Salt reading

[rdy2fly]

According to my Intex SWG manual, for my pool I needed to add 4 bags of 40lb salt, which I did Sunday night (Morton Solar Salt). I don't see it at the bottom of the pool anymore so I'm assuming it is dissolved as it should be. My pump has been running 24 hours a day right now, and when I measured the salt reading last night with my TF-100 kit it only showed 1200ppm. It had rained a couple of hours prior to testing, so I tested it again this morning and I got 1600ppm.
Pool math shows that if my starting level was 0, to get to 3400ppm I need about 4 1/2 bags of salt. I am just at a loss as to why my readings are so low. I hate to just dump another 3 bags in there, then have the problem of having too much salt. Is it normal for the salt readings to "creep up"?

 

[pooldv]

Don't add more salt. Brush the pool to help it dissolve faster and give it another day or two.

 

[rdy2fly]

Thanks so much. We got into the pool for the first time tonight, and afterwards I tested everything again and salt was at 3000ppm, exactly where it should be! Thanks to you I didn't go out and put more salt in!

 

[JamesW]

If salt is just dumped in without brushing, it can sit on the bottom of a pool for days even with the pump running. Even as it dissolves, you can get a very concentrated layer of dissloved salt sitting in a layer near the bottom. In some cases, you can actually see the salt layer because it has a different refractive index.

Brushing helps a lot. A main drain helps. Vacuuming or running a cleaner helps. Pointing a return towards the bottom can also help.

 

[jblizzle]

I add salt by slowly pouring it in while walking around the pool. I find that by the time I make a lap it is mostly dissolved before I even start to brush.

If you make a pile it will certainly take longer. Now I just let my kids play with the salt when I need to add some. Might try to hold of until next weekend during a birthday party.