The pool's salt chlorinator creates the right amount of chlorine needed to keep your water clean, according to Hayward. While there are reasons to add extra chlorine to your saltwater pool, you must do so carefully. Too much chlorine with salt water is never a good combination.
Yes, a salt water pool is easier to maintain! There's no need to purchase, store and add chlorine to your pool. Simply add salt and your pool's salt chlorinator will do all the work of making chlorine.
As shocking has a tendency to push metals out of solution and salt (even when labeled as pure) can contain trace amounts of metals, it is recommended that you add salt at a different time from shocking.
Superchlorinate after rainstorms or heavy pool use, but for algae, chloramines or contamination, you will need to use packaged pool shock. In summary, shocking a saltwater pool is no different than shocking any other chlorine pool.
Insufficient chlorine in your pool
When you add a bag of salt into the water sodium chloride dissolves and splits into two separate parts – sodium and chloride ions. Chloride won't kill algae, it needs to be turned into chlorine to do this.
Despite being chlorinating agents, they are incompatible. Do not add at the same time or mix muriatic acid and chlorine. Such interaction produces a toxic gas that is dangerous to health even in small amounts. A good rule of thumb is to never mix pool chemicals with each other.
You should never add chlorine and muriatic acid at the same time. The muriatic acid will react with the chlorine in your pool and create a deadly gas called hydrochloric acid. You need to wait for a minimum of 30 minutes, after you add the acid, before adding any chlorine to your pool.
Chlorine & Muriatic Acid
Perhaps most important note of all, never add chlorine and muriatic acid together in the pool. This creates a dangerous toxic gas that can have severe health consequences if inhaled.
Always Superchlorinate with the filter on, and do so weekly during the swimming season to clear a pool of any excessive contaminants. You should always do it with the filter pump turned on, not off.
Avoid swimming in the pool after Super Chlorination. High levels of chlorine are toxic and the water should be tested prior to re-entering the pool following a shock treatment. No one should enter the pool until the chlorine level has returned to or lower then 3ppm (Parts Per Million).
To superchlorinate, add AT LEAST 2.5 ounces (5 tablespoons, 75 grams) of chlorine for every 100 gallons (400 litres) of spa water or part thereof. Adding more is fine and never a bad idea.
B. Shock your pool once a week with Salinity Surge Shock or Salinity Oxidizing Shock. Pool shock works as an added defense against bacteria and contaminants. With Oxidizing shock, you can use your pool after just 15 minutes!
Incompatible Pool Chemicals
Mixing of organic chlorinating agents (such as trichloroisocyanuric acid) and inorganic chlorinating agents (such as sodium hypochlorite) can lead to fires, explosions and chlorine gas release.
Undissolved Granules
The presence of these granules does not indicate that you have added too much stabilizer -- the product is slow to dissolve, particularly when static. You can speed the process by agitating the granules with a brush so that they circulate in the pool water.
Treating a pool requires balancing acidity and alkalinity and sustaining a pH of between 7.2 and 7.8. Along with chlorine, baking soda is an important part of your pool maintenance routine. There are many reasons to use baking soda in your pool to keep your water clean, clear, and safe for swimmers.
High chlorine levels decrease the pH of your pool's water, making it more acidic. The more acidic the water, the higher the likelihood of corrosion.
If it drifts to the higher side, TDS significantly affects free chlorine levels and other chemicals and may cause cloudiness in the water. The only way to reduce excess TDS is to drain and replace the water. Alternatively, you can increase the frequency of backwashing and cleaning your pool filter.
Low chlorine levels lead to cloudy water through contaminants or algae. Insufficient chlorine makes saltwater pools cloudy.
While green algae are endemic in salt water pools, they are the easiest to kill. Green algae tend to grow during summers when the temperatures can get high. They float freely in the pool, making the water green. You might even see them growing on the bottom of the pool, on the walls, or in the crevices.