The Ultimate Guide to Adding Salt to Your Pool: Step-by-Step Instructions

Maintaining a sparkling clean and healthy swimming pool involves more than just skimming leaves and adding chlorine. For those with saltwater pools, a crucial aspect of pool care is understanding how to properly add salt. Saltwater pools utilize a salt chlorine generator (also known as a salt cell) to convert salt into chlorine, providing a gentler and often more convenient alternative to traditional chlorine systems. Adding salt, however, isn’t as simple as tossing a few bags into the water. There’s a specific process involved to ensure proper salinity levels and prevent damage to your equipment. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of adding salt to your pool, ensuring your saltwater system operates effectively and your pool water remains crystal clear.

Why Use Salt in a Pool?

Before we dive into the “how,” let’s briefly understand the “why.” Saltwater pools aren’t actually chlorine-free. Instead, they use a process called electrolysis, where electricity is passed through salt water, converting the sodium chloride (salt) into chlorine. This method has several advantages:

• Gentler on Skin and Eyes: Saltwater is significantly less harsh than traditional chlorine, causing less irritation to skin, eyes, and hair.
• Consistent Chlorination: The salt cell continuously produces chlorine, maintaining a more consistent level than manually adding chlorine tablets or granules.
• Reduced Chemical Handling: You don’t need to constantly buy, store, and handle potentially dangerous chlorine products.
• Softer Water: Saltwater can feel softer and more comfortable than highly chlorinated water.

Understanding Salt Levels

The key to a successful saltwater system is maintaining the correct salinity level. The optimal level varies depending on your specific salt chlorine generator, so always consult your manufacturer’s manual. However, most systems require a salt level between 2500 and 4500 parts per million (ppm), with the average falling around 3200 ppm. Adding too much or too little salt can lead to various issues:

• Low Salt Levels: Insufficient salt will result in inadequate chlorine production, leading to algae growth and cloudy water. Your salt cell may also struggle to function correctly or display error messages.
• High Salt Levels: Excess salt can corrode pool equipment, damage your pool’s surface, and negatively impact the electrolytic process. It can also make the water taste too salty.

Accurate testing is crucial, and the best tool for this is a reliable salt test kit. These kits can be purchased from any pool supply store and can be in the form of:

• Test Strips: Simple and convenient, these strips are dipped into the water and change color to indicate the salt level. They are a good option for quick checks, but they tend to be less precise than other methods.
• Liquid Reagent Test Kit: These kits use a chemical reaction to measure salinity and tend to be more accurate than test strips. They involve adding a specific number of drops of reagent to a pool water sample and comparing the resulting color with a color chart.
• Digital Salinity Testers: These handheld devices provide digital readings of the salt level and are generally considered the most accurate method.

It’s important to note that salt levels do not evaporate. Only water evaporates. Therefore, you will only need to add salt if you lose water due to leaks, backwashing, or splashing. Regular testing will help you maintain the proper salt level.

Before You Add Salt: Preparation

Before you even open a bag of salt, make sure you have taken these important steps:

1. Test Your Pool Water: Use your preferred method to test your current salt level. Record the reading. This is your starting point.
2. Consult Your Salt Cell Manual: Find the recommended salt level for your specific salt chlorine generator and the recommended amount of salt to add per 10,000 gallons of water to reach that level. This information is essential for accurate salt additions.
3. Calculate Your Pool Volume: You need to know the approximate volume of your pool in gallons. If you don’t know it, use the following formulas:
   • Rectangular Pool: Length (ft) x Width (ft) x Average Depth (ft) x 7.5
   • Circular Pool: Radius (ft) x Radius (ft) x 3.14 x Average Depth (ft) x 7.5
   • Oval Pool: (Length (ft) / 2) x (Width (ft) / 2) x 3.14 x Average Depth (ft) x 7.5
   • For non-uniform pools, consider breaking them into simple shapes and calculating their volume separately, then summing the results. Always estimate slightly high to ensure adequate salt is added.
4. Gather Your Supplies: You will need:
   • Salt: Use pool-grade salt specifically designed for saltwater chlorination systems. Avoid using rock salt, water softener salt, or table salt, as these can contain impurities that can damage your pool or salt cell.
   • A Bucket (optional, but helpful for dissolving salt)
   • A Broom or Pool Brush (to help circulate water)
   • Your pool test kit

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Salt

Now that you’ve prepared, it’s time to add the salt. Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide:

1. Calculate the Amount of Salt Needed: Use the salt level you measured, your desired level from your manual, and your pool volume to determine the amount of salt needed. Most salt manufacturers will provide guidelines on the bag. A general rule of thumb is that one 40-pound bag of pool salt will raise the salt concentration by about 400 ppm in 10,000 gallons of water. So, if you have a 20,000 gallon pool, that same bag will raise the ppm by about 200. You’ll need to adjust based on your specific situation. For example, if your pool volume is 20,000 gallons, your current level is 2000 ppm, and you are aiming for 3200 ppm, you would need to raise the ppm by 1200. This would mean adding approximately 6 bags of 40lb salt. It is always better to underestimate the amount of salt needed because it’s easier to add more later than to remove excess.
2. Turn on Your Pool Pump: Ensure your pool pump is running. This is critical because it circulates the water and helps the salt dissolve more quickly. Leave your pump on for at least 24 hours after you add the salt.
3. Add Salt to the Deep End: The best place to add salt is in the deepest part of your pool. This helps ensure even distribution and prevents the salt from settling on your pool floor. Do this by either directly adding the salt in the pool or dissolving it in a bucket first.
• Adding Directly to Pool: Slowly pour the salt into the pool, spreading it as much as possible. Avoid dumping large quantities in one area. Let the circulation of the pool pump take care of distributing the salt. If your pool has a built-in circulation feature such as a spa or fountain, activating this will also be useful. Be patient and allow the pump to dissolve as much salt as possible.
• Dissolving Salt in a Bucket: If you prefer, you can dissolve the salt in a bucket first. Fill a clean bucket with pool water, add salt, and stir until it’s dissolved. Then, slowly pour the salty water around the perimeter of the deep end. This is useful if your pool filter is older as undissolved salt crystals can damage the filter. Be careful not to splash salty water on any metal parts of your pool equipment.
4. Brush the Pool Floor: After you’ve added the salt, use a pool brush to sweep the bottom of the pool. This helps agitate the water and dislodge any salt crystals that may have settled on the floor.
5. Run Your Pump for 24 Hours: Continue running your pool pump for a full 24 hours to allow the salt to fully dissolve and circulate.
6. Test the Salt Level Again: After 24 hours, test your salt level again. It’s essential to wait this full period to get an accurate reading since some salt may take some time to fully dissolve. If the level is still below your target, repeat steps 1 through 5, adding salt in smaller increments. This is why it is important to underestimate the amount of salt the first time.
7. Check Your Salt Cell: Once the salt level is within the acceptable range and your salt cell has been running long enough to register the increase in salinity, check if it is functioning correctly. It might take 24-48 hours for the salt cell to start producing chlorine if it has been off or inactive for a while. If the cell is not functioning properly, review your user manual to see if there are any issues or warnings that need to be addressed.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with careful planning, you may encounter some challenges. Here are a few common issues and how to address them:

• Cloudy Water After Adding Salt: This could be due to a few factors, such as inadequate filtration, poor water balance, or too much salt. Check your filter, balance your water chemistry and double check your salt levels.
• Low Salt Reading After Adding Salt: If you added what you thought was the correct amount of salt but your test is showing the levels are still low, there are a few possible explanations: the salt may not be fully dissolved, your salt test kit could be old or defective (try using another one to verify), there may be a leak in your system, or your pool volume may have been miscalculated. Check all these to diagnose the issue.
• High Salt Reading After Adding Salt: If your salt reading is too high, you’ll need to drain some of the salty water and add fresh water to dilute the concentration. This can be a challenging and time consuming process, so its always better to add less than to overdo it. You can drain a portion of your pool, being careful to avoid running your pump with water levels below the skimmers.
• Salt Cell Not Producing Chlorine: Make sure your salt level is within the recommended range and that your salt cell is clean and free of any deposits. Your salt cell might require maintenance, such as cleaning or replacement. Consult your manual or contact a pool professional for guidance.

Tips for Maintaining Salt Levels

Once your pool has reached the correct salt level, follow these tips to keep it there:

• Test Regularly: Test your pool’s salt level at least once a month, and more often during periods of heavy use or after heavy rain.
• Add Salt Gradually: When adding salt, do so in smaller increments and retest before adding more.
• Monitor Water Levels: Be mindful of water loss from backwashing, splashing, and leaks. Add salt after significant water loss to maintain levels.
• Consider Professional Help: If you’re unsure or encounter consistent issues, don’t hesitate to consult a pool professional for advice and guidance.

Conclusion

Adding salt to your pool is a straightforward process, but it requires some attention to detail. By following these steps and regularly monitoring your pool, you can enjoy a consistently clean, comfortable, and properly sanitized saltwater pool. Remember to always consult your salt chlorine generator manual for specific recommendations. With patience and the right approach, you’ll be able to maintain your saltwater pool effectively and enjoy your swimming season to the fullest.