Adding Salt

[creechy]

Today I added about 1/2 bag of salt to my SWG pool. It was below 3,000 and I wanted to raise it a little. After I added the salt, I did not turn off the SWG. I just read that I was suppose to leave on the filter but turn off the SWG. What type of problems might I have because I didn't turn off the SWG. Should I turn it off now? If so, for how long?

I am still learning about maintaining my pool.

Thanks for your help!!

 

[chem geek]

As long as you didn't add your salt directly to the skimmer, but instead added it to the bulk pool water with sufficient mixing (i.e. not just getting into a floor drain), then there should be no problem. The reason they say to turn off the SWG is to prevent any concentrated salt water from causing the SWG from burning out due to excessively high water conductivity and therefore current through the SWG.

 

[creechy]

Thank you so much!! :-D I feel so much better. I added my salt throughout the pool not in the skimmer. Would you still recommend that next time I add salt that I turn the SWG off for a few hours?

Thanks!!

 

[Strannik]

doesn't matter if you don't add it to the skimmer

 

[bk406]

I've never turned mine off when I've added salt.

 

[JasonLion]

I've never turned mine off when I've added salt.

Being lucky isn't quite the same thing as being trouble free, though they are similar

There is a risk of completely destroying the SWG if it is on when you add salt. In practice, the great majority of the time nothing will happen. But why risk even a 1 in 10,000 of destroying your SWG. The actual risk depends on details of your plumbing and brand of SWG, but why risk it at all?

 

[bk406]

doesn't matter if you don't add it to the skimmer

I think the idea of not adding salt when the SWCG is more of a myth than anything. If anybody can document an actual case of damage directly related to it (added to the bulk pool water that is) and not just some theory, post it up.
I could see an issue if it were added directly to the skimmer. But imo, nothing should be added directly into the skimmer

 

[Strannik]

ummm, having worked at a company that manufactures SWG and having done lots of testing I can assure you that if you put enough salt in, the transformer will burn out before the high salt alarm will turn the unit off. that is if the unit even has high salt alarm

 

[bk406]

How do you square these 2 statements;

I can assure you that if you put enough salt in, the transformer will burn out before the high salt alarm will turn the unit off.

doesn't matter if you don't add it to the skimmer

:?:

 

[Strannik]

there is no contradiction there.

to raise salt level fast you need to add it to the skimmer, there is no other way. if you don't raise it rapidly, then the high salt safeguard (assuming the unit has one) will turn the unit off before the conductivity becomes too high.

 

[JasonLion]

Wouldn't salt that went into the main drain, assuming there is one, cause exactly the same issue as the skimmer?

 

[chem geek]

I would think so which is why I wrote about that in my original post. I've sometimes added certain chemicals that didn't dissolve completely very quickly and swept the remnants to the main drain to either dissolve or get caught in the filter and eventually dissolve. Certainly, if one adds salt too quickly in the deep end, it could get to the main drain in concentrated form and potentially cause a problem.

I agree with Jason that since it's so incredibly easy to turn off the SWG during the salt addition process, one might as well do this when adding salt to the pool, just in case. Once one has added it all and sees that there aren't any piles undissolved and that things have circulated for a bit (even 10 minutes or so), then one can just turn on the SWG again.

 

[Strannik]

if there is a main drain - yes

 

[bk406]

it's so incredibly easy to turn off the SWG during the salt addition process, .

Not to argue the point (well maybe a little), but if the SWG is tied to the pump, it's not at all easy to turn it off since the pump needs to be running in order to help disperse the salt.

 

[JasonLion]

Just set the percentage to zero percent.

 

[WBSurf87]

Actually, just the other day I was adding 40 lbs of salt to my pool for the first salt re-up. I was caught up in the fact that I was being such a responsible pool owner and was paying close attention to my salt levels for several months now. It was the first time topping up on salt, I was in a rush, and I didn't think it through and added about 15lbs of the 40lbs directly to the skimmer. SWG was on the whole time. Now I have a check cell light going on my SWG. I took the cell out and visually inspected it and it seemed fine (ie: no visible scaling on plates). It's still producing adequate chlorine, but I'm assuming I need to do a mild acid wash to get the check cell light to stop blinking.

So moral of the story, definitely turn your SWG off, because they do get damaged, however minor. Any advice would be appreciated.

Edit: My sig's out of date. Circupool Si60 SWG.

 

[Xexys]

Salt should be broadcasted in the shallow end of the pool with the SWG off. After broadcast, sweep the coagulated salt throughout the pool until fully dissolved and run filter for 24 hours to get a full mix.

 

[RobbieH]

My SWG is tied to direct AC, but it has its own power switch. Several models do.

And I follow Xexys's method. I don't dump ANYTHING in my skimmer.

 

[suzook]

Uh oh....I added salt last week to my skimmer with swg on. The level read 6000 on the unit till it disapated. Seems to be working OK. Should I be worried??

 

[Xexys]

I would never add anything directly to the skimmer. I don't think worrying about it would help of course. Just be careful when adding any chemicals to your pool by turning off the SWG first. All of the professional advice of these boards are very good. Use pool math to help you decide your amounts, that calculator is dead on accurate.