Question about new salt system

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phalcon51

phalcon51

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Oct 5, 2010
203
So. California
We just had our pool replastered about a month ago and had a Pentair Intellichlor SWCG installed. The company that did the job said that they would add the salt to the pool after 30 days. Well, apparently they came by yesterday while we were gone and poured in about 9 bags of salt. I only found out because I found the empty bags in the trash can today. Today my filter pressure has increased from about 13 psi to a little over 20 psi. Is it normal for the pressure to increase like this after just adding salt? Will it return to normal in a day or so? Can the salt crystals remain undissolved long enough to get sucked into the filter and clog it temporarily? Should I disassemble the filter and clean the elements and re-add DE or just give it time?

Thanks for any help.
 
Sound a bit coincidental, but the salt should be dissolved within 24 hrs. To the extent your pressure stays high, it's likely other debris causing the pressure to rise and time for a backwash.

Welcome to TFP :wave:
 
I like to add the salt 2 bags at a time; 2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and 2 later in the day. I also use the granular and not the pellets, and I brush it around to help it dissolve. I can't actually say that I have seen the filter pressure rise after adding salt.

20 psi is not going to cause any damage, so I would just keep an eye on it and see if it drops. Adding the 9 bags of salt may or may not be enough (another reason that I like to add slowly, so that I can test and not guess how much salt is in the water). Keep your water chemistry in line and you should get many years out of the new plaster!
 
I checked the salt level today and it measured 2400 ppm. The Intellichlor manual calls for a level between 3000 and 4500 so I added two more 40 lb bags of salt this afternoon. How long should I wait to test it again to get an accurate reading? Should I leave the pump running while the salt is dissolving? How long?
 
I took a water sample down to Leslie's and also bought some Aquacheck sodium chloride test strips. They both read 2400 ppm. Also, the low salt LED is on steady (salt below 2600) on the Intellichlor and the Cell LED is off, which apparently it does when the salt level is too low.

On a side note, can you tell me who much DE equals a pound? I've been using a blue scoop I bought from Leslie's that's about the size of a coffee can and I've always assumed that one scoop was one pound, but the guy at the pool store told me today that one scoop is only 1/2 pound. Have I been underfilling my filter by half all this time? :oops:

Thanks again.
 
I have a "cup" that I use that is a pound, but I can't remember where it came from! I was told it is a pound, but I have never weighed it to be sure. It is about the size of a coffee can also.

Your filter would take 5 pounds of DE. 2 1/2 pounds (if that is the case) probably isn't doing a whole lot!
 
If your pool is verified at 25K gallons, then every 40lb bag of salt will raise your salt level by approx 200ppm. If you started at 2400 and you added 2 40lb bags, within 24 hrs the salt level should read around 2800ppm. Leaving your pump running will help disolve the salt, just like stirring tea or coffee to aid in disolving sugar, but is not required.
 

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