Tonight I add salt to my non SWG above ground pool

[ScottS]

This may sound strange but I work in a hospital and the main ingredient in IV's for sick people is normal saline which is salt. I know there is some complicated chemistry going on here, but if its ok for us to have a certin amount inside our bodies, whouldn't it be ok to have it outside too, as in our pools?

In a word: yes.

and: NO

I am not a doctor or a nurse but I had a double lung transplant in 1995. Right now I am on IV antibiotics and found something to be very interesting on this same subject.

The pH of the .9% sodium chloride IV solution ranges from 4.5-7.0 (it states this on the bag). Anything under 7.0 is too acidic for the vinyl and can destroy it. Therefore it is not a safe assumption to state that if we put it into our bodies we can put it into the pool.

I do however like the idea of adding salt to the water. I plan on doing this in a few weeks when I am through with this treatment.

[waterbear]

If you dissolve sodium chloride in deionized water and test the pH it will be neutral (pH 7) as will the deionized water! Salt will have NO effect on pH. The saline solution you are talking about is probably buffered and NOT pure sodium chloride to compensate for the acid leached from the PVC bag it is packaged in. Most medical saline is packed in PVC bags and then heat sterlized. The PVC leaches some acids into the saline and lowers the pH. This is why the pH is listed as being in the range of 4.5-7.0!

[ScottS]

The saline solution you are talking about is probably buffered and NOT pure sodium chloride to compensate for the acid leached from the PVC bag it is packaged in. Most medical saline is packed in PVC bags and then heat sterlized. The PVC leaches some acids into the saline and lowers the pH. This is why the pH is listed as being in the range of 4.5-7.0!

This makes sense, thank you! I was wondering why they list a range of #'s for the pH rather than a particular number.

[goodfellow]

Any thoughts as to what the salt might do over a long frozen winter.

[medvampire]

Saline in IV bags is buffered to a ph below 7. It is not pure salt and water. There are several reasons for the buffering. We often use saline to piggy back other meds in to the body so we buffer to prevent incompatibility with these drugs. When introducing fluids directly into the blood stream we are usually introducing them in to a vein. The venous red cell is carrying CO2 and slightly acetic itself so we want our IV to be slightly acetic.
Waterbear hit the nail on the head about leaching so we have to give a range not an single value.
There are more reasons but I won’t bore you.
I plan to add salt to my pool as soon I am sure I have my ALK under control.
Steve

[Poolsean]

Gerri asked...
"I have a 8500 gallon in ground fiberglass pool and I want to add salt.

Here's my question: since I have a problem with iron stains would it be ok to get this kind of salt:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...658&lpage=none

The thing I don't understand.. they all say pure salt so how can they be iron fighting, etc. ?"

Gerri, avoid this type of salt. The iron fighting salts have additives that is not good and should not be added. Use water softener salt without any additives and at least 99.5% pure sodium chloride.

Interestingly, I suggested this adding of salt to a non Salt Chlorine Generator pool, oh, say, LAST year? Glad the benefits are being realized.

Question to everyone though....why only add salt to 1000 ppm? The higher the salinity, the closer to your bodies salinity level, thus the more comfortable it will be.

Answer to the question about above ground pools and tracks, I disagree that you're only dealing with 1000 - 1500 ppm of salt. While this is true with the pool water, splash out water that ends up in the tracks will eventually evaporate, increasing the salinity level as the water evaporates. Realistically, your salt concentration of the water in the tracks can increase way past the 35000 ppm of ocean water.
I recommend that you occasionally wash down the sides of your pool or you will see corrosion over time. Regular rain fall or your sprinkler system hitting the outer pool walls will keep the salt concentration down.

[gerri]

Thanks Sean. I am glad I asked before getting that type of salt.

[Bleach=Chlorine?]

Added 160#s of salt to my 22K IG pool this weekend after reading posts and going back and forth on it. Didn't notice any significant difference or taste but I need to add at least another 20-40#s to reach 1000ppm. I didn't feel dried out after swimming all weekend but I do not know whether that is the salt or just my body getting used to the pool. Dumping and mixing the salt was fun though!!

[haze_1956]

Answer to the question about above ground pools and tracks, I disagree that you're only dealing with 1000 - 1500 ppm of salt. While this is true with the pool water, splash out water that ends up in the tracks will eventually evaporate, increasing the salinity level as the water evaporates. Realistically, your salt concentration of the water in the tracks can increase way past the 35000 ppm of ocean water.
I recommend that you occasionally wash down the sides of your pool or you will see corrosion over time. Regular rain fall or your sprinkler system hitting the outer pool walls will keep the salt concentration down.

I was thinking that sealing the bottom of the wall where it fits into the track with some Clear Silcone caulk would also be a good "ounce of prevention". It would keep the salt water penetration to a minimum.

.

[ChuckD]

Added 160#s of salt to my 22K IG pool this weekend after reading posts and going back and forth on it. Didn't notice any significant difference or taste but I need to add at least another 20-40#s to reach 1000ppm. I didn't feel dried out after swimming all weekend but I do not know whether that is the salt or just my body getting used to the pool. Dumping and mixing the salt was fun though!!

I also have a 22K gallon pool and added double yours, 4x80# bags of 99.8% pure NaCl. I say go for it! I don't know what my salinity is, I went by Mike's bleachcalc, and talk here of desired numbers around 1200 - 1500 (and assumed my well water was close to 0).

I can occassionally, very slightly, taste salt. But normally not. I notice the water feels...different. I almost want to decribe it as slightly more viscous, but I know that's not possible. It's probably the 'softness' others describe. I also notice the water's easier on your eyes and contacts (if you wear yours swimming like I do). I can come up from underwater and instantly see clearly without the usual multiple blinking I must do.

Like I said, I added 4 -80 lb. bags. Just opened them and dumped them down the steps and my 3 year old and I had fun making underwater snowstorms. And in 15 minutes it was gone.

C.