Where to buy pool salt and are aftermarket pentair IC power boxes okay to use?

[uraceulose]

Finally landed an IC60 for a good deal. $750 shipped new on eBay.

I understand I need the pentair power supply box..there are aftermarket ones for about half the price ($200ish) but should I go OEM only on that too?

Do you guys just buy salt at Home Depot?

Thanks!

Donnie

 

[PoolStored]

We typically see that you get what you pay for. YMMV.

Diamond Crystals Solar Naturals from HD/Lowes has been a recommended "BUY" here at TFP for salt. Avoid Mortons and Clorox salt.

 

[uraceulose]

Pool is 43,560 gallons...math is showing to add about 1300 lbs of salt to get to 3600 ppm.

Just double checking before I go buy 35 bags or so of salt.

Also there is a "sure soft" brand that I use in our house water softener.

There is a "rust buster" green label, there is a "resin clean" yellow label and then there is "extra course" blue label, there is also the "pool salt" which should work fine

I typically toss a bag of rust buster or resin clean in every 5th bag or so but would I be okay using any of this salt or best to stick to the "pool salt" then dump any extra in the softener?

The diamond salt is out of stock everywhere right now it looks like and even our local leslies isn't stocking their house brand salt at the moment.

Thanks so much,

Donnie

 

[PoolStored]

Pool is 43,560 gallons...math is showing to add about 1300 lbs of salt to get to 3600 ppm.

Just double checking before I go buy 35 bags or so of salt.

You should test your salt level before adding. You might be surprised. Salt test you should get, below.

Taylor K-1766 Salt Test Kit

tftestkits.net

I typically toss a bag of rust buster or resin clean in every 5th bag or so but would I be okay using any of this salt or best to stick to the "pool salt" then dump any extra in the softener?

HD on Churn Creek has 115 bags. Don't use ANY salt with rust buster, resin clean or any other stuff!

 

[uraceulose]

LOL I swear I just tried checking that exact location! Thank you!!

It actually shows the 115 in stock on my phone but for some reason the website there and lowes are showing nothing.

Whatever, on my way.

 

[PoolStored]

Whatever, on my way.

Did you read the first part of my post about testing salt before adding?

 

[uraceulose]

Yes sir. My Taylor 1766 test kit will be here tomorrow.

My current alkalinity is 80, CH is 475 and CYA is about 70. (plaster pool)

I'm waiting for the test kit to arrive but based on my CH and CYA should I just drain half of the pool now and get it over with and re start with fresh water when changing over to salt?

My numbers have gotten WAY WAY better since discovering the TFP methods but I was up to about 90 on CYA and 550 CH 4-5 weeks ago until I realized how bad the tablets were along with trusting the Leslies pool testing.

Thanks again,

Donnie

 

[PoolStored]

What is the TA and CH of your fill water?

 

[uraceulose]

I'll go triple check this evening but if memory serves it's about 60 alkalinity and 100 CH.

I may have only checked the water up at the house though...there is a hot tub up on the back porch that I fill using the spigot off the back of the house (which is for sure on the softener)....the pool top off/hose spigots off the pool house are not on the softener.

Will get exact numbers, go buy about 20 bags of salt for now and report back.

Planning to re plumb, add heater bypass, sweeping 90s, add SWCG all this coming weekend.

Thank you,

Donnie

 

[1poolman1]

I'll go triple check this evening but if memory serves it's about 60 alkalinity and 100 CH.

I may have only checked the water up at the house though...there is a hot tub up on the back porch that I fill using the spigot off the back of the house (which is for sure on the softener)....the pool top off/hose spigots off the pool house are not on the softener.

Will get exact numbers, go buy about 20 bags of salt for now and report back.

Planning to re plumb, add heater bypass, sweeping 90s, add SWCG all this coming weekend.

Thank you,

Donnie

When you get salt, it needs to be just plain salt with zero additives. Otherwise you can get stains and damage the salt cell. Even bags of "pool" salt that may say they have something in them as well should be avoided.

 

[uraceulose]

Thank you sir. I went ahead and just got 25 bags of that exact diamond salt from home depot recommended above.

IC60 SWCG, sacrificial anode, power center, test kit and jandy never lube 3 way valve to bypass heater will all arrive in the next 2-3 days. Then I'll have exact salt content and can buy 5-10 more bags as I'll likely need a bit more.

 

[PoolStored]

I am of the (sound scientific) opinion that anodes are useless. At best you are simply corroding a chunk of zinc (forming yellow/white ZnO and Zn(OH)2 precipitates and coatings). Once the zinc bar becomes passivated, it no longer functions as an anode.

 

[1poolman1]

Thank you sir. I went ahead and just got 25 bags of that exact diamond salt from home depot recommended above.

IC60 SWCG, sacrificial anode, power center, test kit and jandy never lube 3 way valve to bypass heater will all arrive in the next 2-3 days. Then I'll have exact salt content and can buy 5-10 more bags as I'll likely need a bit more.

You can use the sacrificial anode if it gives you piece of mind, but it isn't really needed in the vast majority of pools, especially residential pools. Are there exceptions? Probably, but I have never seen one in my 3+ decades of pool service. If a customer wanted one, in good conscience I would never sell one, but would point out where they could be obtained, it can't hurt anything.
You hear hype about them being needed in a pool with "saltwater," but any and all pools that have ever had or will have chlorine in them become "saltwater pools." Some with as much or more than the level required by an SWG.
All pool components made in the last 30 years at least are more than able to handle the tiny amount of salt we use to make chlorine, about 1/3 the salinity of human tears.
Obviously, you can install it, but it will just be one more thing over which to be concerned, especially when you see it start to corrode, as it will and is supposed to.

 

[Newdude]

I understand I need the pentair power supply box..there are aftermarket ones for about half the price ($200ish) but should I go OEM only on that too?

Now that there is a generic option, I wouldn't buy the Pentair power center. It's a small computer chip and a transformer and is marked up $350 of the $450 IMO.

 

[uraceulose]

Thank you guys. The pool has been here since 1998/99 without an anode and no issues that I am aware of. We have only owned the home since April of this year. I was under the impression it was good insurance and more of a necessity with a salt pool. I had concerns with the age of filter/laars teledyne gas fired heater (25 years)

I'll try the aftermarket power center...my thinking was the same..probably similar quality transformer/internals but we shall see.

DZ

 

[1poolman1]

Thank you guys. The pool has been here since 1998/99 without an anode and no issues that I am aware of. We have only owned the home since April of this year. I was under the impression it was good insurance and more of a necessity with a salt pool. I had concerns with the age of filter/laars teledyne gas fired heater (25 years)

I'll try the aftermarket power center...my thinking was the same..probably similar quality transformer/internals but we shall see.

DZ

With a pool that size, I would consider either a second filter plumbed parallel with the first, or a very-large cartridge filter.

 

[uraceulose]

Eventually I'll likely go cartridge...but for now...the 60 sq ft DE Pentair seems to work great. Water stays super clean always and filter pressure runs about 1-2 psi...pump runs about 4-5 psi. I'm able to get 28 gpm flow rate at 145 watts power draw 24/7 still running through the heater no bypass.

 

[PoolStored]

Check your heater manual. I'm guessing the minimum flow is closer to 35-45gpm.

What is the make/model of the heater.

 

[uraceulose]

Sorry for not being more clear....

The pool runs @ 28 GPM 24/7.

Ramps up to 50 GPM when the heater or when the pressure side cleaner comes on. Even running through the heater, filter etc...it's at about 8 psi on the filter and 12 psi through the pump....when the pressure side vacuum is attached and running...pressure rises a bit more to about 13/14 psi.

 

[uraceulose]

It might be 45 GPM for the heater & 50 GPM for the cleaner but I basically watched the vacuum/cleaner as I ramped the speed up until it was moving around the way that I'd like it then just left the heater @ 45 GPM so as the filter gets dirty and restricts flow potentially down to 35-40 GPM...the heater would still fire and run.

The normal cycle is commanded to keep 28 GPM whereas the heater/cleaner cycle is commanded to keep 2150/2250 rpm...so when the filter gets dirty and it still wants to hold the RPM...it will lose some GPM. I'll probably change the programming here soon on the pump to just command flow rather than speed so I don't have to worry about it ever losing flow and rather just costing me more KWH to maintain the flow as the filter gets dirty.