Considering Adding Water Softener Salt to Pool...

[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.

[psbailey]

I used 99.8% pure Mortons Water Softener Salt in the blue bag. It comes as crystals and is about $4.50 per 40 lb. bag here in Indiana.

I have a 22 x 42 IG plaster pool that holds about 45,000 gal. I added 4 bags of salt and that raised the concentration to 1420 ppm. I could taste the salt a little, but it wasn't obnoxious. And, I swam w/o my goggles and experienced no irritation. My skin didn't smell of chlorine afterwards and my hair wasn't as stiff as a board. (I keep my chlorine b/w 5 and 7 w/ a cya reading b/w 50 and 55.)

Still, I decided to drain some water out of the pool and try to get the concentration down. (In addition, I my CYA runs a little over 50 and I wouldn't mind getting that under 50.)

I just swam and retested the water. The water is at 1200 ppm and I can't smell or taste the salt. Plus, I am still getting the benefits of "soft" water.

So, in conclusion, I can recommend the process. I like my pool non-swg pool water at 1200. So far, so good. Good Luck to anyone who wants to have a "soft water" pool.

Paul

[bparks]

Another one here, added 40lbs today, may add another bag. This is probably the best 4 bucks I've ever spent on our pool. The water is certainly softer, my eyes are happier, much less itchy after getting out. If pool stores were smart they sell this to everyone.

[Poolsean]

The YPS is used with granular salt (food grade) and may cause staining if you add it and leave it undissolved on a plaster finish. If you turn your pump on, add the salt to the deep end of the pool and brush the granular salt into the main drain, you will not have a staining problem.

Regarding Salt levels: You should not have any fear of salty tasting water until you get into the high 3000's. I'm at 3800 ppm this weekend and hardly taste the salt, but you do notice a salt taste, just not undesirable. Remember, the ocean is about 35,000 ppm, almost ten times higher than a normal SCG recommended levels.
Your body is even higher than 4000 ppm. How does this compare? Remember the salty taste of your tear when you see a sappy ole' movie with your significant other?
Contact lens saline solution/eye drops are typically around 6000 ppm.
The higher you can bear, the more comfort you will achieve from the added salt. Your kids will appreciate the it too! No more red devil eyes!

[psbailey]

Thanks, Sean. Regarding putting the salt in the pool, that's exactly what I did with good results. I put it in the deep end and used a brush to push it to the drain. In my case, the salt dissolved quickly.

I was noticing another benefit this morning: with the increased bouyancy in the water, my Polaris 380 can now climb walls like Spider-Man! It took no time for it to clean the pool. It just climbed and went all over the place. Before, it struggled to climb the walls in the deep end and I had to brush debris to the floor. Not anymore, though. I like it!

Paul