Should I salt my pool?

[keithw]

I have read a few links from people who have added salt to their chlorinated pools and say that they relly like the results. I was looking for input on doing this myself. I have a 6000 gal fiberglass pool. I'm using the BBB method (as of a week ago). All seems fine, the water is nice a clear.

1. Can I added salt and continue on the BBB method? Do you eventually have to get a SWG?

2. Do you have to keep replenishing the salt?

3. What if you stop adding salt? Will it eventually go away?

Anyone added salt to a chlorinated pool and regretted it?

Thanks for any input!

[Rangeball]

I have read a few links from people who have added salt to their chlorinated pools and say that they relly like the results. I was looking for input on doing this myself. I have a 6000 gal fiberglass pool. I'm using the BBB method (as of a week ago). All seems fine, the water is nice a clear.

1. Can I added salt and continue on the BBB method? Do you eventually have to get a SWG?

Yes. No.


2. Do you have to keep replenishing the salt?

Only if it's lost by splashout or backwashing. Bleach adds a bit of salt as well.


3. What if you stop adding salt? Will it eventually go away?

Yes, see #2.


Anyone added salt to a chlorinated pool and regretted it?

Not yet :)


Thanks for any input!

You're welcome :)

[SLR_65]

I have a 14' Intex pool that holds about 2,800 gallons.

My nieghbor and I were discussing the whole salt in the pool thing and he has a water softener so he gave me a partial bag of salt he had - according to my bathroom scale it had 37 pounds in it. It was "solar salt" and the granules felt sharp so I disolved the salt a little at a time in a bucket with pool water and then poured it in. My family hasn't noticed the difference. There might be a slight taste if you get some pool water in your mouth, but that's about it. We really haven't noticed the softer feel, etc..

It's cheap and easy to do so if you're curious go for it. I don't regret doing it, but I doubt I'll do it next year.

/Steve

[Poolsean]

Do your kids wear goggles when they go underwater? The amount of salt you added should have gotten you to about 2500 ppm, which is higher than what most Non-SWG pool owners take their salt level to. The "noticable" feel may not be as noticable due to your water chemistry.
What are your pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, Free Chlorine and Total Chlorine levels?
If your pH, hardness, or combined chlorine levels are already on the high side, it may neutralize the soft water feel by being in an irritating condition to begin with.

[buckeyemom]

I found this forum earlier this year, switched to the BBB method, after having a pool for 10+ years. Our pool has never looked better! Then I added 80 lbs of solar salt to our 10,000 gal inground pool, and it's never felt better! Do it!

[keithw]

I just did mine. It's killer!. Swam around for a long time to test the eye sting effect. There wasn't one..Very cool. I'm at 2500ish PPM and it seems fine. No noticable taste.

[cheshamjim]

We added the solar salt to our pool and got it to about 3200 ppm. It feels great and my wife stopped complaining about her skin feeling dry after a swim. I don't regret this move at all!

[slhalufska]

i'm pretty new here.

what is the BBB method? and what does the "G" in SWG mean? Also, does anyone know where I can get a replacement skimmer? Can't find a Hayward SP1086B1 anywhere. Wondering if it's discontinued. The guys who installed my 14x28' fiberglass pool glued the threaded fitting into the unit. We now have a leak and have to pull the whole unit out. (this is just the most recent of a long, long list of leaking problems with the installation. we haven't been able to pour the deck yet because of the problems and the darn thing was installed 12 wks ago!!!!) thanks for any help & info.

sue

[keithw]

The "G" in SWG stands for Generator. An SWG takes salt out thew pool and converts it over to chlorine. THe BBB method refers to maintaining you pool with Bleach, Borax and Baking Soda. These are technically the only three chemicals that you really should need to maintain a Chlorine pool. Unfortunatley I cannot help you with the skimmer but you would be smart to post that question as a new thread instead of burying it in here. Also, I would put it in the pool repair forum instead of this one.

Keith

[court475]

How many ppm is a good amount for a non-SWG pool?

[Sherra]

How many ppm is a good amount for a non-SWG pool?
It depends on the level of stabilizer (CYA) in your water. See this thread for a "guide".
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=365

[Rangeball]

Court, did you mean ppm of salt?

If so that's independent of CYA levels.

I could tell a water quality difference at 1200 ppm. Anywhere from there up to 3000 ppm should do.

Start at around 1000 and add more as you feel necessary after you've had a chance to swim around and judge it for yourself.

[Sherra]

Range, you're right...it slipped my mind that we were talking about salt! When I see ppm my mind automatically shifts into chlorine mode! :rolleyes: