Adding salt

[TroyB]

For the first time, I plan on adding salt to my pool tonight. My salt reading is 2900 ppm. Any special advice? This is what I plan on doing:

- Turn on pool pump
- Turn off SWG
- Add salt around perimeter of pool
- Brush the sides of the pool for mixing
- Leave pool on for 24 hours
- Turn on SWG

 

[no-mas]

Nothing wrong with what you plan, I don't go to that extent, though. I turn off the SWG; use Mortons pool salt, which dissolves pretty quickly; dump it into a narrow spot of my pool which is about 10 feet wide; and brush it back and forth 'til I see it is dissolved. I do it early enough in the day so the pump runs at least a couple of hours after I'm finished, and turn the SWG on the next day. Five minute job... but maybe I'm doing it wrong, though...

 

[SCCS]

For adding salt to the pool I use a 5 gallon bucket. I use LESLIE'S salt and I add about half a bag to the bucket and shoot in a powerfull stream of water to mix it up. I dump that in the pool walking around the edge.(their will be some salt left in the bucket, so I just repeat the process one more time) Then dump the rest of the bag in the bucket and repeat the process. No need to brush at all. Oh, and I do have the pump run for about an hour. Just my way of doing things hope it helps.

 

[New2Me]

I would test the water BEFORE adding any salt. If you are just adding 100 pounds of salt(to get your 20,000 gal pool from 2900 ppm to 3500 ppm) I would just dump it in, and leave everything else alone(pump,SWG,ect..) and maybe try brushing it some. A good grade of salt will dissolve quickly, theres no need to wait for 24 hours, or to turn off the SWG, especially if you are in need of CL; if your SWG won't run due to low salt, add bleach now and test the salt level with a test strip, don't rely on the SWG to tell you the level, as a low salt warning could be a problem with the SWG itself; ie.. your pool is actually AT 3500 ppm and the SWG is dirty. Good Luck!!!

 

[JasonLion]

There is no need to use pool salt for faster dissolving. Even pellet salt, which does dissolve more slowly, still dissolves quickly enough that it is not a problem. I suggest crystal salt, but anything other than a large single block of salt will work. Simply brush any salt around to spread it out right at first and again after 15 minutes and it should all dissolve reasonably quickly. Leaving the pump on for 24 hours is a great idea, but four hours is probably enough (less if you pre-dissolve).

Water softener salt, often called solar salt, is the least expensive. You want the kind without any additives or special features, usually in the blue bags, avoid rust remover, iron fighter, and table salt! For example, Cargill/Diamond Crystal Salt Crystals for Water Softener or Morton White Crystal Solar Salt. There are other forms that will work, pool salt, pellets, etc, but the crystals are usually the least expensive (sometimes dramatically so).

Also, low water temperature can cause some SWGs to read the salt level as lower than it actually is. Some are temperature compensated and some aren't.

 

[TroyB]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I bought Morton's pool salt from Sam's Club. The bucket idea sounds good to me.

 

[Poolsean]

Some systems will shut down under high salt levels but some may blow fuses. To be safe it's a good idea to just shut the SCG off until the salt is dissolved.

For adding salt, I agree with Jason's recommendations.
However, I recommend turning on the pump, switch the valve to draw from the main drain only, then pour the salt into the deep end, as much as you can towards the main drain. Whatever is not dissolved yet, brush towards and into the main drain.
Saves alot of time, dissolves the salt faster, and avoids the need to have to walk around the perimeter to brush the salt.

Always have your salt tested the following day to ensure that the salt display matches what the actual salt level is. Calibrate the salt display to match your test results, if that option is available.

 

[TroyB]

It was a piece of cake.

 

[launboy]

Is there any issue with putting the leg of a legging into you skimmer and then pouring the salt in there? You still have the main drain to pull water if the skimmer can't supply enough. That's what I did and the flow over the salt desolved it really quickly. Our pool also has a screened cover you can screw over the return so I filled the other leg of the legging with salt and screwed the cover on. Was kind of neat to see the wavy lines the salt made as it disolved.

Adam

 

[Strannik]

i normally put it into skimmer

 

[Guest]

I just dump it in the pool with the pump running and let it circulate. I turn off the SWG when I add it and turn it on the next day. I don't even brush it. It dissolves in about 30 minutes. I use solar salt, I put mine in the shallow end because there is a lot of water turbulence from the returns there.

Remember, your putting salt into a pool, not making an angel food cake!

 

[TroyB]

I tested my water using the AquaChek white strips and I got 3590 ppm!

 

[woollybully]

I usually put it in early before the vacuum runs and run the vacuum longer to let it push the salt around.

Kids are also good at spreading the salt...

 

[frankgh]

My local pool store has salt on sale, aboit 7.40 a 40# bag. Lowes had pool salt at 7.05. The blue bag solor crystal salt was 4.00. I needed 15 bags, guess which one I got!

I just dumbed it all in the deep end, pushed it around with the brush and it was disolved within an hour.