Easy Eco Blog » Shopping

Full Spectrum CFLs to beat Winter Blues

easy eco blog — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:00:27 +0000

Full Spectrum compact fluorescent light bulbs are now available. These light bulbs produce a white light that produces a light spectrum similar to that of the Sun’s light. This type of light source has been use used to treat Sleep Phase Disorders, Seasonal affective disease or winter blues, and other conditions.

Look for bulbs with full spectrum on CFL bulb labels. They mimic daylight so they have a temperature rating of 5000K – 6500K. Home Depot’s are called “Daylight Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs”. They do not cost much more.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

This malady is finally getting more press. It is characterized by episodes of depression that usually occur during a certain time of the year, usually during winter. If your location has long winter nights, with little sunlight, you might be affected. A recent article has additional tips on beating this syndrome. Light therapy, Dawn simulation, Negative Air Ions, Antidepressants, Behavioral Therapy, Vitamin D, Diet, and and Outdoor Exercise are therapies to help ease the Winter Blues.

Philips even has a new Wake-up Light with Dock for iPod

“Gradually wakes you up by light for a more pleasant feeling” – Anything that makes waking up easier sounds good to us and a lot of others!

Wind and Solar Mobile Charger for Cell Phones, Gadgets, Yogen Universal Mobile-device Charger, Green Self-Powered Speaker

easy eco blog — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:00:40 +0000

The nPower PEG personal energy generator is placed in your backpack or purse or belt strap and generates energy as you walk, hike, or bike. The energy is stored in a battery and allows you to charge up your cell phone or mp3 player, etc. Exercise to lose weight and generate energy too! One drawback is that it costs $159.99.

K3 Wind and Solar Mobile Charger generated clean energy and saves it to its internal battery. It charges mobile phones, iPods/Mp3 players, PDA’s, GPS and Digital Cameras and a fully charged K3 will charge a Blackberry or iPhone 5 times. At $89, it is an expensive way to go green.

One of the most interesting dad-endorsed gadgets is the Solar Powered Battery Backup by Scosche Solar Products. The device (no bigger than a cell phone) is equipped with a 1500ma lithium-ion battery that stores power for when you need it and recharges from the sun (or the USB cable included). Perfect for charging iPods, iPhones, Blackberry, and cellphones, use your existing USB cable to charge your devices. For less than $20, the battery backup also comes with a windshield cradle and universal carabiner mount.

Self Powered, Foldable, Green Powered Speaker

Origaudio makes a unique green self powered speaker that is foldable. No need for any batteries, ac adapters, etc! It is also made out of Recycled Materials, comes in a variety of designs, and costs less than $19.99.

Samsung Blue Earth Eco Friendly Cell Phone

Samsung launched a new eco friendly Blue Earth cellphone that is made from old water bottles and has a solar panel for charging it. It uses very little power and they use soy-ink on the packaging. Samsung Blue Earth is launching in Sweden in October and will soon launch in France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal and other European and Asian countries.

What makes a Green Computer or Electronics Product?

easy eco blog — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:00:43 +0000

You are interested in a new computer or new TV or new electronics gadget. Your old electronics have been recycled. You want to be green, to minimize the impact on our planet, and are recycling your old product. Very few people know how to judge the eco-friendliness of electronics. Hundreds of new products have hit the market with reduced power needs. Here are some criteria to judge new electronics on greenness:

Buy from a Green Company

Greenpeace has a ranking guide to the top 18 manufacturers. You can see which manufacturers are more serious about the environment. Select ones that are higher up the list. Nokia and Sony Ericsson rank well.

Computers and electronics

Energy Star rated products have their logo on them and use less energy. If all computer sold in the US had the Energy Star label we could save $2 billion on energy costs. They have certified everything from TVs, monitors, printers, computers to cordless phones. Desktop/integrated desktop and notebook computers, products must meet stringent TEC requirements for estimated annual energy consumption, power supply efficiency, and phantom power or vampire power. Lawrence Berkley National Labs estimates that 10% of residential power use is wasted toward this as most homes have 40 products constantly drawing phantom power. Keep in mind that their testing has been called out of date, so you still need to follow techniques to save power.

RoHS logo is the European Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances
in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, also known as the RoHS Directive. Examples of
materials restricted by RoHS include lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and
the brominated flame retardants (BFRs) PBB and PBDE. Look for products with this marking.

DigitalTips has an Energy Calculator to show how much powering your electronics costs as well as how to find green electronics.

Computers – desktops, notebooks, and monitors

EPEAT is a certification that helps purchasers evaluate, compare and select electronic products based on their environmental attributes. It is based on the IEEE 1680 standard. Any computer that has an EPEAT rating is good. Ones with EPEAT Gold ratings are even better.

Televisions

Cnet has good reviews of flatscreen TVs that include power consumption. Newer LCD TVs will meet California’s low power guidelines. Newer sets draw less power when idle and when operating. Some Flat Panel TVs have room sensors to turn off when you are not in the room. Optimize your TV with our LCD Flat Panel Power Saving Tips.

TVs made after May 2011 are required to have a EnergyGuide label that shows an estimated annual energy cost as well as cost for similar size TVs.

Cable set top boxes consume a lot of energy. Check with your local cable company to see if they have new energy efficient models that meet the Energy Star 3.0 standard, effective Sept. 1, 2011. A single whole house DVR may remove the need to have DVRs on every TVs

General Guidelines

Economically upgrade your current machine within reason to extend its life first. Windows XP software tips to speed up and secure your computer.

The product should be made with as many recycled materials as possible. No toxic materials like mercury, brominate, PVC, or arsenic should be use. The product should be easily recycled when the its life has expired.

Electronics should draw as little power as possible especially when in standby mode. Do not assume that your product is completely optimized to save energy. Follow our techniques to save power using special power strips and power measuring tools to ensure phantom or vampire power is not being drawn.

Packaging

Look for minimal amount of packaging. The packaging should be made from recycled materials and should be recyclable with itself. Manuals should be the same.

Examples of Green Electronics

Sony VAIO notebook computer

D-Link wireless router

Amazon Green Electronics Section

Energy-Efficient TVs

Garmin Nuvi with eco-route fuel savings

Energy Efficient Notebook Power Adapter

Antec makes the new SNP90 Energy Efficient, slim, lightweight Notebook Power Adapter that supports a wide variety of notebooks including models from Dell, Toshiba, Acer, HP, Sony and more. It includes 7 detachable connectors for compatibility with nearly every laptop on the market. This power adapter has a minimum high-efficiency rating of 87% at full load, saving you money and energy. It is also energy Star certified.

Targus Spruce EcoSmart Backpack made from recycled bottles

It is great that recycled materials are getting more mainstream. The new Targus Spruce EcoSmart Backpack for 15.6-Inch Widescreen Laptops is a new green backpack is made of polyster fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. It also has no PVC and no nickel hardware. They also make a Spruce Toploading case and a Spruce Messenger Bag.

Ecogear also makes backpacks and other bags from recycled plastic bottles.

Be sure to read our article:

Extend Battery Life, Laptop Battery Life, iPhone Battery Life

Picking Solar Panels – Finding the Best Solar Panels

easy eco blog — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:00:34 +0000

The Earth receives more energy from the Sun in one hour than the whole World uses in a whole year. Time to tap into that. Solar power is used to power everything from calculators to Coast Guard buoys to highway signs to the International Space Station.

You have read Are Solar Panels for me? and Solar Panel Installation – Planning and are ready for more details. Photovoltaic Solar panels were invented at Bell Labs in 1953. They have evolved over the years and several different types of solar panels exist, and choosing between then is confusing. No one vendor will have access to all products, so you will have to do some shopping around to find the best solar panels.

Monocrystalline or Polycrystalline Panels

These solar panels are made either from single crystal cells or stringing ribbon of multiple crystals. They are the classic version of solar panels and are rated for good efficiency, around 12-13% power conversion, and a Long lifespan, possibly 30 years+? Sunpower has a model with a very high 19.3% efficiency. Monocrystalline panels are less efficient in hotter climates and work best in unobstructed sun. A panel’s power will drop by 50% if a even one cell on the panel is half shaded. Temperatures typically above 75 degrees F cause most solar panel power generation to decrease. Solar panel suppliers include: Sharp, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Kyocera, Schott, SolarWorld, SunTech, Sunpower, bp solar, Mitsubishi electric, Evergreen solar.

Thin Film Panels

Less efficient than the Crystal Panels, but they much thinner and easier to make. Less efficient than monocrystalline, at 10-12% efficiency. They work better when you have slight shading and are not affected by hot weather as much as monocrystalline. Major Drawback of performance degradation over time. Possible lifespans of 10 years. Suppliers include: Nanosolar, Unisolar

Hybrid Panels

Hybrids of single crystalline silicon surrounded by ultra-thin amorphous silicon layers. Produces 10% or more electricity (kWh) than conventional crystalline silicon solar panels at the same temperature. Good efficiency levels of 16%. Hybrid Solar Panel Suppliers include: Sanyo

SDGE Rebates, SDG&E, or San Diego Gas and Electric Rebate for Energy Efficiency

easy eco blog — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:00:03 +0000

New rebates have been added.

San Diego’s power utility San Diego Gas and Electric rebates are here. SDGE or SDG&E has a bunch of cash SDGE rebates and ways to go green and save money.

Home energy efficiency rebates of up to $200 for Energy efficient refrigerators, recycling old refrigerator, attic or wall insulation, Central Natural Gas Furnace, dishwashers, clothes washers, Whole House Fan, water heaters, pool pumps and motors (Variable speed), room air conditioning
You can print rebate forms out online and then send in proof of purchase.

Instant rebates are available select retailers including:

B&B Appliance
Costco
Home Depot
Humphrey Appliance
La Mesa Appliance
MCAS Miramar Home Center
The Navy Exchange 32nd Street
Phillips Maytag
Multifamily energy efficiency rebates
Single-Family High-Efficiency Clothes Washer Rebates
Summer saver program for air-conditioning

Always check your local utility’s web site for rebates before you buy a new item. We recently bought a new dishwasher that had a $50 utility company rebate that was not advertised by the store. They fulfilled the rebate in only 2 weeks. Green your home and get cash back. Most rebates run through December 31 or while funding is available.

Be sure to also take advantage of the Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit. This Federal tax credit can save you money in addition to your utility companies’ promotions. It applies to many items including: Windows, Doors, Skylights – Wood Heat Stoves, Pellet Stoves, Fireplace Inserts – Energy Efficient Water Heaters – Solar panels.

Plug in Electric Vehicles

San Diego Gas and Electric has special rates for Plug in Electric Vehicles or Electric Cars.

Additional Resources for more information

Read our article: Ways to Save Energy, Money on your Energy Bill – It is full of tips to save you money.

Interested in Solar? Read our article Are Solar Panels for Me?

Other Power Utility Company Rebates

For Northern California Energy Rebates see: PG&E Energy Efficiency Rebates
For Southern California see: SCE Rebates or Southern California Edison Rebate for Energy Efficiency
For San Diego see: SDGE Rebates, SDG&E, or San Diego Gas and Electric Rebate for Energy Efficiency
Energy Efficiency Rebates for other locations.

SCE Rebates or Southern California Edison Rebate for Energy Efficiency

easy eco blog — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:00:19 +0000

New rebates have been added for 2012.

Southern California’s power utility Southern California Edison rebates are here. SCE has a bunch of cash SCE rebates and ways to go green and save money.

Energy efficient appliance $50 rebate Qualifying Energy Star Refrigerator, $30 Energy efficient Electric Water heaters – Expires December 31, 2012
$50 back on Refrigerator or Freezer recycling
Solar Energy rebates
Up to $300 on Energy Efficient Evaporative Cooling
Up to $50 on Whole House Fan or Energy Star qualified room air conditioner. Expires December 31, 2012
Up to $20 back on a portable room air conditioner
Save up to $200 with a summer discount plan
Air conditioner installation and maintenance, up to $2,000 back
Up to $200 on Variable speed pool pumps and motors. Expires December 31, 2012
Home lighting – Discounted Home Lights

You can print out rebate forms online and then send in proof of purchase.

SCE’s Operation Light Exchange allows residential customers to exchange halogen torchiere floor lamps and incandescent floor/table/desk lamps/night lights for new ENERGY STAR® labeled lamps.

You can also call Southern California Edison and ask about Southern California Edison rebate or SCE Rebates at 800-655-4555.

Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit

Purcell Murray distributes appliances in California and has Bosch rebates, Thermador rebates, and rebates for other brands.

Plug in Electric Vehicles

Southern California Edison has special rate plans for Plug in Electric Vehicles.

Additional Resources for more information

Read our article: Ways to Save Energy, Money on your Energy Bill – It is full of tips to save you money.

Interested in Solar? Read our article Are Solar Panels for Me?

Other Power Utility Company Rebates

Eco Friendly or Green Kitchen Cabinets

easy eco blog — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:00:24 +0000

Here are some of the attributes we looked for when selecting eco friend kitchen cabinets earlier this year:

FSC certified Wood or wood from a responsibly farm source. I actually spoke to the wood mill to understand where our wood was coming from. Lyptus and Bamboo are rapidly making in roads.
Water based finish to minimize VOC emissions. There were issues on finish durability in the past, but quality seems to have improved.
Water based glues to minimize VOC emissions.
Marine grade plywood or non MDF Medium Density Fiberboard particle board cabinet box. Also to prevent off-gassing emissions from formaldehyde, etc. Interlam and Topan make MDF without formaldehyde.
As local as possible a supplier to minimize transport costs and fuel use.

We also relocated many of our old cabinets to our kitchen and donated everything else for use in a local church.

Some cabinets including mines are KCMA certified, but frankly their rules are not very aggressive in the area of eco friendliness. (Emissions etc) It is more of a cabinet industry association.

When we began our search in early 2007, we were educating stores on what green cabinetry was. The main sources used to be boutique local small craftsmen shops. Today, we see firms advertising ‘Green’ cabinets. HGTV has a video on this are.

Also considered cabinet refacing. You replace the doors and a veneer is placed over your existing cabinets. This is much cheaper than replacing the cabinets. New drawer pulls and handles will also update your kitchen’s look. You will reuse the ‘guts’ of your cabinets, so they need to be in good shape for this option. Some companies have options to also replace drawers.

Eco Friendly, Green Coconut Palm Wood

Coconut Palm wood is an eco friendly and green flooring alternative to bamboo. It is a by product of coconut production and has even received FSC certification.

Smith and Fong makes palmwood flooring and palmwood plywood. We have flooring from this company and find it top rate.

When installing flooring, try to avoid gluing it down if possible. If you need to use glue, use a low or no VOC glue.

Growing Bamboo

Wouldn’t it be interesting to have bamboo in your backyard? It is environmentally friendly, grows fast, and can make for a nice property line wall. You can also use it for other projects. I did some research that made me realize that it is more than most people can handle.

The problem is that bamboo spreads relentlessly, is almost indestructible, and its roots are like steel. People have to setup physical barriers like metal flashing to prevent its spread. I think I’ll stick to bamboo flooring..

Fireclay Tile – Recycled materials and Sustainable manufacturing

Fireclay Tile is a tile company that utilizes Recycled materials and Sustainable manufacturing to produce high-quality ceramic and glass tile. They are based in based in San Jose, CA and make most products in the USA.

They recycle everything from glass bottles to porcelain toilets, vanities, and bathtubs are recycled into beautiful ceramic tile. They use a lead-free glaze and proved that recycled does not mean you have to compromise on aesthetics.

Safe Reusable Shopping Bags – Reusable Produce Bags

easy eco blog — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:00:23 +0000

Reusable Shopping Bags & Types of Reusable Shopping Bags

Using disposable shopping bags means more trash for the nation’s already stuffed landfills. It takes valuable resources to produce these bags and if shoppers could stop using them, it would greatly help the Earth’s environment. As we have noticed in many parts of the World the use of reusable shopping bags is catching on. Hopefully what this means in the future is that we may no longer have a need for single use paper and plastic disposable bags. One reason reusable bags are becoming more popular is because there are many types of them from which you can choose. They are made from a variety of materials and come in many styles, colors and designs. Quite simply, using reusable bags is a simple and fashionable way to go green.

If you really want to be “super green”, choose an organic cotton reusable shopping bag. The cotton used for these bags is grown without the use of pesticides or other harmful chemicals or farming processes. The production of these bags has a low impact on the environment, as does the packing and transport of the bags. They come in a variety of sizes, styles and are a great material choice for a reusable bag. The bags are strong and can hold more than plastic disposable bags, so you can use fewer bags. Every so often you will want to throw them in the washing machine and or hand-wash them, so they do not collect harmful bacteria and germs. Basically though, they are easy to care for.

Canvas bags are another choice in reusable shopping bags. This type of bag is easy to clean and care for. This makes them a great bag for grocery shopping because you can throw them in the washing machine to make sure any drips from leaky meat packages are gone. You do not want to have bacteria lingering in your shopping bag that can your family sick. Many people use the canvas bags for a variety of uses, so this also prevents cross contamination of other items you choose to carry in your bag. Canvas is a durable material that can carry a lot of items.

Hemp is another option. Reusable shopping bags made from this material are incredibly strong and durable. The hemp bags are quite expensive because they are imported from the West. Laws and regulation in the United States concerning marijuana prevent the mass production of hemp products in our country. Hemp is easy to grow and can flourish in poor soil or in places with little water, so it takes little effort. The material is rot resistant and will outlast many other types of bags. It does not matter which type of bag you choose to use as long you use them regularly.

No Matter what reusable shopping bags that you decide on using, the bottom line is that one reusable bag can take 300-500 single use plastic and paper bags out of the grocery store! As a nation of people who respect our Earth it’s a no brainer that we can now all safely “Ditch the Plastic & be Green-Tastic!”

Dangers in Reusable Shopping Bags

Center for Consumer Freedom has a report showing excessive lead levels in 16 of 44 organizations reusable shopping bags. National chains including CVS, Safeway, Bloom, and Walgreens were among those with the high lead levels.

Wall Street Journal has a good article about the reusable shopping bag. It tells us to consider the sources of these bags as many are made from China, the type of material the bag is made with, and the quantity of them you keep.

“Finding a truly green bag is challenging. Plastic totes may be more eco-friendly to manufacture than ones made from cotton or canvas, which can require large amounts of water and energy to produce and may contain harsh chemical dyes. Paper bags, meanwhile, require the destruction of millions of trees and are made in factories that contribute to air and water pollution.

Many of the cheap, reusable bags that retailers favor are produced in Chinese factories and made from nonwoven polypropylene, a form of plastic that requires about 28 times as much energy to produce as the plastic used in standard disposable bags and eight times as much as a paper sack, according to Mr. Sterling, of Natural Capitalism Solutions.”

A recent investigation found that many reusable shopping bags imported from China contain excessive levels of lead and heavy metals. Many of these were sold by national and regional retailers like Winn-Dixie and Publix. Some bags even contained fecal bacteria and E. coli. Be careful where you buy your bag.

The more elaborate the illustrations on the bags, the more likely they contained toxins. Yellow and green paint on bags is a common carrier of lead.

The takeaways:

Look for bags with recycled content, like those from Walmart, Staples, and Target. Best seem to be Walmart’s $1bag has 85% recycled content, the cheaper one has less.
Use the bag! Carry it in your car, leave it in your front seat, or by the front door.
A nylon bag sold by Target with almost no illustrations had almost undetectable levels of lead. Also, the simplest bags from Sweetbay, Walmart and Publix contained little lead.
The major danger of lead in reusable shopping backs is that they will someday end up in the landfill and wash lead into the environment.

Make sure the bag is sturdy and that you will actually use it.

Reusable Produce Bags

EcoSac GardenSac Reusable Produce Bags replace the wasteful plastic bags you have to use in the grocer’s produce section. Hold your salad greens, fruits, and veggies in this reusable sack made of cotton. $5 for 2 at Whole Foods.

They state: “Carbon-neutral shipping, no animal harmed, no animal testing, no animal ingredients, reusable.”

Amazon.com Green Products Section

Amazon.com has a new Green Products section with eco-friendly, safe, and healthy items. It is great that the Internet’s largest e-tailer is getting with the times. They cover eco friendly products from lightbulbs to push mowers to steel water bottles to laptops to solar panels.

PG&E Energy Efficiency Rebates

easy eco blog — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:00:41 +0000

New PG&E rebates have been added for 2012.

Our local utility Pacific Gas and Electric – PG&E has cash rebates and ways to go green and save money. Here are some PG&E Energy Efficiency Rebates:

PG&E Energy efficient appliance $50 rebate – Qualifying Clothes Washers, Dishwashers, Room Air Conditioners, Water heaters – Expires December 31, 2012
$35 back on Refrigerator or Freezer recycling, $25 on old Air conditioners
Solar Energy rebates
Up to $500 for Attic and Wall Insulation
Up to $200 per 1000 sq ft of a Cool roof
Up to $300 for Energy-Efficient Natural Gas Furnace
$50 for Energy-Efficient Variable Speed Motor Air Handler System
Up to $100 on Whole House Fan, up to $200 on Duct Sealing. Expires December 31, 2012
Upto $100 on Variable speed pool pumps and motors. Expires December 31, 2012
Home lighting – Discounted Home Lights

You can even submit PG&E Energy Efficiency Rebates requests online and then send in proof of purchase. Questions about PG&E Energy Efficiency Rebates, call 1-800-933-9555.

If you live in California, be sure to check out the up to $8000 Energy Upgrade California Energy Efficiency Rebate

You can also call PG&E and ask for a Smart Home Rebate Booklet or check out their Flex your power website.

Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit

Purcell Murray distributes appliances in California and has Bosch rebates, Thermador rebates, and rebates for other brands.

Plug in Electric Vehicle Discounts

Pacific Gas & Electric has a new E-9 rate plan for plug in electric vehicle or electric car owners. A second power meter may need to be installed for households in which their plug-in electric vehicle charging significantly impacts their daily energy usage.

Additional Resources for more information

Read our article: Ways to Save Energy, Money on your Energy Bill – It is full of tips to save you money.

Interested in Solar? Read our article Are Solar Panels for Me?

Other Power Utility Company Rebates

PG&E Energy Partners Program – Free Products

PG&E has an Energy Partners Program that provides income-qualified customers free energy education, weatherization measures and energy-efficient appliances to reduce gas and electric usage.

They provide:

Attic insulation
Caulking
CFLs
Door weather-stripping
Energy-saver showerhead
Minor home repair
Water heater blanket

Free Education and Assessment, Installation and Delivery, and Free Inspections.

You can contact them at 1-800-933-9555

PG&E Energy Efficient Rebates are another way to save money.

Also read: Save Energy and money on your energy bill.

Salt Water Swimming Pools

easy eco blog — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:00:37 +0000

Salt Water Swimming Pools that are not too common in the United States but are catching on fast. Salt Water Pools are slowly making inroads because most new pools are specified as them. They use a chlorine generator so they are not chlorine free. Swimming in a regular pool may make you feel or see a whitish residual or chlorine flaking, on the skin, frizzled hair or red eyes. In a salt water swimming pool, the water feels smooth and refreshing and does not taste like the ocean. The swimming pool is only 8-9% as salty as the ocean.

Roughly 13% residential and commercial pools were salt water pools in 2010.

How does a saltwater pool work?

Salt reacts with electricity in the chlorine generator. A chlorine generator’s main function is to produce chlorine for the pool so you do not have to buy it, store it or handle it. A generator produce chlorine constantly. A 40 pound bag of salt costs $9 and needs to be replaced roughly 6 times a year. The average yearly cost for residential pool chlorine is around $700. Salt dissipates over time, gets diluted by any rainwater, and also gets filtered out. Water chemistry will be simplified moving to a salt water pool. Note that chlorinators that display salt levels show inaccurate levels when water is cold, so you need to use salt test strips in this instance. More muriatic acid will be utilized to control the pH in a saltwater pool.

It costs from $1000 to $3000 to retrofit an existing pool. You do need to maintain the generator every 3 months or so by cleaning it out with a muriatic acid wash. Salt needs to be replenished every year or so, but costs very little. A 40lb bag costs about $9. The best time to upgrade to it is when you install a new controller for a variable speed pool pump. These new controllers like the Easytouch can handle salt water pools. The only problem areas for a salt water pool installation are if you have stainless steel plumbing or stainless steel in your heater, which will corrode.

Alternatives to salt water pools

Other unconventional alternatives to chlorine in pools include systems that release ozone gas (roughly $8,000) or use ultra-violet light to kill bacteria. The UV technology kills cryptosporeidium, something chlorine does not.

Check this Website with more details. It is best to install a salt water pool system along with a Variable speed Pool pumps to maximize the energy and chemical savings.