Why Is My Saltwater Pool Not Producing Chlorine
Chlorine generators require salt to generate chlorine and cannot do so if the salt content of the water is insufficient.
Obtain a salt-testing kit from a pool supply company and verify that the levels are within this range. The generator will not manufacture chlorine if the salinity is less than 2,500 ppm.
How To Maintain Your Saltwater Pool
Pools are a lot of fun. They add resale value to your home, of course, but on a less pragmatic and more visceral level, theyre just enjoyable to have. Whether its diving in the deep end or relaxing on the shallow side with a drink in hand, theres something there for everyone.
One type of in-ground pool in Toronto that you can get is a saltwater system. There are advantages and disadvantages to this type of pool, and you likely should talk to experts like those at Solda Pools to get a comprehensive overview of what you can expect.
This article, though, is for those that have decided on a saltwater pool. As with any pool, proper maintenance is vital to ensuring your pool is enjoyable and lasts a long time without needing repairs. If you have a salt water pool, heres what you need to do.
Ensure Your Pump And Filter Are Functioning Right
Saltwater pool maintenance is a breeze when all your pool parts function well. So its important to keep your pump, filter, and skimmer clean and in good working condition.
These parts work together to help keep your pool water clean. So make sure to inspect and clean these on a regular basis, as they can become clogged with debris over time.
A low water level can be a sign that one of these items is getting backed up. Clean these every week to avoid buildup. Spraying water from a hose should do the trick.
Also, be sure to clean the pools generator cell every few months as it can become scaly from salt buildup. Clean it with a high-pressure water hose or scrape it off using a plastic tool. This helps the salt circulate through your pool well.
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Close Your Pool Properly To Prevent Winter Stains
Closing your pool for winter is important for both chlorine and Salt PCT Drugs Water pools. If it is not done properly, your pool and equipment will suffer on both levels. You dont want your pool to develop unhealthy stains!
One of the first things you should know about closing your salt water pool is the way your salt water generator works. During the summer months, your generator works efficiently because of the warm water, but the system will become affected when the water cools during fall and winter. It may even indicate your pool is low on salt when it is not.
Setting Up A Salt Water Pool
Setting up a salt water pool is more than just pouring salt in the pool. Add salt without using a chlorine generator, and all you have is salty pool water.
But essentially you do just pour salt into the pool, a lot of salt. How much salt to add to the pool? To reach the initial salt level recommended by the salt system manufacturer , you will need to add about 200 lbs of pure pool grade salt , per 10,000 gallons of water. Salt stays in the water, you only need annual boosters, to replace salt lost to backwashing or splashout.
Installing a salt chlorine generator is also fairly straight forward. Most inground salt systems have a wall mounted control box plugged into an electric outlet and an inline salt cell, plumbed into the return line. The control panel allows you to dial-in the desired amount of chlorine output, with indicators for water flow, temperature, and salt level. Salt chlorine generators for above ground pools often hang on the pool wall, or attach to the pool return for an even easier installation.
Turn on the chlorine generator, and if the water temperature is above 60° F, and water flow is sufficient, low voltage energy is applied to the salt cell, which begins to produce chlorine, until the chlorine output level is satisfied. Chlorine generators will turn themselves on and off as needed, to create a consistent chlorine level, but you still need to test your pool chlorine level, and adjust the output as needed.
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Building A Backyard Oasis With The Right Pool Design
As you can see, how to maintain a saltwater pool is quite easy when following these tips and tricks. A saltwater pool is a top choice for homeowners looking to add to their outdoor living areas.
Note that it is also important to seal your deck when adding a saltwater pool. This helps to prevent the salt water from causing any damage. It will also increase the longevity of your deck material.
Custom swimming pools are a beautiful way to transform your backyard space. They combine stunning designs that compliment your decking and home exterior.
Learn more about how a custom pool design can enhance your backyard.
Pools With Saltwater Are Less Expensive To Maintain
While you may have been lead to believe that all you have to do to keep a saltwater pool in good shape is add salt every few weeks, its a little more complicated.
The good news is that maintaining a saltwater pool is much less expensive than maintaining a chlorine pool, which might be one of the most crucial factors in making the conversion.
Several factors, including where you live, the size of your pool, the quality of the equipment you employ, and how well you maintain it, determine how much less expensive saltwater is than chlorine during the lifetime of your pool.
A chlorinator can cost anything from a few hundred dollars to a thousand dollars or more upfront. Long-term costs include replacing the chlorinator cellthe component that turns salt to chlorineevery five years or so, assuming your chlorinator is well-maintained.
Youll still need to keep your pool balanced, but a salt water pool conversion means youll probably need fewer chemicals to do so.
While test strips or digital testers, as well as a few chemicals, will still be part of your maintenance budget, the monthly chemical costs of a saltwater pool will be lower than those of a chlorine pool.
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Ensure That Your Pump And Filter Are Functioning Well
To keep your pool in good condition, it is important to keep the filter, pump, and skimmer in good condition. All these parts combine to keep your pool clean. Also, be sure to clean the pool generator every few months as the salt builds up inside. To remove the salt, use high-pressure cleaning tools.
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.
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What Is A Salt Water Pool
Saltwater pools are becoming increasingly popular in public places like hotels, cruise ships, and also peoples homes. This is because they are easier to maintain and have fewer adverse effects on swimmers skin.
As the name suggests, a saltwater pool has salt added to it. It has a built-in filtration system that uses electricity to turn the added salt into chlorine. In a regular pool, chlorine tablets need to be added to the water on a regular basis in order to keep the pool clean. The chlorine made from salt in the saltwater pools is natural and much less harmful than store-bought chlorine and does the same job.
While it may seem like adding some salt into the pool every once in a while is not a big deal, there is a little more effort that goes into maintaining a saltwater pool. The alkalinity of the water as well as the pH levels, have to be monitored regularly.
Before learning how to maintain a saltwater pool, it is essential to understand how a saltwater pools maintenance differs from that of a chlorinated pool. Moreover, it is also important to understand the function of chlorine and its importance to the cleanliness and health of your pool.
Chlorine is a chemical that has certain oxidation levels and price points that make it a magical agent for cleaning. It is one of the crucial elements of any type of pool. However, large amounts of chlorine also tend to be harmful to human skin, so it is essential to administer it carefully.
Is It Difficult To Maintain A Saltwater Pool
If youve ever owned a chlorinated pool, you understand how much maintenance they require. In addition to the frequent testing of pH levels, traditional chlorine pools need a chlorine value of 1 to 1.5 ppm added at least twice a week. Because saltwater pools do not require chlorine, you may wonder whether or not saltwater pools are easier to maintain.
Though saltwater pools do require maintenance, most pool owners agree they are much easier to maintain than chlorine pools. This is primarily because saltwater pools do not require the frequent adding of chlorine. Furthermore, saltwater pools remain more stable than chlorine pools, meaning fewer chemicals are needed to keep saltwater pools balanced.
Maintaining a saltwater pool mainly requires the cleaning of salt cells every six months, and the weekly checking of pH levels. Additionally, youll want to inspect the pools circulation and the pool water chemistry.
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Maintenance Suggestion Of A Salt
Daily Basis
As this will help you save time and money, you should make it a habit to clean your pool and filters regularly.
But your everyday tasks include clearing the skimmer, emptying the pump basket, scrapping any visible debris. Make sure not to forget to clean the skimmer and clear the pump basket for your saltwater pool.
Remember to skim them if you see any visible debris. With these everyday tasks, aim to be as careful as you can to make your weekly and monthly tasks a lot simpler.
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Weekly Basis
The pH of your saltwater pool and freechlorine should be checked every week. For this, there are test strips or testkits you can purchase. Verify that the pump and filter are running properly.
As required, you need to check the waterchemistry and balance.
To make sure that the pH is in the optimal range and that the free chlorine level is right, use test strips or a drop kit. The standard amount of free chlorine is 1 to 3 ppm, while the pH should be 7.2 to 7.6.
If your chlorine level is off, change your generator. As for the pH level of your pool, you can either use baking soda to increase it or to lower it with sodium carbonate or muriatic acid.
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Monthly Basis
Salt levels should be tested to make sure they are within the manufacturers specified range. The salinity of your pool can vary between 2700 and 4500 ppm.
Maintaining Proper Pool Chemistry
Maintaining pool chemistry is the trickiest part of maintaining a saltwater pool, but its not as difficult as it sounds at first. Just keep in mind the following:
Depending on your pools surface, you may need to use different cleaning tools or chemicals. When in doubt, contact the manufacturers and ask for their suggestions. Many companies provide this information on their websites to help you clean and maintain your saltwater pool. If you live in a climate that has colder winters, you should winterize your saltwater pool too.
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At The Start Of The Swim Season
When opening your pool for the season, do the following:
- Add fresh water to the pool to bring the water level to its normal range before starting the system. Turn on breaker to the pool devices. Test that your system is working before removing the cover.
- Remove any skimmer freeze protection devices.
- Clean and remove the pool cover. Clean all of the debris off the pool cover before removing it, so as to make sure that nothing drops into the pool. Some covers may need to have collected water drained off.
- Clean the pool thoroughly. Check that there are no metals in the water when you add new water.
- Test the pool’s water chemistry. You will probably need to add pool salt. You should run the pump for at least 12 hours without the chlorine generator turned on. Turn it on only when you are happy with the chemistry levels.
- Metals such as iron and copper can cause corrosion.
- Inspect your zinc anode if you have one. A sacrificial zinc anode is used to protect pool hardware against corrosion. It should be checked every year to see if it has fully corroded, and the start of the season is the best time to do this.
- Inspect handrails and ladders for damage. If you have a diving board, inspect it and the stand, and make sure the surface has not lost its grip.
Get Your Water Checked Before You Go
Take a sample of your pool water to your local pool store and get it professionally checked.
Make sure when you get it checked that you correct any issues before you go. You want to make sure that your pH and alkalinity are properly balanced and your sanitizers levels are correct.
- pH: 7.4 to 7.6
- Alkalinity: 100 parts per million to 150 ppm, with 125 ppm being ideal
- Calcium Hardness: 175 ppm to 225 ppm, or 200 ppm to 275 ppm for concrete and plaster pools
- For Chlorine Pools: 1 ppm to 3 ppm
- For Bromine Pools: 3 ppm to 5 ppm
- For Biguanide Pools: 30 ppm to 50 ppm
- For Salt Water Pools: 0.5 ppm of chlorine
- For Mineral System Pools: 0.5 ppm of chlorine
Also, make sure your pool is clean and crystal clear before you leave.
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S To Keep Your Saltwater Pool Running Smoothly
The first step to maintaining your saltwater pool involves the proper circulation in your pool. If there isnt proper circulation in your pool, saltwater will manifest in concentration levels throughout your pool. Thankfully, you can use a saltwater concentration detector in various areas of the pool to confirm the levels remain consistent. If the numbers are significantly different, then you will need to change the angles of your jets to ensure good circulation.
Next, you will have to clean the pool weekly to remove any salt build-up or debris in your pool. So when owning a saltwater pool, you will need to invest in cleaning equipment built to withstand the saltwater compared to a regular chlorinated pool.
Dont forget to take care of your equipment! Making sure that the equipment doesnt splash water outside of the pool liner will be something to look out for because it can cause significant damage over time. Using a hose to sporadically add the saltwater back in the pool can also prevent any damage outside of the pool. Just like a chlorinated pool, be sure to check your filter, pool pump, and skimmer to make sure they are clean and working smoothly.
Scrub Off The Bottom Of The Pool
Because saltwater pools contain 10% of the same salt found in the ocean, it can be advisable to scrub the bottom of the pool when cleaning. By doing so, you will make sure that there will be no salt build-up at the bottom.
You have to remember that even saltwater pools still produce algae which require to be removed from the sides and bottom of the pool. If you do not get rid of the algae, your pool water will look greenish and dirty.
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Maintaining Salt Water Pool Equipment
Almost every saltwater pool is equipped with a chlorine generator, also known as salt cells. These chlorine generators work by electrolysis, meaning the saltwater is electrically charged. As a result, the salt molecules are split, and the salt cells generate chlorine.
As with any other pool, proper maintenance of equipment is essential to keep saltwater pools running. When water pH levels become high, scaling and calcium buildup may occur on pool equipment, consequently clogging the filter. This not only creates cloudy water in pools, but it can ultimately damage your pool equipment.
To maintain saltwater pool equipment, youll need to inspect the salt cells regularly and clean the generator as needed. Below, well explain this process in further detail.
How to Inspect Salt Cells
To inspect salt cells, first, turn off the power of the salt cell generator. Most salt generators will have a button or switch for turning it off. After shutting it off, unplug the salt cell generator to ensure it is safe to work with. You may also need to turn off the pools pump and other devices.
Once youve turned off the salt cell generator, the next step is inspecting the salt cells. To do this, unscrew the salt cells on both ends of the generator, and carefully remove them. Visually inspect the metal plates inside the salt cells for white, flaky mineral deposits.
How to Physically Clean Salt Cells
How to Chemically Clean Salt Cells
What Are The Essential Salt Water Pool Maintenance Tips
Check the Pump and Filter
When all the pool parts fit well, saltwater pool cleaning is a breeze. So, keeping your pump, filter, and skimmer clean and in good working condition is crucial.
These components work together to help keep the water in your pool clear. So make sure that these are tested and washed regularly, as over time they can get clogged with dirt.
Often, every few months, make sure to cleanthe generator cell of the pool as it can get scaly from salt accumulation.
Maintain Proper Salt Level
While the exact amount varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, most use approximately 3400 ppm. To function at all, salt chlorine generators need at least 3000 ppm.
You will need to add pool salt before it reaches the starting stage if your salt level is too low to start with. To find out how much to add, please use our calculator.
Maintain the pH Levels
For a saltwater lake, the ideal pH is 7.4. This number naturally fluctuates over time and will increase continuously in saltwater pools. You have to keep an eye on this and use your choice of instruments to minimize it as needed.
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Balance Alkalinity Level
Alkalinity needs to be balanced to its correct level similar to pH. Alkalinity helps preserve the balance of your pH. Your degree of alkalinity can vary from 80-120 ppm.
If the alkalinity level is too low, use the alkalinity booster to increase it.
Use Saltwater Stabilizer
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