how much salt to add to pool

How Much Salt To Add To Pool

You have finally bought your salt chlorine generator, what next? It's important to know how much salt to add to pool so that you can correct the salt levels needed for your pool to get the best results. There are two major reasons why you may need to add more salt to your swimming pool. It could be either you partially/completely drained your pool or your chlorinator control box shows your salt levels are very low. It's always important to first test the pool water to see the current salt levels if you suspect low salt levels before taking any action. You can carry a sample of your pool water to your local pool professional or purchase your own starter kit at the local pool store.

To maintain a safe chlorinated pool, the salt level required is about 2500-4000PPM (parts per million). Human bodies are not able to test salt unless the ppm is around 5000. The level of salt in the swimming pool cannot be noticed. After the salt gets added into the swimming pool, you do not have to keep adding salt each year unless you drain your pool or a large amount of water is drained. To determine the amount of salt you need to add to your pool, you must be aware of the gallons of water your pool or spa holds.
It's vital to always use salt that's only meant for swimming pools. The salt that's available in your local pool store will be ideal for salt chlorine generators. You can use any high purity sodium chloride salt as it will work perfectly. It's recommended that you use purity that's more than 99%. This is often available in 40-80lb bags and it's similar to food quality salt or water softener salt. Never use rock salt as it's hard to dissolve and it's not pure.

Here is how to determine the dimensions of your pool

Gallons= area x average depth x 7.5
Average depth=deep end + shallow end divided by two
For instance: pool is 100 feet long and 48 feet wide. The shallow end is 3.5 feet while the deep end is 8.5 feet.
Average depth = (3.5 feet + 8.5 feet) / 2 = 6 feet
Gallons=100 feet x48 feet x 6 feet x7.5
Gallons=216,000gallons

What is the most appropriate place to add the salt?

pool salt

The most important thing when one is adding salt is to brush it around the pool until it gets completely dissolved. This can be quickened by turning the pump on, making the bottom drain accessible and adding salt over the drain instead of walking around the pool while pouring in the salt. The pump should be left to run for 24 hours so that the salt evenly gets distributed all through the pool. If you are using granular salt, over 60% will have dissolved before it hits the bottom. The remainder of undissolved salt can be brushed into the drain which will then finish up the dissolution process. If you are using other forms of salt, it may take longer to dissolve but the same process will increase the rate at which it dissolves. All you need is to simply brush the salt in a pyramid over the drain so as to hasten the dissolution.

How much salt to add to pool

pool salt tester
Depending on the initial salt level of your water, you will only add the amount needed to establish a 4000ppm. If your pool is new or it has freshly been filled, the salt level will most likely be zero. In such a case, you will need to add 50lbs of salt per 2,000 gallons of water so as to establish 4000ppm. For pools that are already in use, the preceding usage of chlorine tablets or bleach will already have brought in a certain level of salt into the water. You will need to have the water tested first and then add in the required amount to get to the 4000ppm that's required.

What will happen if I add too much salt?

Adding too much salt to your pool water will not interfere with your chlorine generating system, but it will result to salty testing water. For some people, this is not harmful as it will closely match the body's natural salinity level thus make it more comfortable to swim in. However if the chlorine levels are excessive over 6000ppm, you are likely to corrode the swimming pools metallic equipment such as ladders, light rings, stainless steel handrails, filters or copper heat exchangers. To decrease the salt level, the only solution is diluting the pool water. Drain some of the pool water and refill with fresh water.

How regularly do I need to add salt?

After you have added salt to your pool for the first time, you will only need to add more salt only when it's necessary. Salt is commonly lost through leaks, filter backwashing, rainwater overflow and swimmer splash out. Water loss through evaporation does not lose salt, rather it increases the concentration. The water that's usually added to bring the water levels to normal helps in reducing the salt concentrating back to its 4000ppm level. A lot of chlorine generator units usually have low salt indicators with the digital ones even showing the pool owner the proper salt necessary for re-establishing 4000ppm.

Tips When Adding Salt To Your above ground Pool

pool salt table
Many above ground pools do not come with a main drain and thus are limited to only the through wall skimmer. However, to gain the benefits of the water leaving the pool through the floor, there is a good trick.
• You can plug in your vacuum hose to the skimmer and leave a vacuum head on the floor of the pool upside down.
• When you start the filter, all the water will get pulled from the bottom of the pool. This helps in accelerating the process of dissolving salt.