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04/08/2017 12:00 AMLorraine St. John and her husband have had a pool since 1978. The pool began with a chlorine system, but after having some issues, they decided to update their pool with a salt-water system several years ago.
"I don't have as much difficulty as far as problems with the water or the chemicals causing trouble with the body," said St. John. "The maintenance is a lot easier. It's been good, it's pretty stable, and of course, salt water is good for the body."
With summer quickly approaching, people are already thinking about how they are going to stay cool when the temperatures heat up. Like the St. Johns, the decision for a backyard pool has gone from above ground or in-ground to include more technical decisions, including whether to choose a salt-water pool or a chlorine pool.
Tom Laudano of Aquatic Pool & Spa in Northford has seen an increase in the number of customers who are choosing the salt-water option – now about half of customers opt for salt-water.
"It is important to remember that a salt pool is actually a chlorine pool," said Laudano. "Salt pools are one of the latest technological advances within our industries."
The difference between a salt-water and a traditional chlorine pool is not immediately visible. The differences come with the equipment as the salt-water pool uses a chlorine-generating cell, a power center to supply power to the cell, a flow switch, and a zinc anode, which "acts as a 'sacrificial lamb' to the corrosive properties of the salt," according to Laudano.
Once the equipment is installed, the pool water has to be balanced and the initial dose of salt is added. As the salt water passes through the cell, the salt molecules are converted into chlorine.
"While there is no 100 percent hands-off chemical maintenance system, salt systems require much less frequent attention," said Laudano. "It is electronically generating chlorine so the consumer does not have to constantly test and add chlorine."
Some testing throughout the season is still required and some chlorine may need to be added in the case of increased bather load or extreme temperatures. A maintenance dose of salt is added approximately every two weeks.
"By and large, it [salt-water system] is very consumer-friendly," said Laudano. "Secondly, the water is going to simply look and feel better."
With the automatically generated chlorine, pool owners are less likely to have issues with cloudy water, algae, and over-chlorination, which can irritate swimmers' skin and eyes.
"Cost-wise, they [chlorine and salt-water systems] are very similar from a maintenance standpoint," said Laudano. "With salt, you have the larger upfront cost for the required equipment and to add all of the salt. With regular chlorine, you have larger maintenance costs throughout the season because of the constant addition of chlorine and shock."
If you're looking to experience the supernatural right here at home, Connecticut has plenty to offer in the way of ghostly and eerie locations.
Dudleytown, an abandoned village in Cornwall, is considered one of the state's most haunted locations. Notoriously nicknamed the "Village of the Damned", the village's former residents are said to have gone mad and died off. The village is gone except for the remains of some foundations but the property is allegedly cursed and possessed by demons. Curious visitors should be warned, however. The area is considered private property and is patrolled by local and state police who have been known to arrest and prosecute trespassers.
Former hospitals make up a large portion of Connecticut's haunted locations. While most are no longer open to the public, hospitals like Newtown's Fairfield Hills State Hospital, known as a "warehouse for the insane", is said to have a history of unauthorized lobotomies and bizarre deaths but be aware, the police heavily guard the area.
But as with any old state, Connecticut's most famous haunts are mainly cemeteries – filled with the ghosts of murderers, witches, and the unjustly accused. Perhaps the most famous cemetery is Union Cemetery in Easton, a 400-year-old cemetery that has become a favorite stomping ground for ghost hunters. The graveyard is home to the White Lady who has been spotted wandering through the regularly. If you're driving along Route 59 near the cemetery, you may see her ghost standing in the middle of the road. As with most of the state's notorious haunts, the cemetery is off-limits after sunset. The Easton Police are very active in the area and will arrest trespassers.