Impact of salty water in bleach-only pool

[Kidney]

Hi everyone,

I've been babysitting the 14,000-gallon pool in my signature for around 7 years with no water change or dilution except from evaporation and overflowing when it rains a lot. I have no chlorine generator. I only use bottled bleach for sanitation. It has worked marvelously well!

The only potential downside is that when we get a taste of the water, it does taste salty. This has taken time. It didn't taste salty the first few years. Having heard of pool armature issues and equipment damage due to salt but not seeing any such damage in my pool, I am wondering if I should dilute at some point and if so by how much? I have never tested for salt but assume I can get an accurate liquid-based tester e.g. from Taylor Technologies if needed?

Perhaps such discussion has already taken place and if so, I'd appreciate a pointer.

Thank you in advance!

 

[JamesW]

K-1766 Taylor Salt Test

tftestkits.net

 

[Newdude]

Hey Kidney. The Taylor K-1766 is about $27 and will answer all your questions. (James just beat me as I was typing). No worries though, even if you are ‘high’ at 4K - 5k, you are a small fraction of sea water @ 35k. Yes it’s ‘salty’. No it’s not even close to sea water.

 

[Kidney]

Thank you both! Would you know what ppm level warrants dilution (assuming that is the method of choice to lower salt level)? Perhaps the test kit comes with a useful little manual addressing this question?

 

[Kidney]

I found the instructions but they don't provide recommendations based on the results (other than how to increase) the way the full testing kit does...

 

[Newdude]

Well first things first ……. Get us a reading.

Unfortunately the only way to lower it is by draining an even % of your target. To go from 4K to 2k for example takes a 50% drain and refill. ‘All pools are salt pools’ we say here as chlorine/bleach is Sodium Hyperchlorite and some other adds also have salt. Many ‘chlorine’ pools hit 1k-2k on their own if there isn’t a lot of rainwater dilution. Usually around 3k is where folks start to taste it a bit. Some are more sensitive and taste is sooner.

Get your #s and we’ll see if there is a reason for any actions.

 

[Kidney]

Will do. It'll be a few days until I procure the kit. Thank you!

 

[Newdude]

Should we start a pool to pass the time ? I’ll guess 3400.

 

[Kidney]

I'll be back (in about a week or so)

 

[JamesW]

Should we start a pool to pass the time ?

A "pool"?

Very clever.

 

[JamesW]

Is salt just salt?

Prepping a SWG installation for next week. I have a taylor salt kit on order to check level before I add salt. I have used bleach for 5-6 years and from my limited understanding that adds “salt,” but is it the correct salt? Will I need to drain and refill? If so I would definitely have to wait...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Msch99]

Now might be a good time to switch to an SWG…

 

[JamesW]

I’ll guess 3400.

I will guess 3401.

 

[Jimrahbe]

K,

If the slight taste of salt bothers you, then drain and dilute so that your salt level is below about 2600 ppm..

If you are worried about equipment damage, then you are just wasting your time..

The slight amount of salt in a saltwater pool, is not going to damage any of your equipment or decking. It is just a well repeated myth...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Kidney]

JamesW: how far along are you with the pool you started

I got the measurement in: 3000 ppm. I liked that there is no second guessing as for the CYA test, and of course the colors are so lovely (pale yellow, pale orange) but at the end of the day, I guess 3000 ppm is nothing to worry about and I can continue to add bleach daily as usual.

I must say that after 7 years, this water, although a bit salty, is as clear and problem free as it goes.

I have FC at 5 adding anywhere between 2 to 4 cups of 10% bleach a day depending on cloud coverage. I have found that a FC level of 3 tends to be harder to maintain. Generally in my experience, the higher the FC, the less bleach I seem to need with FC at 5 or 6 seeming to be a sweet spot. The counterpoint to that is of course that testing FC at that point consumes a bit more reagent than at a lower point. At least I know pretty much what to expect without needing to test every day, depending on weather of course. I believe or perhaps hope that these numbers are good but welcome advice if there is any way to lower chlorine consumption.

 

[JamesW]

Since the salinity is near perfect for a SWG, technically you have to switch over.

Sorry, but that's the rule.

Ok, I kinda maybe might have made that up, but it is probably a good time to seriously consider switching to a SWG.

 

[Newdude]

+1. Salt is crazy expensive. It's like $7 a 40 lb bag. You just got 351 lbs (per poolmath) of salt for FREE. *AND* you didn't have to lug it. Don't look that gift horse in the mouth. Order a SWG post haste !!!

 

[Newdude]

I believe or perhaps hope that these numbers are good but welcome advice if there is any way to lower chlorine consumption.

A pint to a quart per day is amazing. For Texas and the fact that Y'all are 250 miles *south* of heck.......... it's amazingly amazing. I'm guessing you cover the pool ?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Order a SWG post haste !!!

<sigh> I do love a literate man so......

 

[Kidney]

My chlorine consumption does increase during the hottest days of summer but indeed 2 to 4 is the average when I stay on top of CYA and pH depending on temp and cloud coverage. I do not cover the pool but have a large tree shading it part of the afternoon.

I did not expect so many of you promoting SWCGs. I haven't done my research but this gentleman (Swimming pool control with Linux) seems to have: seeing his 2008 and 2009 updates under "Installing an Electronic Chlorine Generator (Salt Generator)" gives me pause as a Hayward SWCG failure would basically cancel any benefits, not to mention the structural damage he talks about due to salt. Myth or not, I would welcome pointers to serious research into the matter.