hair that turns green in chlorine. I haven't completely screwed up, I could go back to the chlorine if it makes more sense. I can still use the water as is for non potable uses. Be nice though if I had this extra close to 6000 gallons that I could make potable enough for the horses. If not then well anybody for a swim!

Doesn't the salt create chlorine in the pool? What am I missing here?

http://www.intexcorp.com/saltwater.html

Here is the system. I could be wrong but I don't think chlorine is involved.

It sure does. Read this and look for sodium hypochlorite. Anytime you add sodium hypochlorite to water you produce Hypochlorous acid. That's what any type of chlorine added to water does. But that's bleach. Yeah, it is. It's also chlorine. Water departments use it at about 12% to treat water.

http://www.intexcorp.com/saltwater_03.html

I'd sure talk to your sales folks. If you are wanting to get away from chlorine, I don't think you will do it with a salt water pool. It will still be there you just won't taste it or smell it because of the concentration.

You might also want to read this:

http://www.mynaturalpool.com/Home/ban.php

Not trying to be the harbinger of bad news but I don't think you're going to end up with what you want.

Do you know what the concentration of salt is? There are two possible methods of salt removal I can think of. One is deionising using reverse osmosis, you may be able to do this with a water softening unit. The other one would be to flow the water through a purpose built reed bed. It's way past my bedtime at the mo, but I'll have a look for you tomorrow.

CS - Take a look at this page from their site and look at how they labeled their pumps. Chlorine generator and chlorine generator/combo.

http://www.intexcorp.com/saltwater_02.html

Your correct Chlorine is produced. I found it on the website. Which is fine. They did kinda mislead me cause i didn't do my homework. Thanks for clearing that up. Ok is there any making this water potable for horses the salt will be at 1/10th the concentration of saltwater and I guess it will be pretty well chlorinated too. I am thinking probably not...

I would guess probably not. It is interesting though that on my trip to Cumberland Island (wild horse population of about 200) the horses have adapted to where they drink the brackish water (salt/fresh mix). The fresh water sources on the island are limited, so they have adapted over time.

I don't know. First, I don't know what the salt concentration is. I looked at their pool size in gallons and the amount of salt required but, at the moment, my mind is just blank on calculating the concentration. I have to think about that a bit.

Second, I don't know when the concentration becomes harmful. Seawater has a salinity of about 3.5% If the salt concentration in the pool is 1.5% is that low enough that you can you drink it straight? Is there a difference between humans and horses? Lot's of unknowns for me.

Does anyone know the answers?

Your right Crash. There is the other issue of getting a horse to drink less than water....Well' thanks fellows for helping me think it through' squashed that thought quick. Now I can move on to what will work!

Okay, I'll throw this out there for scrutiny. Gallons and salt per their site.

3,795 gallons or water
95 pounds of salt
yields a solution of 0.3% salinity

I didn't try to calculate for temperature, which will have an impact on salinity.

Anyone care to disagree? I think my math is correct.

Looks good to me and it is about what the company stated was 1/10th the salinity of sea water. It is really low...Now would that change the possibility of this being an option?

That's the part I don't know. You should run my numbers by the pool company folks to verify salinity then talk to your vet and see if a horse would have trouble with water in that range. 0.3 is not very much salt but you sure don't want to mess with their kidneys.

Good one for the wife to research. She's the expert....