Converting To A Salt Water Pool
To convert a traditional chlorine pool to a salt water pool, you dont need to drain the pool, or do anything special. Besides normal and good water balance, all you need for a salt water pool is a chlorine generator and enough pool salt to raise the level to the salt system manufacturers recommendation.
You will still need to maintain good water balance on a salt water pool. Your pool pH, Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness must be maintained by testing and adjusting the levels as needed, just as with a traditional chlorine pool. You will also still need to use cyanuric acid, or chlorine stabilizer, to control UV chlorine degradation, and prevent overworking your salt cell.
Adding Silver Nitrate To The Water
It is mandatory that you add the Silver Nitrate, drop-wise in the water, and keep shaking it after adding two drops. Keeping an accurate count is also imperative.
These numbers will determine the salt level in the pool water. So, I kept on adding two drops of the reagent, and the mixed the liquid, by moving the jar in a circular motion.
Filling A Saltwater Pool For The First Time
If youre filling a saltwater pool for the first time or if youre refilling your pool, youre effectively starting over in terms of pool chemistry. The two main ways you can fill a pool are from your backyard garden hose or through a water delivery service. Costs will depend on how much your region or city charges for water and how much local water companies charge to deliver it:
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Why Measure Saltwater Pool Salinity
Most saltwater pools will have a manufacturer specified salt concentration limit, usually set somewhere in the vicinity of 1500ppm 4500 ppm. Regardless of whether or not the salt chlorinator in your pool has a built-in salt reading measurement, it is good practice to take a separate salinity test of your pool weekly.
Why?
If the salt levels are too low, the pool conditions could become unsanitary as there will not be enough chlorine produced.
If the salt levels are too high, this could damage the cell of the salt chlorinator or even damage other pool hardware. Damage of this magnitude will easily set you back more than the price of a salinity meter.
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Instrument Choice Scientist Tip: Check with your pool manufacturer that the recommended salt levels wont damage pool hardware and what is the lowest safe concentration they recommend! |
Use A Handheld Electronic Meter
You can also choose to test the salt level in your pool using a handheld electronic meter. In that case, youll turn the electronic meter on and then dip the pen-style meter into your pool water while your electronic meter analyzes it. Some handheld meter systems work by requiring the user to fill a small plastic cup with pool water fitted into the testing meter.
Electronic testing meters are a newer method of testing your pool water that is generally accurate as long as they are correctly calibrated before measuring your pool. The primary advantage with a digital pool meter is that they perform many other tests that many liquid reagent kits cannot, such as the total dissolved solids test.
Most electronic testing meters have a small margin of error, so if you choose to use one, youll need to remember that the numbers you see are directionally accurate, even if they are slightly off. Handheld electronic meters are most effective when you use them alongside pH and liquid reagent tests.
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Is A Salt Chlorinator Worth It Good Question
By now you know that the number one reason to get a salt or mineral water chlorinator is for the quality and softness of the water. For people with sensitive skin, sports injuries, or a dislike of that distinct chlorine smell, its a good option to explore further.
Regarding the cost of it: this investment will be worth it if you are looking to move away from a heavily chlorinated pool and you want all the advantages listed above.
If youre thinking about shelling out money for softer water, you might as well get a top range one with all the bells and whistles to make your money go a bit further and work for you. If youve never been bothered by your pools water, then maybe you can stick to chlorine for now.
Warnings Mean Electrical Resistance
A SCG is always checking the electrical power passing through its cell. A good salt level in the water makes it easier to pass power through the cell, and a bad salt level makes it harder. What is happening in the above example is that a depleted or dirty cell makes it harder to send power through the cell, but the unneeded addition of salt counteracts this for a time by making it a little easier to send power through. So how do you know whether you need to A) add salt, B) clean the cell, or C) replace the cell?
When to add salt
The most important thing to do is always test your water and independently measure its salinity before adding more salt. You dont need to add salt unless the pool waters salinity actually drops below range . Salt doesnt evaporate or break down, and the salt that a SCG uses to generate chlorine doesnt get used up. So you only ever need to add more salt to a pool when it gets lowered due to dilution of the pool water typically after large amounts of rain or after partially draining & refilling. Remember: refilling due to evaporation does not count. If the pool water gets diluted, the low readings and warning indicators that SCG displays could be correct, and only raising the salinity will clear these errors.
When to clean the salt cell
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Tips For Salt Pool Maintenance
Each of our techs work with roughly 4000-7000 customers a year on average, across all 50 states, so they have a wealth of experience when it comes to salt system maintenance. We have put together some practical, need-to-know tips for salt pools. We asked our techs to suggest the top 3 ideas that help prevent common troubles for people who maintain salt pools, and these are their choices. Hopefully these insights can be useful to you:
Are Salt Water Pools Easier To Maintain
Yes, a salt water pool is easier to maintain! Simply add salt and your pools salt chlorinator will do all the work of making chlorine. While all pools require chemicals to maintain clean, clear water, salt water pools are more stable than traditional chlorinated pools, so they require fewer chemicals.
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The Need For Proper Maintenance
Getting introduced to new technology always creates confusion at first, so misconceptions are understandable. But the thing to remember is that left on its own for long enough, a pool will want to revert to its natural state – a big green pond. So, an easy way to think about what a swimming pool needs is to consider four main things – the four pillars of backyard pool care. Using a salt chlorination system addresses one of the largest aspects when it comes to pool maintenance , but everything is interconnected. Here are those four main aspects:
Never Rely On The Machine Blindly
Even experts make mistakes. I made the mistake of trusting the machine blindly. You should not do the same. If I had checked the chlorine level manually, my daughter would not have suffered so much.
One cannot predict when a machine will malfunction. Thus, you must always keep a manual salt level test kit handy. You can either purchase a Taylor Test Kit as I have or bring home any of the portable modern salt testers. TekcoPlus 6 in 1 or the LaMotte Pocket Tester are two of my favorites. Chlorine balance has several advantages. It prevents the growth, and multiplication of germs.
It also keeps water discoloration at bay. If the level of salt in pool water is correct, then it will discourage the growth of fungi and algae as well.
Anyhow, here, I will give you a step by step guide to test the salinity level of your pool water. If you have any pocket tester, then all you need is to take some water in the tester cup and dip the sensor.
The readings will appear on the display monitor. As per my experience, these testers are very accurate and consistent. I am rather an old school and like to depend on numbers and my senses.
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How To Check Salt Level
mas985 said:I just don’t see the benefit of regular salt level testing and I certainly don’t see the need for an expensive salt tester.
Pool Clown said:If your pool starts out with enough salt, then one day your unit shows a significant drop in salt, it means that there is something going on and that you may want to get another test, independent of your system. To see if you have low salt, or some kind of failure within the Cl generator.
Strannik said:Interesting, I didn’t know that. Out of curiosity, why would you prefer your chlorine generation to float along with the salt level/temperature?
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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First Step To Lowering Your Pools Salt Levels
Many experts will say that testing the pool water is the first step to lowering the salt levels in your pool, but here, we recommend topping up your pool water first to its recommended levels before testing. The only way to get proper readings for salt levels is to get a reading with your water levels at the pools rated capacity. This way youll have a good baseline to get your pools true salt readings.
Once youve topped off your pool water to its optimal levels, allow your pump to run for one whole cycle or a day to make sure that everything is properly circulated. Once thats done, then you can proceed with testing the pool water with some salt water testing strips. Sometimes all thats needed is a fresh water top-up!
While some salt water chlorinators have some built-in indicators for salt levels, if you really want to get an accurate level then test strips are the way to go. Your chlorinator readings can be skewed by a number of things like dirty salt water cells, damaged leads and so on.
Noria Rok: Xp Salt Chlorinator
- Extensively researched and high-quality product range and brand.
- Long cell life and usually a 5-year warranty on cell.
- Mechanical timer for controlling usage.
- Chlorine levels can easily be controlled by touchpad on unit.
- Cleans itself by removing build-up and scaling on plates .
- Compatible with salt or minerals
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How To Troubleshoot Problems With Your Salt Cell
The most common concern we get for salt system owners is that the the salt cell is not producing chlorine. However, very often this concern is only triggered because the pool turned green or the water test shows zero free chlorine. More often, if the salt system is fairly new we find that there’s nothing actually wrong with the system. The pump just isn’t being ran long enough or the chlorine output is too low, or the pool is not being shocked as needed. Oh yeah, salt pools still need to be shocked. However, if your salt system has a light on or flashing we have additional resources for you. While the examples to follow specifically showcase Hayward Salt Systems, the resources are applicable to other brands.
Below we will cover what to do if,
- “Check Salt” & “Inspect Cell” light is flashing or ON
- Just the “Inspect Cell” light is ON
- “High Salt” light is ON
- “No Flow” light is flashing
We’ll also cover some How-To’s you’ll need for the above processes, such as
- How to Reset Average Salt Levels
- Salt Reading from Independent Testing
- Verify salt level is 2700 – 3400ppm
- How to Calculate How Much Water Will Need to be Removed from a Pool withToo Much Salt
- A Salt Ratio Chart
Minimize Your Chlorine Demand
You wouldn’t be ok with trying to have your home’s HVAC unit try to compensate for windows and doors that were left open all the time, right? It’s the same with your pool’s sanitation. It is crucial to eliminate issues that can multiply the amount of chlorine it takes to keep clean water . The most high-impact levels to monitor are phosphates , nitrates , and stabilizer . When any of these three are at issue, it’s possible for a pool to require many times higher amounts of chlorine in order to maintain the extra 1-3ppm residual level of unused free chlorine that you need.
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What Happens If Too Much Salt In Pool
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. If you have tested the salt water levels and there is too much salt in your pool, heres what you need to know.
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. First take a salt reading.
Also, what is correct salt level in pool? The ideal salt level is between 2700-3400 ppm with 3200 ppm being optimal. Before adding salt to your pool, test the water to check your salt level.
Simply so, how long does it take for salt to dissolve in a pool?
about 24 hours
Can you swim in pool after adding salt?
It is recommended to wait at least 20 minutes to an hour after adding water balancing chemicals. You should wait 2-4 hours to swim from the moment you use calcium chloride in your pool. It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours.
Maintaining A Salt Water Pool
There is very little difference in the day to day maintenance between salt pools and chlorine-tablet pools. The biggest difference is that youre not opening a smelly chlorine bucket every week to fill the chemical feeder or floater. You still need to test and adjust your water balance and chlorine levels, you still need to use chlorine stabilizer, and may need other helper chemicals to maintain water quality.
There are some additional tasks that come with a salt water pool however. The energized plates of the salt cell attract calcium scale, which deposit upon the metal surfaces, reducing chlorine output, and eventually damaging the cell. Salt cells need to be cleaned regularly in a mild acid solution, to dissolve the scale. Advanced inground salt systems are self-cleaning, accomplished by reversing the polarity to the salt cell, and sloughing off the scale, which is carried away by the water.
In addition to testing your chlorine, pH, alkalinity, calcium and cyanuric acid levels regularly, salt water pools should be tested with salt test strips throughout the pool season. Salt does not evaporate, but is diluted by rain and fill water added to the pool, or when lowering the water level for winterization.
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How Do I Know If I Have Enough Salt In My Swimming Pool
How Do I Know If I Have Enough Salt in My Swimming Pool?
Whether you own an AutoPilot salt chlorine generator or another system, making sure that you have enough salt in your swimming pool water is an integral part of getting the most out of your unit. Maintaining the correct amount of salt helps produce a sufficient amount of chlorine, which will prevent bacteria and algae growth. On the other hand, too much salt can lead to an increased need for additional chemicals to balance your water chemistry, increasing the cost of maintaining your pool.
When it comes to measuring salt levels in your swimming pool, you have a number of methods from which to choose. Some methods are more accurate than others, though they are also more expensive. Some popular salt measurement methods include the following:
This entry was posted in on Tuesday, May 5, 2015
