Salt Only

[vinper]

Does anyone use salt , because they like it. But still use the BBB method . No SWG ? positives /negatives of this .......Basically using salt for comfort and still treating with chlorine...

[Phillbo]

Yes. People do it all the time. I added enough to my neighbors pool to bring it to 2600ppm and they love the way the water feels.

[PoolParadise]

Yes. People do it all the time. I added enough to my neighbors pool to bring it to 2600ppm and they love the way the water feels.

How do you get a reading on how much salt there is in the pool? I've got a Chlormatic and it reads 3.5 on the salinity. How does that relate to "ppm"?

[PoolParadise]

Yes. People do it all the time. I added enough to my neighbors pool to bring it to 2600ppm and they love the way the water feels.

Do you still have to use all of the other chemicals when you go "all-salt"?

[waterbear]

How do you get a reading on how much salt there is in the pool? I've got a Chlormatic and it reads 3.5 on the salinity. How does that relate to "ppm"?

With a salt test kit or meter.

[PoolParadise]

Yes. People do it all the time. I added enough to my neighbors pool to bring it to 2600ppm and they love the way the water feels.

So does this method not use the SWCG?

If so, where can I find more information on this method?

[PoolDoc]

It's not a "method".

You may be thinking -- because some people talk as if it's so -- that there is a way to treat pools with salt alone. That is NOT true! Salt + an SWCG is just a METHOD of adding chlorine.

Some people add salt, while still chlorinating through other means, because they like the 'feel' and because it lowers eye irritation compared to 'fresh' water. But that's all. Salt alone does NOTHING to sanitize a pool or prevent algae. If that's what you mean by "method", there IS no method.

Good luck,

[CarlD]

While salt water can be generally more inhospitable to bacteria and viruses than fresh water, even if you have the ocean's salt level you cannot and should not rely on salt for any level of sanitation, and certainly not at "comfort" or even SWCG levels. DON'T DO IT!!!!

Salt-water pools simply break salt, which is Sodium Chloride, down to extract the chlorine from it. THAT chlorine is used to sanitize the pool and is exactly the same as chlorine from bleach or powdered products.

Carl

[PoolParadise]

It's not a "method".

You may be thinking -- because some people talk as if it's so -- that there is a way to treat pools with salt alone. That is NOT true! Salt + an SWCG is just a METHOD of adding chlorine.

Some people add salt, while still chlorinating through other means, because they like the 'feel' and because it lowers eye irritation compared to 'fresh' water. But that's all. Salt alone does NOTHING to sanitize a pool or prevent algae. If that's what you mean by "method", there IS no method.

Good luck,

Ok, thanks!

I was thinking "salt" like the ocean which does not have a chlorine generator to my knowledge. But thinking on this further, algae in the ocean isn't necessarily a bad thing. LOL

Thanks for your clarification on this!

[vinper]

Well I added 220 lbs of salt , enough to slightly taste. I Like it ,feels better on my skin and contact lenses. Do I need a different test kit now . I know salt ph test is different. Any others ?

[CarlD]

Since you are not running a "salt water pool" I don't see the need for testing salt. There is a drop test for it available from Taylor, and, at one time, from Leslies' Online (I have the and recently test the house water for salt--any water on a chrome fixture pits it.)

Carl

[waterbear]

Well I added 220 lbs of salt , enough to slightly taste. I Like it ,feels better on my skin and contact lenses. Do I need a different test kit now . I know salt ph test is different. Any others ?

NO, all of the tests are the same, including pH. If you are talking about aquarium test kits then it is true that the pH tests for freshwater and salt/reef tanks are different but that is because they are kept at different pH and thetests are optimized for the pH range of the tank. Pools are kept at the same pH range whether salt or not.

[vinper]

Yes thats it ,I have a koi pond and the test kit comes with salt & fresh ph, thats why I thought they were different