newbie salt questions

[uihero]

hello all - i just got my salt added today (new pool) and understand once the saline level reaches 3.0 i can kick on the swg, but im not sure what % to initially set it at. my pool is approx 10k gallons.

ive also read that its beneficial to add a stabilizer to maximize your Ch, but is this really important with a continuous generating salt system? if so, are there difference in stabilizers (eg liquid vs granular) and is one more preferable for a salt system?

finally i am curious how frequently i should expect to have to add addtl salt to my pool?

thanks in advance for any help/thoughts/suggestions

 

[DaveNJ]

Add the specifics about your pool in your signature. Read the articles in "Pool School", especially the one on "water balance for SWG". A good test kit is worth the investment, link in my signature. Stabilizer is important, your SWG will have a difficult time keeping the CL up without it. The setting on the SWG is something you have to dial in over time. Start at say 50%, and the CL changes don't happen quickly.

Welcome to TFP by the way.

 

[sonflower]

UIhero

Welcome to the forum. I am new to this forum as well, but have been maintaining our salt water system pool for about 5 yrs now. I was not around for installation of pool so I am not savvy on the initial setting you are asking about. I have ours set to 75% right now leftover from winter /spring and the chlorine output is fine so I have not felt the need to adjust it yet but as more folks swim in our pool I will bump it up as needed. We have had a lot of rain and even with 75% we had a short-lived algae issue.

Yes on the stabilizer question, but I am not sure yet about liquid over granular as I am still learning. I do know stabilizer is very important however as I was told (just yesterday) by Dave who runs this forum that it is very, very important (as well as the pool company that installed the pool - both have stressed to me that stabilizer is important even in salt system pool).

My suggestion is to read as much as about chemical balance as poss and do the FAQ here in the forum. I know at least for me it can get overwhelming. There is not one scientific anything in my body but I press on and learn. Also don't be shy. All the posts I have read on this forum indicate this to be a very friendly crowd. Also check out the poolcalculator.com site. Wish I had known abt that 5 yrs ago.

 

[JasonLion]

Granular stabilizer is significantly less expensive than the liquid and otherwise just as good.

Normally you only need to add salt once each season when you open in the spring. If you have a particularly large amount of water replacement due to rain overflowing the pool or something like that it might be more often, but usually only once a year.

 

[uihero]

thank you all for the welcome and suggestions. stabilizer went in with the salt. chlorine gen set at 50% and everything looking good so far.