Pouring salt in the skimmer

[mas985]

This side conversation has been split off of this topic. JasonLion

I put my salt in the skimmer. It dissolves fairly quickly that way without much work.

 

[Ukie]

Re: How to add salt to the pool - "Bucket" method.

If I had a salt pool, I'd hold Diamond Day, where the bags of salt get poured in and the kids swim through it and scoop it up and throw it around and swim through the shower of crystals.

Weather doesn't permit swimming yet. Looks like I'm couple bags short to optimum salt level, so I'll save them for Diamond Day when it gets warmer!

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I put my salt in the skimmer. It dissolves fairly quickly that way without much work.

Would you put all 500 lb in skimmers? What's happening in filter when salt get there straight from skimmers?

 

[jblizzle]

Re: How to add salt to the pool - "Bucket" method.

Yeah, I am not sure the skimmer is the right solution. Just pour it in the pool.

Should have seen the look on parent's faces last year when at my daughter's birthday party I started dumping 40 lb bags of salt on the kids in the pool

 

[AimeeH]

Re: How to add salt to the pool - "Bucket" method.

And because I work for a large foodservice distributor and get products "at cost" I use 25lb bags of non iodized food grade granular salt. No diamond days for the kids. It costs me less than half the cost of what is sold as "pool salt".......I don't know if that would hold true if buying retail. Anyone checked price of food grade granular salt (must be non iodized) at some place like SAMs that would sell in large quantities (25lbs or more)?

 

[mas985]

Re: How to add salt to the pool - "Bucket" method.

Would you put all 500 lb in skimmers? What's happening in filter when salt get there straight from skimmers?

I don't have to do that often but yes, you could dissolve 500 lbs in the skimmer. I have two skimmers and I can get one bag in each skimmer. After about 3-5 minutes, I just go back and add another bag. It only takes about 20-30 minutes for 10 bags. It is the fastest way to dissolve the salt because there is a fairly high flow rate in the skimmer which helps to dissolve the salt quickly. Also the salt doesn't really make it to the filter until it fully dissolves or gets small enough to pass through the skimmer basket (and pump basket) so nothing really happens in the filter.

 

[Ukie]

Re: How to add salt to the pool - "Bucket" method.

Also the salt doesn't really make it to the filter until it fully dissolves or gets small enough to pass through the skimmer basket (and pump basket) so nothing really happens in the filter.

I've been using Pro’s Pick® Quick Dissolve Plus Pool Salt http://www.cargill.com/salt/wcm/groups/public/@cseg/@salt-admin/documents/document/na3071251.pdf (here's all pool salt products by this manufacturer http://www.cargill.com/salt/products/water/pros-pick/ProsPickQuickDissolvePoolSalt/index.htm ) which fine enough to get through skimmer/pump baskets right away. So potentially it can clog filter until fully dissolves. Besides, manufacturer says to dump salt into pool, and not skimmer.

 

[mas985]

Re: How to add salt to the pool - "Bucket" method.

I use Morton blue bag water softener salt which is a much better deal than than pool salt. But I bet even that stuff would stay in the skimmer long enough until most of it dissolves.

 

[JamesW]

Re: How to add salt to the pool - "Bucket" method.

Without commenting on if salt should be added through the skimmer, if salt is added through the skimmer, it is important to make sure that the salt system is off. That concentration can cause problems if the cell is on. Also, if one has an equalizer in the skimmer, it should be plugged to prevent salt from filling up the equalizer line.

If adding salt through the skimmer, one should be careful not to pour too fast, as the salt could clog the line.

 

[mas985]

Re: How to add salt to the pool - "Bucket" method.

Again, if the skimmer basket is in the skimmer, the salt doesn't really make it to the bottom of the skimmer all at once so it doesn't have a chance to plug the equalizer line or pump line. Also, turning off the SWG is not an issue for me because my unit automatically shuts off at 8 amps so I don't worry about that either but that may not be true for all SWGs although I think most have a high salt alarm that shuts off the unit.

BTW, I have been adding salt this way for over 8 years now and I am still on my first cell and first set of cartridges in case anyone was questioning if this affects the life of either.

 

[JasonLion]

Re: How to add salt to the pool - "Bucket" method.

Pouring salt directly into the skimmer while the SWG is on will cause a current spike in the SWG power supply that can easily burn out the SWG before it's current limiter has a chance to react.

Pouring salt into the skimmer can also easily break the skimmer basket and/or the pump strainer basket, and even if none of that happens, pouring hundreds of pounds of salt into the skimmer simply takes a long time, as the volume is way larger than the amount of available space. Why spend even five minutes on something that is easily accomplished in thirty seconds by pouring into the pool.

Pouring salt directly into the pool is the recommended approach, and has no disadvantages.

 

[mas985]

Re: How to add salt to the pool - "Bucket" method.

Pouring salt directly into the skimmer while the SWG is on will cause a current spike in the SWG power supply that can easily burn out the SWG before it's current limiter has a chance to react.

I thought that too when I first tried this so I watched the amp level in the wireless remote and it doesn't spike but slowly rises (salt doesn't dissolve instantaneously) until it reaches 8 amps at which point the unit shuts off. It may increase faster after that but it doesn't matter at that point.

Also, the amp rise is not unlike that which occurs when solar is turned on during a very warm day after the panels have had time to heat up. The hot water quickly increases the conductivity so the amp level rises and in some cases exceeds the 8 amps and shuts off. In fact, I think the amp rise is faster with solar than it is with the salt. But if you think about it, it really is not that much different. Conductivity is dependent on both the salinity and water temperature and they design the unit with this in mind. So if it were a problem with a fast rise salt level, it would also be a problem with a fast rise in water temperature.

Also, when I first had my pool, I did pour it into the pool but it took far too long for it to dissolve and I spent much more time pushing it back and forth to get it to dissolve which is why I use the skimmer method now.

 

[JasonLion]

In my pool, even several bags of salt poured in at once are gone in half an hour to an hour with no brushing or other effort of any kind beyond turning on the pump.

 

[mas985]

When I first opened the pool I put about 12 bags of salt in the deep end and I remember it taking several days to dissolve. Since then, I haven't had to add that much salt at once. When I refill to reduce CH, it is usually less than half that amount but I like to get the SWG running as quickly as possible which is why I add it to the skimmer. But next time I need to add salt, I will put it in the deep end and time how long it takes to dissolve by itself just for comparison.

 

[JamesW]

If there is a main drain, then adding salt by pouring it in the pool can have a similar effect as adding salt through the skimmer, albeit at a lower concentration. The SWG should be turned off until all of the salt has had enough time to become evenly distributed.

 

[steveg_nh]

Interesting. Didn't know to turn off SwG when adding salt. I just added a bag of solar salt. Much bigger crystals which takes a bit longer to dissolve than pool salt. But half the price.

 

[mas985]

If you are unsure that your SWG unit has high current protection, then to be safe, it is best to turn it off.

However, in my case, I have proven over and over again, that the Goldline Aqualogic current protection is working as it should and automatically shuts off the SWG as soon as the current reaches the 8 amp threshold so I am happy to rely upon the self protection of the unit. I trust the technology!

 

[JamesW]

If the unit averages salt readings, then the average could be affected by the high reading. Probably not a big deal in most cases, however one should be aware of that when reading the salt level from the box.

 

[mas985]

The Aqualogic only take a reading at the beginning of each cycle for the average so this doesn't affect the average salt reading.

Plus average salt level read out doesn't really affect anything.

 

[steveg_nh]

If you are unsure that your SWG unit has high current protection, then to be safe, it is best to turn it off.

However, in my case, I have proven over and over again, that the Goldline Aqualogic current protection is working as it should and automatically shuts off the SWG as soon as the current reaches the 8 amp threshold so I am happy to rely upon the self protection of the unit. I trust the technology!

I have the AquaPlus, almost the same system, if not the same. How did you determine you had that overcurrent protection? I really can't find good technical info on the cell. Thanks.

 

[mas985]

I think nearly every SWG has over current protection of some sort. If the unit has a high salt alarm which shuts off the unit, then it has over current protection. The manual should say something about it.