Maintaining Proper Pool Circulation
The first part of maintaining a saltwater pool is ensuring proper pool circulation. If the water doesnt circulate properly, the saltwater concentration could keep going up in specific areas. This is the main reason why irregularly-shaped pools rarely have salt chlorine generators. Its possible to make them work, but it requires expert planning and additional circulation devices.
Fortunately, maintaining proper pool circulation is relatively easy in most pools. All you really need to do is check to see whether or not all of the water in your pool can rotate through your filters. As long as all of the water turns at a reasonable pace, you should be good to go.
You can use several different devices to check your pool circulation. Many pool owners prefer using salt concentration detectors in various areas. If the numbers are similar throughout your pool, you know youre fine. If the numbers are distinctly different, you may need to change the angles on your jets.
Using A Swimming Pool Salt Chart
Once you calculate how many gallons of water is in your pool and determine your current salt levels, you can finally figure how much salt to add.
Below is the swimming pool salt chart. On the left-hand side, are the current salt levels while the pool sizes are along the top. You can determine how much salt to add by taking your fingers, one for current salt level and one for pool size, and moving it across the table until they touch or intersect.
Example: Based on this salt chart, if your pool has 18,000 gallons and the current salt level is 1600 ppm, you need to add 240 ppm of salt to reach 3200 ppm.
A Swimming Pool Chemical Calculator
Adjust sliders to calculate pool salt.
For proper chlorine production in a salt water pool, it is extremely important that the salt parts per million to be kept as close to the system recommendations as possible. Operating a chlorine generator outside the recommended salt PPM can result in poor chlorine production or even damage to the chlorine generator itself in some cases.
When adding salt, open the bag on the corner and walk around the pool while pouring the salt in evenly. It can take up to 24 hours after adding salt to dissolve completely and circulate through the entire pool.
RESULTS SHOWN HERE
More About A Salt Water Pool
A salt water pool is a more convenient and healthy way to chlorinate the pool water. The chlorine is produced on site in a closed loop with the salt directly in the pool, eliminating the need to purchase and transport chlorine. The salt water pool generator provides a more automatic granular method of controlling the chlorine dosing. With the salt water pool generator, chlorine is constantly being produced. Making it easier to adjust the chlorine level on a daily basis as opposed to dumping large amounts of chlorine every few days spiking the chlorine levels. The salt water is said to have some health benefits like softer skin and better feeling water. Salt water pool generators also reduce eye and skin irritation.
LOW SALT EFFECTS:
HIGH SALT EFFECTS:
Tips About A Salt Water Pool
Salt Water Pool Maintenance
WHEN TO ADD SALT TO POOL:
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Calculate The Proper Amount Of Shock
You might be wondering how much shock is enough.
Well, in order to reach breakpoint chlorination, you’ll need to achieve about 30 ppm.
If the chlorination does not reach this level, it wont kill all of the algae in your pool or remove unhealthy chloramines.
In order to calculate the proper usage, you will need to know approximately how many gallons of water are in your pool and read the label of your product.;
For the cal-hypo product we recommend, that is about three pounds per 10,000 gallons of water.
How Do I Use The Salinity Calculator
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How To Add Salt To Your Pool
Follow these easy steps when adding salt to your above ground pool.
Salt can be added directly into the pool by broadcasting it across the surface.
Make sure the filter is running to create good circulation and speed up the dilution of the salt.
After distributing the salt evenly around the pool, use a pool brush to brush any piles of salt that may have built up.
When deposits or algae build up in certain areas, sometimes a pool brush is the most reliable tool at hand. Fits on standard telescopic poles.
Continue to run the filter for 24-48 hours or until all of the added salt is dissolved.
How Much Salt To Add To A Pool
It’s pretty obvious that to create a saltwater pool; you need to have salt. And lots of it. Keep in mind that standard pools need to have a value of 2400-3200ppm to reach the minimum salt level. To achieve this, you’ll have to add 200lbs of pool-grade salt to 10,000 gallons of water.
However, if you’re worried about salt loss due to backwash or splash out, it’s better to use annual boosters to replace the salt and maintain quality. But the most critical aspect is adding the appropriate amount of salt in the correct manner, for which a chlorine generator is vital.
A chlorine generator is pretty easy to install. This is because saltwater pools have an inground salt system, thanks to a control box that derives power from an electric outlet. Next, an inline salt cell connects to the return line, and all you need to do is input the amount of chlorine needed. As a result, it will become convenient to manage output.
Moreover, the pool has indicators for water flow, temperature and salt level for all-round coverage. Once you switch on the chlorine generator, the control box reads the temperature in the pool. If it’s more than 60-degree Fahrenheit and the pool has sufficient water flow, a low voltage is supplied to the salt cell, helping to produce chlorine.
You should know that the level of chlorine is controlled automatically for the best results. But wed advise you to manually check the chlorine concentration from time to time for making the necessary adjustments.
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Why Pool Salt Is Important
Pool salt is important for several reasons:
- Using the right pool salt helps a salt chlorine generator work efficiently.
- Maintaining the right salt levels helps to maintain the right chlorine levels, and therefore a clean pool.
- Low-quality pool salt can have mineral or organic contaminants that may cause stains, scaling, or cloudy water.
Q: How Much Does A Salt Water Pool Cost
Most salt water systems cost anywhere from $1,400 to $2,000 upfront.
And then, you have to factor in the cost to replace the cell every 3-6 years, which is about $800.
However, you also need to take into account the cost to maintain it.
Most of the time, you can operate a salt water system for less than $100 a year, as opposed to about $300-600 a year for chemicals for a traditional chlorine pool.;
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Should You Add Shock To A Salt Water Pool
It’s absolutely okay to shock your salt water pool, and is actually pretty important!
Even though your pool system is probably equipped with an electrical function to super-chlorinate the water, it should not replace a weekly shock treatment for a couple of reasons:
- 1Running your pools super-chlorinate feature too often is hard on the motor and will cause it to wear out faster.
- 2The super-chlorinate feature will not always kill all the algae or clean up the pool water as effectively as pool shock.
How Much Salt Should I Add To My Pool
In Blog, Chemistry, Salt by David JerkinsJanuary 6, 2021
Maintaining the proper salinity levels in your pool or spa is paramount when running a chlorine generator. If you run the salinity too high or low, you could damage your equipment.
The key to determining how much salt to add to the pool is:
x 8.35 x = pounds of salt to add.
Example: I have a 15,000 gallon pool. I just filled it, so there is no salt in it. According to the manual for the chlorine generator, I need to maintain 3500-4500 ppm salinity in the pool so I target 4000 ppm. That would look like:
15,000 x 8.35 x 0.004 = 501 lbs of salt is needed to reach 4000 ppm. Add 13 bags of pool salt.
Remember, it ultimately depends on what the equipment demands. Always check manufacturers guidelines, which should indicate a minimum and maximum for salinity. In most cases, that will be 3500-5000 ppm. If the manual states that salinity should be between 3500-4500 ppm for best results, target right in the middle: 4000 ppm.
If your 10,000 gallon pool already has salt in it, keep that in mind. If you test the pool, and it has 2300 ppm salinity, and your goal is 3500, you only need to increase it by 1200 ppm. That would be 0.0012 in thousandths in the formula. Therefore: 10,000 x 8.35 x .0012 = 100 lbs of salt needed.
Pool Salt always comes in 40 pound bags, so just divide the result by 40 to figure out how many bags you need to add.
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Pool Maintenance Tasks: Reducing The Salt Level In Your Pool
With the uptick in popularity of salt water pool systems, more questions are surfacing about how these pools should be maintained.
One of the more common questions about salt water pool maintenance is how to reduce the level of salt in the water. Typically, this question will arise when a new pool owner or someone who has recently switched to a salt water pool has overestimated the size of the pool and has added too much salt.
For safe swimming conditions, the ideal salt level is going to be between 2500 ppm and 4000 ppm. An overly salted pool will generally not be a major problem , but at levels over 6000 ppm there may be corrosion damage to some of the metallic equipment. Furthermore, some salt water generators require the water to be at 3000 to 4000 ppm and may not function correctly outside of their given range.
As always, we recommend hiring a professional pool company to provide regular service; this will ensure that your pool is always properly cleaned, tested and maintained. If you have tested the salt water levels and there is too much salt in your pool, here’s what you need to know.
How To Lower Salt Levels Within Swimming Pools
You may have noticed that we recently covered how much salt to add to your pool water.; Maybe you added too much thinking more is better or you simply got the math wrong.; In either case, this article will cover how to lower the salt level of your pools water.
The only way to lower the salt concentration of your swimming pools water is to dilute it.; Unfortunately, this means you will need to partially drain your pool and refill it with fresh water.; This is true because salt doesnt wear out, break down or evaporate; only your water will evaporate.
How To Determine How Much Water To Drain
First take a salt reading.; On a Hayward Salt Chlorinator, your salt reading should be between 2,700 3,400 PPM with the optimum level of 3,200 PPM.
Hayward Salt Chlorinator Salt Chart
Refer to the chart provided in your Hayward Salt Chlorinator manual.; Example: If you have a salt level of 0, in your 8,000 gallon pool, youll need approximately 213 pounds of salt, or roughly 40 pound bags of salt, to bring your water in proper range.
Note: Normal water evaporation will increase the concentration of salt in pool water. You will need to add fresh water to bring salt concentration back to target ppm levels.
For more detailed information on salt levels, check with your owners manual. AquaRite, AquaRite Pro pages 3-4.
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Determine Pool Size & Quantity Of Salt Needed The Next Step Is Figuring Out How Many Gallons Of Water Are In Your Pool If Youre Not Sure You Can Use The Following Formulas To Calculate An Estimate Depending On The Shape Of Your Pool
For this example, our goal salinity is 3500 ppm and the pool has zero existing salinity. In that case, Youll need to add 30 lb of salt for every 1000 gallons of water.;
Therefore, if you have a 20,000 gallon pool and want to determine how much salt youll need to buy, you would use the formula 30/1,000 x 20,000, which equals 600. Meaning, the pool would require approximately 600 lb of salt.;
So, youve installed your saltwater system or youre in the process of buying all your materials for your installation, and now its time to buy the most important aspect- the salt itself!
You can find pool salt and water softener salt at any big-box, home improvement or pool store , but if youre looking to save even more money, plain regular water softener salt is less expensive.;
Its virtually the exact same thing, and ranges from around $5-$7 for a 40 lb bag- which is the typical size youll find at most stores! Using our previous example, we would need to buy about 15 bags of salt for the 20,000 gallon pool.
A few extra tips:
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Always use non-iodized salt that is at least 99.8% pure sodium chloride
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Avoid any salt with anti-caking agents
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Do not get anything that has any special formula additives , as they can cause staining in your pool.
Adding the Salt
So instead, add most of what you calculated for; salt instead, just in case there was a margin of error in your pool size measurements. Let the salt dissolve and then retest your salt level before adding the last of your salt.
Pool Salt Calculator How Much Salt Do I Need For A Pool
Your swimming pool has various chemicals one of which is chlorine in the form of salt. This salt needs to be at the right amount to keep the water safe from germs, algae and other unwanted microorganisms. When you check for the level of salt and realize its either too low or too high, you need to add it or replace water respectively.
To determine the amount of salt your pool presently has, you need a salt chlorine generator or other suitable test kit. This kit is used by testing the amount of salt in a sample of the pool water. It gives the reading in terms of the amount of salt in the water in ppm .
In this guide, we focus on the pool salt water testing process, the right amount of salt in the water and how to achieve it if yours isnt right. Keep in mind that the pool water salt testing procedure should be done at least once every week for a healthy swimming pool.
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How Much Salt To Add To Your Pool
After purchasing a salt chlorine generator it is important to know how much salt to add to your pool, the correct salt levels needed for your above ground pool will help you get the best results. The target salt level is 3200 3400ppm . Depending on the size of the above ground pool, the number of pounds of salt will vary to reach this ideal range. The way in which salt is added to the pool though stays the same, no matter what type of salt system or above ground pool you have.
Remember to first test the pool water to see the current levels of salt.; One should either bring their pool water to a local professional, or if they should purchase their own tester the staff at The Pool Factory recommends the Solaxx Digital SafeDip Tester. The source for your pool water may contain some salt levels already and it is a good idea to find out the level in which you are starting prior to figuring out how much salt to add to your pool.
The SafeDip is a digital chemistry reader designed to make measuring pool parameters easy. Simply collect the water sample from the pool using the onboard cup and press the Start button to take your measurement.
DO NOT USE Rock Salt, it is not very pure and hard to dissolve.
The Impacts Salinity Has On Your Pool
Over time, incorrect salinity levels can deteriorate your pool water quality, leading to costly repairs and cleanings. If the level is too low, you end up with less chlorine in the pool since there is not as much salt for the generator to convert to chlorine. By not having a high enough salt content, your pool may grow bacteria and algae. If this is caught quickly and your saline levels are adjusted, the algae should come off with a pool brush. But if the growing materials begin to take over, you may have to use chemical cleaners or drain your pool to clean it. Plus, running a chlorine generator with salt at low-level results in a faster breakdown of cell plates. The system may also quit operating.
It is typically not as much of a problem if the salt level for a saltwater pool is too high. However, at very high levels 5000 ppm and above you will typically see issues arise, and your system may shut down.
Avoid these issues by regularly testing salinity and;maintaining the appropriate levels;for your pool.
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