Tonight I add salt to my non SWG above ground pool

[cygnusecks]

FYI I dumped about 5 lbs into my skimmer, to see how fast it dissolved. It didn't dissolve all that fast (about 5 minutes) and I did not want to sit out there for a hour watching salt dissolve. I said "screw it" and filled the *entire* skimmer with salt, it probably held about 20 lbs. It was so full that salt was coming out of the skimmer :-) I was sure I would starve the pump but it just took more water from the main drain. anyway that meant I could dump in half a bag, go inside, and 10-20 mins later come back out and do it again. Much less work.

[gonefishin]

I used course solar salt, which was a course flake. It was much smaller (and easier to dissolve) than the pellets. I dumped one 40lb bag at a time in...about 2 foot from the discharge. Then I just aimed the discharge down on top of the salt and almost all of it mixed up in ten minutes or so.


dan

[Rangeball]

"the theory was/is that SWG manufacturers usually recommend about 3000 ppm. Some of that salt is tied up when converted to chlorine, leaving a smaller part as true salinity. Therefore, putting only the amount in that would match what is present in an SWG pool minus the converted amount would most closely replicate the feel and ability to taste salt in SWG pools."

Very little salt is consumed in the process of producing chlorine. The higher salt level creates a conductivity in the water that is needed to pass the electricity within the cell.

Thanks Sean. Very interesting to learn.

[csevel]

The two bags only took about 20 minutes or so to dissolve. I just kicked it around with my feet.

[The Raddish]

The two bags only took about 20 minutes or so to dissolve. I just kicked it around with my feet.

So what do you think? How does your water feel?

[hulla]

Am I the only moron that can't feel the difference in salinity between 1000 to 3000?

My non-swg pool has a salinity of 1000. When I swam in a swg pool, I am not sure if I could tell the difference.

A whole house water softener however is very noticeable to me and is too slimy.

[waterbear]

Am I the only moron that can't feel the difference in salinity between 1000 to 3000?

My non-swg pool has a salinity of 1000. When I swam in a swg pool, I am not sure if I could tell the difference.

A whole house water softener however is very noticeable to me and is too slimy.

That is because adding salt to your pool DOES NOT soften the water. In a water softener salt is used to charge the ion exhange resin with sodium. When the water flows through it the resin exhanges the sodium for calcium and magnesium in the water. The resin is then recharged with sodium and the calcium and magnisium are washed out to waste so the process can start over. This is what softens the water. Just adding salt to water adds sodium in addtion to the calcium and magnesium already in the water. It has no softening effect whatsoever. The main advantage of adding salt to the pool is to raise the isoelectic point of the water closer to that of the human body. This makes the water less 'irritating".

[sevver]

That is because adding salt to your pool DOES NOT soften the water. In a water softener salt is used to charge the ion exhange resin with sodium. When the water flows through it the resin exhanges the sodium for calcium and magnesium in the water. The resin is then recharged with sodium and the calcium and magnisium are washed out to waste so the process can start over. This is what softens the water. Just adding salt to water adds sodium in addtion to the calcium and magnesium already in the water. It has no softening effect whatsoever. The main advantage of adding salt to the pool is to raise the isoelectic point of the water closer to that of the human body. This makes the water less 'irritating".

Would it be possible to soften the water in the pool? Could one rig up a water softener to the pool and let it cycle for a period of time in order to do this? I can only imagine that you would need to replenish the salt alot, but would anything else be necessary?

[waterbear]

Would it be possible to soften the water in the pool? Could one rig up a water softener to the pool and let it cycle for a period of time in order to do this? I can only imagine that you would need to replenish the salt alot, but would anything else be necessary?

It might not be desirable to soften the water in the pool. If you have a plaster pool you NEED the calcium hardness to protect the plaster. Also if you have grouted tilework or a heater you, once again, need some hardness in the water or the water will begin to leach out calcium and other metals from the pool, heat exchanger, etc. There is also some indication (but no conclusive data either way) that calium might be needed in a fiberglass pool to help prevent metal staining and damage to the gelcoat finish. Vinyl pools most likely do not need any calcium in them but the effects of totally soft water on the lines is, as far as I know, an unknown variable. Most fill water does have some calcium hardness to it. Water coming out of a softener might have none.

[csevel]

I LOVE the feel of the water. Less burning of the eyes. Hair easier to comb out. Slight salt taste...but I'm not into drinking pool water so I don't really care.