Considering Adding Water Softener Salt to Pool...

[psbailey]

I'll get a saline test kit tomorow. What levels should I be shooting for? I have a 45,000 IG plaster pool. My numbers are:

Cl: 6
FC: 0
TC:6
PH:7.4
ALK: 120
CAL: 320
CYA: 53(ish)

Thanks,

Paul

[brent.roberts]

Paul

I hope your test results were posted wrong.

FC = 0 and TC = 6 is a warning of an impending frog pond.

check it out.

[psbailey]

Yup. Sorry, I transposed those two numbers.

[psbailey]

My FC and TC is 6 ppm.

[Bleach=Chlorine?]

Paul,
I have heard that people shoot for approx 1000ppm which would translate to 375 lbs of salt. I would add 1/2 - 3/4 into the pool, help it disperse and then test the salinty and the way it feels the following day. Add slowly to reach your ideal ppm because you have to drain the pool to remove salt. Also, this is assuming you have no salt in the pool already... you might want to have the pool store check the salinty if you don't have a salt test. FYI - Download Michael's BleachCalc as it will do these calculations for you.

** You want the most pure - 99.something% solar/water softener salt. You can buy 40# bags for ~ $4 at Lowe's or HD.

[mer1844]

Also, this is assuming you have no salt in the pool already... you might want to have the pool store check the salinty if you don't have a salt test.

Well, I went to Lowes today and purchased my salt (3-40lb bags) and took the above advise and went to the pool store and purchased a salt test kit. Boy, I'm glad I bought that test kit. My pool already had 600 PPM of salt in it already. Had I not tested FIRST, and followed the clacualtor figures, it would have been too salty. My pool is small; 14 x 28, so I added a 40 lb bag and tested a couple of hours later; 1000 PPM. I think I'll stop with that amount and she how it holds up.

[SoCalBoo]

For future reference on the type of salt to use, you want the purest form of salt you can get. Some salt contains YSP which I've been told can cause stains. Last I checked at HD and Lowe's locally, none of the salt contained it, but there was one bag of 'solar salt' produced in Mexico that didn't say anything. Just be careful and know what you are adding into your pool. Obviously, it will be mostly sodium chloride, but just watch what else is attached.

I found one HD in town (San Diego) that carries pool salt. It is 100% pure salt in small eraser sized pieces. Breaks down instantly on water contact. $4.50 for a #40 bag. Nice price to boot. I walked accross the parking lot to a pool supply store, who wanted $12.00 for the same thing.