Tip to add salt

[Poolsean]

Depending on the type of salt used, it may cause staining.
This is caused mostly granular salt that contains an anti-caking additive called Yellow Prussiate of Soda (YPS). YPS has trace amounts of iron in it. Leaving this type of salt on a plaster surface can stain it.
Solar salt and water softener (conditioning) salts do not have YPS and should be safe to add without this process of slow dissolving it. Make sure your pump is running though. It will help dissolve the salt faster, and spread the salt evenly throughout.

I've used the granular salt without problems for years but you have to make sure you dissolve it rapidly. Fortunately, granular salt will dissolve rather quickly. I usually see about 60 - 70% of it dissolve before it hits the bottom of the pool. It's fast dissolving. What to do with the rest? If you dump the salt over the main drain, brush the rest directly into the main drain. It will be dissolved before it hits the filter! Adding it all in one spot makes it easier to brush also. Forget about walking around the perimeter of the pool while adding the salt. It just makes more work for you.

[hulla]

I've been slowly adding a bag of salt (water conditioner pellets) whenever we go swimming. The kids like to play with it. Most of it just gets thrown around. Luckily I got the right salt. No stains.

[rak70]

I just dump the bag of salt directly in my skimmer basket with the pump running. Each skimmer will hold a 40 lb bag of the solar salt and it only takes about 3-4 minutes for it to completley dissolve...

[Poolsean]

WOW...that's one huge skimmer!

[KirstenHW]

You're not kidding! I put four 40# bags in yesterday (first time). I could only put about 1/4 of a bag in my skimmer at a time. I got nervous because it appeared to be affecting the skimmer inflow. And it took about 10-15 minutes per batch to dissolve.

[sevver]

I just dumped it in a pile in the pool today, and I stood in it piled it up and stirred it up, after about ten minutes it was disolved. I will add another bag today and see if I notice a difference, the first bag did not do anything noticeable. I have an 8000 gallon pool so I think this should get me to around 1200 or so.