SALT WATER, WITHOUT THE CHLORINE ROUTINE
Salt System Swim Spas in Raleigh and Charlotte, NC
A salt system keeps a swim spa clean on its own, which counts for more when there is this much water to look after.
✔ The swim spa makes its own sanitizer, day and night
✔ Soft water for long swims, with no chlorine smell
✔ Every Wellis swim spa is built to run it
What Is a Salt Water Swim Spa?
A salt water swim spa makes its own chlorine. A small amount of salt dissolves in the water, and a salt cell passes a low current through it to release the same sanitizer that comes out of a chlorine jug, in small amounts around the clock. Once the chlorine has done its job it turns back into salt and goes around again. The level stays far below ocean water, so nothing tastes salty. In a swim spa that steadiness matters more than in a hot tub, because there is far more water to keep balanced and far more of it against your skin on a long swim.
Why Salt Is Such a Big Deal in a Swim Spa
Salt started as a swimming pool idea, and for years the bolt-on kits gave it a bad name in spas that were never designed for them. What changed is that salt is now designed in. Every Wellis swim spa has a built-in circulation pump, which is the piece that makes a salt cell work: water moves through the cell continuously, so sanitizer is made steadily instead of in bursts. Every swim spa on this page is salt ready from the factory. Hand-dosing a body of water this size every few days is the chore most buyers underestimate, and this is what removes it.
Salt System vs Hand-Dosed Chlorine
Same sanitizer, different delivery. Here is what actually changes once the swim spa makes its own chlorine.
| Salt system | Hand-dosed chlorine | |
|---|---|---|
| Adding sanitizer | The salt cell makes it continuously. | You measure and add it every few days, scaled to the volume. |
| Chlorine smell | Faint. Levels stay low and steady. | Sharp for hours after each dose. |
| What you store | One bag of spa salt. | Jugs, tabs and granules. |
| Chemistry swings | Small and steady. | High right after dosing, low before the next one. |
| How the water feels | Soft on skin and eyes through a long swim. | Harder, and more drying the longer you are in it. |
| Still on you | Test and balance weekly, clean the cell every 60 to 90 days, drain and refill on your model’s schedule. | Test and balance weekly, drain and refill on your model’s schedule. |
| What it costs | Priced as an upgrade when you order the swim spa. | Nothing upfront, then chemicals for the life of the spa. |
Living With a Salt System
Is a salt water swim spa chemical free?
No, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something. A salt system is a chlorine system with a different delivery method: the cell generates chlorine on demand instead of you pouring it in. What goes away is the handling, the storage and the smell, not the sanitizer. Our explainer walks through the chemistry in full: can you use salt water in a hot tub.
What does a normal week look like?
Test the water once a week and adjust pH and alkalinity. Salt only gets topped up when a test says the level has dropped, which is rare, because the salt recycles. Clean the salt cell every 60 to 90 days to clear mineral buildup, and drain and refill on the schedule for your model. Across thousands of gallons, that is a far shorter list than measuring sanitizer by hand twice a week.
Which swim spas can run it?
All of them. Every Wellis swim spa we sell has the built-in circulation pump a salt cell needs, so the option is open on the whole lineup above, from the shorter models that fit a standard patio to the full-length swim and soak layouts. Looking for a hot tub instead? The same option is on our salt system hot tubs.
See it before you buy
Our showroom teams can show you the cell, the control panel and how the water feels, then price the salt option into your quote. Browse every swim spa we carry, check the current specials, or ask about financing when you request pricing.
Visit an Epic Showroom Near You
Open 7 days a week • Mon-Sat 10AM-7PM • Sun 10AM-6PM | ☎ 888-884-SPAS
Swim Spa Salt System FAQs
How much does the salt system upgrade cost?
It is priced per model and added when you order the swim spa, so it lands inside your quote rather than as a separate purchase later. Submit the form, call us, or visit a showroom and we will price it on the model you like.
Can any swim spa use a salt system?
It needs a built-in circulation pump to run the salt cell. Every Wellis swim spa on this page has one, so every model here is salt ready.
Does a salt water swim spa still use chlorine?
Yes. The cell generates chlorine from the dissolved salt, so the sanitizer is the same one you would otherwise add by hand. The difference is that the spa makes it in small, steady amounts while you are not there.
Is salt water easier on your skin and eyes during a long swim?
Most owners say yes. Chlorine stays low and steady instead of spiking after each dose, and the salt gives the water a softer feel, which is the difference you notice after twenty minutes of swimming rather than ten minutes of soaking.
Will salt damage my swim spa?
Not on a spa built to run it. The horror stories come from aftermarket kits fitted to spas that were never designed for salt. The system is ordered with the swim spa rather than bolted on afterwards. Ask us to confirm the warranty terms on the model you choose.
How long does a salt cell last?
A few years of normal use, then it gets replaced like any wear part. Keeping it clean and the water balanced is what stretches its life.
Can I add a salt system to a swim spa I already own?
Sometimes, but it depends on the model, its age and its warranty, and a kit on the wrong spa is exactly how salt earned its bad reputation. Talk to our service team before you buy anything.
Do you deliver and service salt system swim spas near Raleigh and Charlotte?
Yes. Epic Hot Tubs delivers, installs and services salt system swim spas across the Triangle, Sanford and the Charlotte area from five showrooms. Ask about it when you request your quote.
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