Adding Salt to Your Salt Water Pool

If you own a salt water swimming pool, it's extremely important that you monitor the salt level in the pool methodically throughout the year. If the salt level is allowed to drop below the minimum level required by your model of salt chlorinator, chlorine will no longer be produced and a green pool will soon follow. This is the last thing any pool owner wants to happen and can easily be avoided by keeping a close eye on the salt level and adding salt at the appropriate times.

When to Add Salt - most modern salt pool chlorinators have digital displays that make it easy to check the salt level at any given time. Each different brand of salt chlorine generator requires a unique range of salt level that needs to be maintained for the chlorinator to generate chlorine. For this discussion we will use the Hayward Aquarite Salt Chlorine Generator installed in a typical sized swimming pool of around 18,000 gallons as an example. The Aquarite requires the salt level to be maintained between 2700 and 3400 parts per million (ppm). A salt level either below or above those levels will result in no chlorine production. The ideal salt level will be around the midpoint of the range. In this case, when the salt level drops to 2800 or 2900, it would be a great time to add a 40 lb bag of pool salt, which will probably bring the salt level up by around 300 ppm to 3100 to 3200.

How to Add Salt - IMPORTANT For new plaster swimming pools, make sure to wait until the plaster has cured before adding salt. Usually this is between 10 and 14 days, but check with your plaster company for their requirements.

Turn the pool pump on and then add the salt directly to the pool, trying to distribute it evenly throughout the pool. Immediately brush the pool to help dissolve the salt faster and to avoid the salt piling up on the bottom of the pool. To help the salt evenly disperse throughout the pool, run the filter for 24 hours. Check the salt display on the salt chlorine generator after 24 hours to get an accurate update on the salt level.

Type of Salt - it is very important to only use the correct type of salt, which is sodium chloride (NaC1), which is basically as close to 100% pure as possible. It is the same salt that we use on our food or in a water softener, and is widely available in 40 lb bags. In most cases it will be labeled for use in swimming pools. DO NOT use any other type of salt!

How to Remove Salt - if the maximum salt level is accidentally exceeded, the only way to bring the salt level back down is by dilution. You will need to partially drain and refill the swimming pool until the desired salt reading is reached.

Adding salt to a salt chlorine swimming pool should only be necessary a couple of times a year. Since no salt is lost during evaporation, the only time the salt level decreases is when new water is added to the pool because of splashing, backwashing, or draining. So establish a routine of checking the salt level at least once a week, and soon you will realize that managing the salt in your swimming pool is an easy task.

 

 

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