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How To Add Salt To Your Pool

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Signs That Your Homemade Sauerkraut Is Ready To Eat

How To: Add Salt To Your Pool

Use these 3 cues to help you determine when its ready to enjoy:

  • Flavor: It should have a tart and tangy flavor thats similar to pickles but without the garlic and dill. While it should be tart, it should not be overly acidic like vinegar.
  • Color: The color of the cabbage is more yellow than it is green. It should look slightly translucent, as if its been cooked.
  • Texture: The cabbage is softer than when it initially went into the jar but still retains a bit of crunch.

A Few Facts About Saltwater Pools

The salt added to your pool will never dissipate on its own. Only during backwash, splashing, or draining your pool will salt need to be added.

Salt will not leave your pool from evaporation or running your salt system.

Always keep an eye on the overall salt level of the water but keep in mind that once you reach your ideal levels, it will be hard to lose them. Thats the beauty of having a saltwater pool.

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The Secret Of Saltwater: How It Works

Lets shatter this myth once and for all: saltwater pools dont technically sanitize with salt . I know, the name makes it a little more confusing. But actually, saltwater pools use good old chlorine just like traditional poolsexcept it generates chlorine on-site, and keeps the levels so low that you hardly know its there. That means that even though your pool is sanitized, you wont have your hair turning colors, your skin burning, or your floaties and swimsuits getting slowly eaten away. Believe it or not, exposure to high concentrations of chlorine can make that happen.

Its not difficult to understand how your saltwater pool works. The salt cell, or generator, draws in the dissolved salt in your water, and then converts it to chlorine using a process called electrolysis. Through this process, it is able to circumvent oxidation, which is what usually produces common chlorine byproducts called chloramines. Its not technically chlorine that wreaks havoc on swimmers. Its chloramines, their noxious, uncomfortable spawns. Without those, its as if youre shocking your pool every single daywithout the work.

In order for your saltwater pool to stay efficientand that means cost-effective, as wellyoull need to make sure you have a powerful, dependable saltwater generator. Otherwise, youre just waiting for maintenance mishaps to happen.

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How To Add Salt To My Pool

Add salt to your salt chlorinator. You are going to be shooting for a 3000 to 6000 ppm concentration of salt. You will want to use NaCl, sodium chloride, of at least 99% purity.

To add salt, turn on your filter pump and add the salt directly to your pool water. Use a brush to help the salt dissolve and to prevent the salt from piling up on the bottom of your pool. Run your pump for 24 hours to help distribute the salt evenly throughout your pool. Test your salt level using salt test strips or a pocket salt tester.

Now you can start up your salt chlorine generator. Salt chlorinators make their own chlorine from salt. Chlorine kills algae and bacteria. Without it, the pool water would be green, cloudy and potentially unhealthy.

Chlorine can be lost when it is hit by sunlight. Chlorine forms hypochlorite ions in water. When ultraviolet radiation from the sun hits hypochlorite, it breaks apart, releasing the chlorine as gas to the atmosphere. Sunlight is so effective in reducing chlorine that a bright sunny day can reduce the chlorination level of a pool by 90 percent in just two hours.

Add Salt To Your Pool

Adding Salt To Your Pool

Every salt chlorinator has a suggested range for salt so check your manual to make sure you the best dose for your pool. We’ll be using the average salt level required which of 3200 ppm.

Make sure you are using the proper kind of salt for your pool, i.e. Sodium Chloride Salt that is at the very least 99% pure. We strongly recommend using AquaSaltwhich is 99.9% pure especially if you need to add a lot salt like for a new pool or converting to salt. While that 0.1% may not seem like much of a difference, when you have to add several bags of it to the pool it adds up.

Use the below chart to see how many lbs of salt needs to be added to your pool based on the current salt ppm and the gallons of water in your pool. Salt is typically available in 40lbs bags.

To add the salt, pour a few bags directly into your pool at a time. Then use your pool brush to move the water around and help kick up any salt sitting on the bottom to help disolve the mixture. Once you start getting close to the final number of bags recommended, go ahead and test your water’s salt levels. You can always add more but the only to remove salt is to add more water. If your salt levels are too hight this could result in needing to drain your pool several inches before filling it up again with fresh water. Start low and build your salt level.

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Can You Put Chlorine Tablets In A Saltwater Pool

Yes, you can use chlorine tablets, liquid chlorine or granular chlorine in a salt water pool if required. This is normal when you first start up a salt pool because you may not be able to add the salt until the pool surface has fully cured as with plaster and paint. If ever the saltwater chlorinator has not generated enough chlorine you may need to manually add additional chlorine.

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What Youll Need To Make Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut only requires two ingredients, cabbage and salt. But to turn cabbage into kraut, you need just a handful of common kitchen items:

Fancy isnt always better

Sure you can get really fancy when it comes to fermenting there are loads of gadgets, lids, containers and such that you can use but you dont have to. Weve made sauerkraut in jars and crocks, with lids and without, with and without airlocks and using special weights or just a plastic freezer bag filled with water for a weight. And theyve all turned out great. So if not having the right equipment is holding you back, then were here to call you out on that one. You dont have to be fancy, you just have to get started. You can always add some fancy crocks, weights, and airlocks to your game as you get more adventurous in your fermenting forays. But for now, were going to keep it simple with our fearless method for how to make sauerkraut because we want to keep the barriers to entry really low so you can feel confident rolling up your sleeves and making your first batch of deliciously, healthy sauerkraut today.

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What Sort Of Salt Is Added To A Salt Water Pool

Pool salt is specifically formulated for use in a salt water pool. While more expensive than other suitable forms of salt, you generally cant go wrong since it is pool specific. You can also use white salt pellets made for water softeners. Look for the purest salt you can find, typically 99% and up .

Check with your pool chlorinator manufacturer to see what their recommendation is.

Ive only ever used standard water softener salt pellets in my salt water pool and have never had trouble. The pellets dissolve slower than pool salt which is crystalized but they will completely dissolve in the deep end of the pool in about one day with the pump running.

Stick with real pool salt or white pellet water softener salt. Stay away from rock salt, road salt or any salt that is multi-colored. These are better suited to be used in winter on your driveway and are not suitable for a salt chlorinator.

Dont use salt with yellow prussiate of soda, salt with anti-caking additives or iodized salt which is also known as table salt that youd use on food.

Chemical Balance: Safety For You And Your Pool

Adding Salt To Your Pool

Alright, lets briefly visit some basics. A swimming poolwhether its saltwater or nothas its own sort of ecosystem, in which each chemical does its part and supports the overall condition of your pool water, your pool equipment, and the pool itself. Dont be like some pool owners who hear that saltwater pools are easier to maintain and figure they never have to touch another chemical in their life, and then wonder about why algae has turned their swimming pool into a swimming swamp. Yuck. Chemical balance is just as important to nail in a saltwater pool than any other type.

If I were to rank them, the number one reason why chemical balance is important to maintain is swimmer safety. If your pools chemical ecosystem is off, the effectiveness of your sanitizer can be seriously disrupted. When that happens, all the microscopic bacteria that cannot simply be circulated out through your pools filtration system is able to thrive happily in those same waters you use to cannonball. That means that even if youre the only human in the pool, youre not swimming alone. If bacteria is left unchecked, it can lead to algae infestations and can even make you sick. Not all bacteria is the harmless kind, and water-borne illnesses, unfortunately, are definitely a thing.

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How Much Salt Do I Add To A Salt Water Pool

The amount of Pool Pro Salt needed for your salt chlorinator to produce sufficient chlorine varies, depending on the type of chlorinator. Most chlorinator models require 3500ppm – 7000ppm . Our Pool Pro and Neptune chlorinators only require 3000ppm salt to make chlorine. The Neptune NDC Chlorinator range also suits mineral salts.

The manufacturers recommendations should be strictly followed to avoid damage to your chlorinator and to insure adequate chlorine production. Replacement salt is only required to replace normal consumption and loss from filter backwashing, splash-out and any overflow due to rainfall. See the Salt Calculator table below as a guide for how much salt to add to your pool.

There are many different brands of Salt Chlorinators on the market, but when you install a Pool Pro or Neptune chlorinator, you can rest assured that you are installing a high quality, reliable chlorinator that is backed up with professional advice and servicing. Contact your Pool Pro Professional who can advise you of the correct size of chlorinator for your pool.

Procedures On How To Add Salt Onto The Water

  • Know first what level of salt chlorine generators work in your pool. You can refer to the salt generator manual.
  • Next is to determine your pools salt current level. If your pool is newly installed, the salt level must be at 0 ppm. If you are converting to a standard chlorinator, the salt levels must be at around 500 ppm.
  • Using a saltwater test strip, measure your pools current level. You can as well bring a water sample to pool stores for them to verify the salt level. Dont worry as it is free of charge.

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Replace The Salt Water Chlorinator Cell

A correctly installed and maintained saltwater chlorinator cell has a normal life expectancy of at least 3 to 5 years.

Pools in a tropical climate that are in use all year round will have a lower cell life expectancy. Swimming pools in a cooler climate that are only in use during the summer season may achieve a higher cell life span than normal.

Replacing the chlorinator cell is an easy task for a home handyman.

However, each manufacturer will have a slightly different procedure so you will need to follow the manufacturers instructions.

Basic Replacement Instructions

Purchase the correct replacement cell.

Turn off all power to the filtration system.

Remove the power plug from the power supply.

Open the chlorinator cell casing and remove the existing cell.

Remove the wiring from the old cell.

Attach the wiring to the new cell.

Install the new cell into the chlorinator casing and screw up the water-tight fitting.

Reconnect the power plug and switch on the unit.

Run the pool pump manually to check for any leaks in the plumbing around the chlorinator unit.

Ensure the chlorinator control unit indicates the cell is generating chlorine.

Switch your pool system to automatic control.

Problems Transitioning To Saltwater

Easy Ways to Add Salt to a Pool: 11 Steps (with Pictures)

Saltwater will corrode or discolor most metals, the exceptions being stainless steel and aluminum . You may need to refit your pools handrails, drain grates and other metal components if this sort of damage occurs.

Your pool lining may also be at risk. The best liner for saltwater pools is either vinyl or fiberglass, though a concrete pool that is properly lined with tile or plaster should also be resistant to damage. Stone will begin to discolor over time from crystallization, and if your vinyl-lined pool has a galvanized steel outer liner, any small hole in the lining will allow the saltwater to corrode that outer lining.

When transitioning, Swim University suggests a few approaches. These include entirely draining the pool, scrubbing the lining and starting from scratch with new water. You can also try to chemically burn the antibacterial chemicals out of your chlorinated pool water, which will allow the transition to saltwater.

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Salt Water Pool Maintenance

Here is more of our research to help you confidently maintain your salt water pool.

How To Achieve The Perfect Saltwater Chemical Balance

Although you ultimately want to assess the overall levels of your poolyou dont have different test strips for each chemical for a reasonthe perfect chemical balance lies in checking in with your salt, cyanuric acid, free chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness. Remember, some of these chemicals influence each other, like pH and total alkalinity. So if youre seeing a general trend between these two, make sure youre treating them both in tandem.

Before we get leveling, make sure that you have mined salt thats at least 95% pure, cyanuric acid, a pH increaser, alkalinity increaser, and a calcium hardness increaser. Thats all you need.

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Ially Draining Your Pool Water

While you can use your pool pump to drain out the water by setting your sand filter to the waste position or using the drain valve if using a cartridge filter, we dont really recommend it for draining large amounts of water that will cause your water levels to drop below the skimmer levels as this can cause your pump to lose prime and/or burn out when it runs dry. You can either get a small submersible pump to do this or use our favorite tool when it comes to draining water, a venturi pump.

A venturi pump doesnt use your pools pump, instead it uses regular water pressure from your garden hose so its a very efficient way to drain your pool if you ever need to lower your water levels for any reason. A venturi pump can remove an average of 3,025 to 3,400 litres of water per hour. So using the example above, well need to use the Venturi pump for roughly 3-and-a-half hours to effectively drain around 11,600L of water from our pool.

Take Precautions For Your Pool Liner

How To Add Salt To Your Pool | By Waterdrop Pools of Naples, Florida

If you have a vinyl liner, youll be happy to know you can use a salt chlorinator system in your pool without taking any extra precautions. The liner will be exposed to lower levels of chlorine, so it may even extend your liners lifespan.

However, many inground pools have galvanized walls behind the liner. If your liner springs a leakeven a small leakallowing salinized water to seep out against the steel wall, the wall will eventually corrode.

Similarly, above ground pools with a lot of metal parts can rust over time due to exposure to salt water. If you have a resin above ground pool, you can make the switch without this concern.

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Test Pool Water With Salt Chlorinator

Hold a test strip underwater for 10 seconds. Hold the strip so it is below the water line, but not in the stream of the jet-returned water from the filter. Test kits typically come with a test tube or small glass jar. If yours did not, use a small, clean juice glass. For instance, if you have a 20,000-gallon pool and your chlorination system requires you to have 3,500 parts per million of salt, that is equivalent to 834 lbs. If your salt reading is 5,000 ppm, it is recommended that you drain water from the pool, add fresh water from your garden hose and adjust the water accordingly.

How Much Salt Do I Put In My Pool

The general question of every person is how much salt to be used? The ideal level is between 2700 3400 ppm. Make sure to check the Salt level before adding it. If the level is low, then you need to add salt to the pool. Determine the amount required based on the salinity level. Generally, the water begins to taste salty when the level of salt is between 3500 to 4000 ppm. The high level of salt makes the chlorinator to shut down, making the water salty.

The water of the pool is recycled continuously, and the loss of salt during the swimming session should be minimal. The water loss is mainly due to the splash out while swimming and the decline in salt are due to the addition of rainwater. It should be noticed that you do not loose salt by evaporation.

Most of the stores try to sell more salt than your requirement. You should make a proper calculation before buying it. A simple calculation can help you to get the number of bags needed for getting the required salt level. For increasing the salinity level by 1000 ppm, you need 0.5 bags for every 10000 litres of water.

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