Anyone using salt w/o SWG in their chlorine pool?

[sunofthebeach]

Couple of questions

1. With the salt water harm grass or plants?

2. How long has SWC been around? People have been adding salt to their pools for at at least 10 years now when they use SWC right? No reported ill effects?

3. How much does a bag of salt cost? Less then $10 for a 40 pound bag?

4. I can open my eyes under with no burning from the salt?

[GolfTop]

Can anyone say definitively that adding salt won't harm heating unit or vinyl liner? I have both.

[Rangeball]

I can't.

I have a vinyl liner but no heater.

Based on all the discussion from last year (which were lost ) and the fact that SWG sellers don't warn against using with a vinyl liner, I feel pretty comfortable. I can't see why the ppm of salt we're talking about would degrade vinyl. I bet Gatoraide has a higher salt content and it comes in plastic bottles

I added another 40# bag this afternoon. Might get a chance to swim late tonight.

[brent.roberts]

Golftop

I think the chances of it hurting a vinyl liner are near zero. But many vinyl liners are supported on the outside with steel frames. A lot of splashing from kits might accecerate corrosion. Some may be very well galvanized or otherwise protected.

The heater issue will depend on its construction design for electrolytic bonding and corrosion of the heat exchanger. I'd ask the manufacturer about that.

[GolfTop]

Thanks. I'll proceed with caution.

[KirstenHW]

So, may I make these following assumptions:
- Adding salt to a non-SWG pool will NOT affect the BBB chemistry
- Salt at the low non-SWG levels discussed here will not damage a vinyl liner - IG or AG
- Salt may damage steel IG or AG walls (although SWG manufacturers don't refer to it)
- It will improve water feel - especially iof you have hard water
- it won't hurt the eyes
- When adding to the system, do so through the skimmer slowly and it SHOULD dissolve in the same time frame as adding it

And ask these addl question:
- Drinking water softener salt in pellets or crystal with NO additives (what are they) is what we want to buy? Or is there another form?

[brent.roberts]

Rangeball
The solar panels bumped the temp about another5-6 degrees today. Now 81.
Took the plunge. Brisk at first. The water was not so gentle feeling as last year.

Last fall after close up I drained about 10" to clear the jets and it fill up so I took out a bit more before freeze up. Say 13" now. This spring with the snow melt I drained off another 4-5". Now its up 3-4" high again. So there has been a significant dilution of the salt. Tha's when I concluded that the number I got last year must have been 2200. So today I downloaded the Autopilot manual for the SWG and it will run at 2500. I was almost there last year. They say
3000 is ideal.

=========================

Kirsten

You might not have much to worry about on the steel frame for the vinyl lined pool.
1) It might be well protected by a good seal on the concrete walk ... if there is one.
2) if its will galvanized or otherwise protected, it might tolerate a lot of salt with little to no corrosion.
From here I don't know and if you got your pool like we got ours, inherited when we bought the house, you may never know.

Why do I feel like I'm being no help at all to you.

Anyway, good luck with it.