suggestions on chem levels

[aylad]

Mine too, I end up keeping mine in the 80-90 range. That's much higher than I recommend for most pools, but mine is in full sun all day too, and with our heat and humidity, I just lose less chlorine that way. Try it and let me know how it goes!

Janet

[smileitsachoice]

My only problem is I have a wife and duaghter that have blond hair. Higher chlorine levels seem to be harder on them. It also seems to cause some skin dryness. It my just be that was the case with my unbalanced water earlier in the year. I was trying to out pace my cya with large doses of chlorine. Now that I have a better balance I am going to let in run for a couple of weeks and try it. I do like the less labor idea.

Thanks

[aylad]

Higher chlorine levels with lower CYA levels do tend to be drying--but if you're keeping your Cl levels in line with CYA, you shouldn't have much of a problem. The girl that cuts my hair tells me that if you'll rinse hair with tap water before going into pool and again after, that it helps decrease the drying. A good conditioner helps, too.

Janet

[docsobeck]

i had a copper disaster several summers ago (and ben REALLY bailed my hind end out in that case), but one of the things i had to do was keep very high FC levels for a couple of weeks. my wife's stylist is a friend, and she strongly recommended putting in just a bit of leave-in conditioner before spending much time in the water, and it seemed to really help.

for the record, i'm with everyone else. i'd leave the CYA where it is and see how it goes. depending on your bather load/habits and backwashing, it'll creep its way down as the summer wears on and pool water is replaced.

[thilbert]

You may also want to add a few bags of solar salt to your pool to alleviate the "straw hair" as my wife calls it. I also find that it softens the water and helps with the dry skin.

Everyone that swims in my pool loves the added salt. Rave reviews all around.

-Troy

[smileitsachoice]

Sorry about the slow reply I just got out of the pool. I like the salt idea. How much in pounds?

[Digger]

That's interesting with the salt idea, is this being added to pools without the special salt chlorinators? I am assuming that is what you are talking about. How do you add it, just into the skimmer? At what rates? Thanks!

[waterbear]

You may also want to add a few bags of solar salt to your pool to alleviate the "straw hair" as my wife calls it. I also find that it softens the water and helps with the dry skin.

Everyone that swims in my pool loves the added salt. Rave reviews all around.

-Troy

The salt does not 'soften the water'. It just brings the water closer to the isoelectric point of the human body so it is perceived as milder. All the fluids in our body are 'salty'. To actually soften the water you need an ion exchange resin that exchanges sodium ions (from the salt put into the water softener to 'charge' the resin) for calcium and magnesium ion in the water. Just adding salt to water has no effect on calcium or magnesium hardness.

All that being said, the vast majority of people do report that having 1000-3000 ppm salt in the water is a more pleasant swimming experience (less eye stinging, less 'pruning' of toes and fingers because the water is closer to the saltiness of our tears and the water in our skin cells.) All you have to do is dump in some solar salt or water softener pellet salt. It will dissolve in a few hours. Four 40 lb bags will raise 10000 gallon about 2000 ppm. (about eight and 1/3 lbs salt per 1000 gallons raises the salt 1000 ppm). If you have no salt in your pool anywhere from 1/2 to 1 bag per 2500 gallons will get you in the ballpark. Also, like CYA and borates, salt is only lost from splashout and backwashing, it does not 'evaporate' or get consumed in any way.

[sturev]

Are there any risks or downsides to adding salt to a pool that's not a 'true' salt water pool? Corrosion?

[smileitsachoice]

Thanks for the info. I have bought 4 40# bages from Lowes and some Accucheck salt strips. Looking forward to trying. Thanks again