Adding salt to a Non-SWG pool

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dws3

Active member
Dec 21, 2019
27
Dallas, TX
I decided to add salt to my newly-remodeled, no-longer-SWG pool for the purpose of softening the water - that "silky" feel that we used to have with a SWG pool. Following the Pool School article, I decided to go for a 2000 ppm level. I was at 600 ppm, and Pool Math told me I needed 8 bags + of salt to get to 2000 ppm. I added 8 bags three days ago and immediately noticed a softer feel, and my eyes felt better when I opened them underwater. Upon testing today, I show a salt level of 2400, 20% higher than it should be at, but no big deal. My CH went from 280 to 320, with no other changes other than the salt. Can anybody explain why that would happen?

I know some will tell me that I should be in the recommended 350-550 "ideal" range, but since I just spent $15K on a remodel to replace my not-so-white plaster with PebbleTec, and they recommend a maximum of 300, I am trying to straddle their upper limit in case a warranty issue ever arises.

Also, when I performed the salt test, my vial was caked with residue following the test, which I was able to remove. I had noticed the magnetic "peanut" was making a lot of noise during the test, and now the vial is scratched all the way around near the bottom of the vial. Not sure what caused the residue and scratching. Any ideas?
 
Jim,

I'm just curious about the process of NaCl raising the level of Ca. Didn't expect that.

RE: converting from SWG to non-SWG, I just decided I preferred adding chlorine tabs to my inline chlorinator to adding 40 lb bags of salt to the pool, although here I am now, adding 40 lb bags of salt to the pool. I also didn't like not knowing from one summer to the next if my salt cell would work, since mine always went south in the 3 to 5 year range. And the cost of replacing those salt cells. And the hassle of replumbing when they change the salt cell design. With chlorine tabs, I know that if I have the right CYA level and I keep tabs in the chlorinator, I'll have chlorine in the pool.

Additionally, with SWG, my pH levels were always up, up, up, and I blamed that for the staining of my plaster. I realize now that a big part of the problem was that I was relying on test strips, which I have found to be terribly inaccurate, and I was used to testing once or twice a week with my previous chlorine pool with vinyl liner, where the only thing that ever changed was chlorine, unless it rained. So despite adding tons of MA, I could never seem to stay ahead of the pH level. I had two acid washes over 13 years, but it never stayed stain-free for very long. I'm finding it very easy to stay on top of it with chlorine. I've also become a much more dedicated pool tester, and I have more time after recently retiring, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it.
 
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DeeDub
I doubt the staining had anything to do with the Salt or the pH.. staining is usually from organic or metals. .. And you only have to lug the forty pound bags once a season. Seems like an easy trade off. Watch your CYA if you are using tabs..they will make CYA levels sky rocket and the only recourse is a drain and refill. That is why we recommend using liquid chlorine for daily chlorination if you are not using an SWG.
Also 3-6 years sounds like the right life span for most SWG's depending on the model and the conditions your pool is in. You shouldn't have to replumb everything when you put in a new cell, if you get the same model cell they pop right into the same place...
You will find lots of SWG converts here. And by the same token Lots of SWG support in case you want to reconsider ;)
 
I had two Non-SWG pools, for a total of 16 years, and a SWG pool for 13 years. I was a SWG convert and told everybody I met how great it was, but in the past few years, I've lost my zeal. I usually had to use about 8 bags in the spring, and maybe 3-4 more later in the summer, depending on how much rain we got. My first two cell replacements were drop-ins, but then Jandy changed their design, and the new model was longer. The original plumbing had no room for modifications, so I had to cut everything off and start over. One guy at work who converted because of me recently asked me if I had problems with my pH always shooting up, so that confirmed that I was not the only one. So I'm hoping my converted non-SWG pool will prove to have a little more stable chemistry once my plaster completely cures. I use Sam's Club Member's Mark chlorine tabs, which do not contain CYA. I have used Clorox, but it's a whole lot more convenient to pop a few tabs in my inline chlorinator.

I used Diamond Crystal Solar Natural salt crystals, 99.6% pure, purer than the 99.4% pure pool salt, and about half the price. I always bought pool salt, until I read the TFP article about salt.

My replaster was completed 6 months ago, and I've had to add Calcium chloride to get my CH up from 170-180 to 290, but it dropped to 280, I presume from the rain. That's why I was surprised today when it jumped to 320 with no change other than the salt.
 
Bummer you have had such a hard time with your SWGs. I retrofitted my pool about 15 years ago and got 9+ years out of the first cell. Granted I am using a different brand than you, and I have since figured out the conditions my pool is in is conducive to longer cell life (cool water, etc). In all honesty I am amazed in this day and age where so much consumerism is disposable that a lot of Cell designs have not changed a lot allowing replacement cells to be used. I can still get a replacement for the same TCell-15 and they still sell them new too. I can't say the same about my washer/dryer.
 

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The Clorox Blue ones at Costco have copper in them. Though it appears to be an extremely small amount so I tend to look the other way regarding very occasional use (and my having 50 pounds of the stuff from many years ago still in my shed has absolutely nothing to do with that opinion ;) ).

The Member's Mark brand sold at Sam's Club looks to be 99% pure with nothing indicating copper. The SDS backs that up, no "trade secret" listed like the Clorox has. So it should be pure. "Should" being the key word, of course.
 
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dws3 said:
I'm just curious about the process of NaCl raising the level of Ca. Didn't expect that.
Click to expand...

Late to the party, but I do have a likely explanation...

I am an analytical chemist and have worked in industrial water treatment for a couple of decades. One of our clients decided that the brine we were selling him for his softeners was too expensive, so he opted to purchase Morton's rock salt which "would do the same thing for less expense." Cut to a few months later, and his softener vessels had a couple of feet of muck at the bottom that had to be shoveled out. Turns out the muck was mostly calcium sulfate, which is not an uncommon contaminant of salt. Suffice to say, the client started purchasing our products again.
 
sacredcow said:
... Turns out the muck was mostly calcium sulfate, which is not an uncommon contaminant of salt. Suffice to say, the client started purchasing our products again.
Click to expand...
REALLY? so Chlorox salt is contaminated with Iron (mine was)...
and Morton Salt is contaminated with Calcium (maybe)...
what is the world coming to when ya I can't make a decent uncontaminated Margarita!
 
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mguzzy said:
REALLY? so Chlorox salt is contaminated with Iron (mine was)...
and Morton Salt is contaminated with Calcium (maybe)...
what is the world coming to when ya I can't make a decent uncontaminated Margarita!
Click to expand...

Well, to be fair- This was industrial grade Morton's salt, and I'd guess the food grade has more stringent standards. I'd imagine the bags you buy for pools and home water softeners are somewhere in-between.

As for margaritas, I've started using the Hiwa-Kai black lava salt for my 'ritas.
 
There's a distillery down the road from my office that is doing the same thing... And most of the local liquor stores have curbside pickup, while a few have delivery. o_O

I've heard tale of a roving Margarita Truck down in the Heights and Midtown areas, but it hasn't visited the suburbs yet, I don't think. I keep watching and hoping.....
 
Well this really torques me... Nowhere on the container of my chlorine tabs does the word "stabilized" appear, nor is cyanuric acid listed as an ingredient. In one paragraph, it says to make sure you use a stabilizer to ensure that the chlorine is not degraded by the sun, which would indicate to me that it doesn't contain a stabilizer. But I looked up the SDS (MSDS) number, and although I couldn't get an image of the actual SDS, I was able to determine that the same SDS is used for the tabs that Walmart sells that are listed as "stabilized". I'll be taking this new 40 lb container back to Sam's for a refund, and will continue using bleach. Thanks to Donldson for pointing that out! Unfortunately, I had a really good inline chlorinator installed during my remodel, and now it is useless. From what I have read, I could switch to Cal Hypo tabs, but I'd need a new inline chlorinator. I'll just stick with bleach, and use the tabs when I'm going to be out of town.
 
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