While the average salt cells used in a residential salt water pool will last around 10,000 hours of operation, or around three to five years, there are things you can do to ensure it lasts as long as possible.
How often do I need to add salt to my pool? There is no set timeframe of when you need to add salt to your pool. Because salt does not dissipate from your water, the only time you would add salt to your pool is when you add fresh water or after heavy rain that dilutes salinity levels.
The ideal salt level is between 2700-3400 ppm (parts per million) with 3200 ppm being optimal. Before adding salt to your pool, test the water to check your salt level. If the level is low, determine the number of gallons in the pool and add salt according to the chart below.
Salt doesn't evaporate or break down, and the salt that a SCG uses to generate chlorine doesn't 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.
When pouring the salt into the pool, add it around the deep end to have it circulate through the main drain. Brush the salt towards the main drain. The salt should be dissolved within 24 hours. After the salt has dissolved, the salt chlorine generator can be started.
Yes, a salt water pool has a reduced cost of operation as compared to a traditional chlorinated pool. This cost savings is primarily because chlorine is generated from salt and there is no need to buy chlorine. Additionally, salt water pools require fewer chemicals to keep the water clean and clear.
For safe swimming conditions, the ideal salt level is going to be between 2500 ppm and 4000 ppm. An overly salted pool will generally not be a major problem (aside from salty-tasting water), but at levels over 6000 ppm there may be corrosion damage to some of the metallic equipment.
Therefore, if you have a 20,000 gallon pool and want to determine how much salt you'll need to buy, you would use the formula “30/1,000 x 20,000”, which equals 600. Meaning, the pool would require approximately 600 lb of salt.
So, not only is shocking a saltwater pool okay, but it's actually important to your pool's health. Shocking is the process in which you overload your pool with chlorine (3-5 times the normal amount) to improve your pool's cleanliness and kill off organic matter.
The overall cost of salt for a saltwater pool will vary by the type of salt that you use and the size of your pool, but you can expect to pay on average between $10 and $25 per every 40 pounds of salt (or 25¢ to 63¢ per pound of salt). Some brands may even sell a 40-pound bag of pool salt for as much as $40.
3400 is the recomended high limit, but the readings on the panel are notoriously inaccurate. Generally it's better to have the level on the high side than low, so 3800 should be fine.
Example: If you have a salt level of 0, in your 8,000 gallon pool, you'll need approximately 213 pounds of salt, or roughly (5) 40 pound bags of salt, to bring your water in proper range.
Adding salt, without a SWG, gives the water what many people describe as a silky feel, but it doesn't give you any of the other advantages of a SWG. For example you can't use lower FC levels with salt the way you can with a SWG.
To add salt, turn on your filter pump and add the salt directly to your pool water. Use a brush to help the salt dissolve and to prevent the salt from piling up on the bottom of your pool. Run your pump for 24 hours to help distribute the salt evenly throughout your pool.
Just like a chlorine-based pool, saltwater pools turn cloudy when chemicals are not balanced. You need to ensure that all chemicals are balanced all the time to avoid cloudy water and growth of algae. The major causes of cloudiness are chlorine, pH, Salinity, total alkalinity, cyanuric acid, and calcium hardness.
The ideal level for salt in a saltwater pool is 3200 ppm, but between 2700 and 3400 ppm is also acceptable. Pro tip: Only use sodium chloride (NaCl) that has a purity of 99% or higher.
Pros of Saltwater Pools
There's less chlorine and less of the heavy chemical scent and content. They're gentler on the skin, with less irritation to the eyes, hair and swimsuits. The water has a softer, silkier feel to it compared to chlorine water. They have lower maintenance costs than chlorine pools.
A saltwater pool gets cleaned using a filtering system called a salt chlorine generator. The system uses electricity to turn salt into chlorine, which cleans the pool. In a chlorinated pool, chlorine tablets or granules are physically added on a regular basis for the same purpose.
water is at least 70 degrees you run the risk of over adding. As the water warms, you will find that your salt level actually goes up without adding any, this is because of the impact water temperature has in this testing process.
Seawater has a salinity of roughly 35,000 ppm, equivalent to 35 grams of salt per one liter (or kilogram) of water.