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Generally, you do not need to drain your pool to convert it to a saltwater system. The main exception is if you have used an antibacterial agent containing polyhexamethylene biguanide to sanitize your pool, as these sanitation products do not mix well with saltwater systems. If this is the case, you will need to start fresh. You can either drain the pool or treat the existing water with a high dose of chlorine to remove the antibacterial agent. If you choose the chlorine treatment, wait several days to allow the chlorine to work before proceeding with the conversion. If you are unsure whether this applies to your pool, consult a pool technician.

A swimming pool pump has to have water in it to run properly. If the pump isn’t primed and tries to run when it’s dry, the components will overheat which can cause the pump to seize up and can even damage the PVC pipes that carry the water into and out of it. Essentially, running a pump that isn’t primed can lead to having to replace the entire pump.

There are some disadvantages to a salt water pool. Besides costing slightly more than chlorine pools, salt water pools require a lot of salt. It's also harder to find a professional with salt water pool experience to do minor maintenance and repairs. Salt water can also damage some materials, so you’ll need to use specific heating, fixtures, lighting, liners, and masonry when building a salt water pool.

Pool light replacements are often more expensive compared to other pool parts, like pump motors, or standard light bulbs for indoor use. The reason for the higher cost is that pool lights are specially designed and made with parts meant to keep swimmers safe. The light fixture and surrounding parts protecting the bulb must be waterproof, tightly sealed, and resistant to extreme temperatures.