Average salt level for a non-SWG pool

[FloridaPoolGal]

One of the inputs to Pool Math is salt level. I do not have a salt water generator so I don't measure salt level. What is an average salt level for a non-SWG pool? I searched the site for an answer but couldn't fine one. I'm sure this question has been asked and answered before but I couldn't find it. I have been using the default value of 1000 when using pool math.

 

[jblizzle]

1000ppm is probably reasonable if the water is not very new.
We have seen a few cases where it is risen MUCH higher than that on a non-SWG pool too ... which makes the whole "Don't use SWG cuz salt will ruin everything" argument kind of nonsensical.

I am sure you have a bunch of PAP stores around that will test your salt level if you really want.

 

[setsailsoon]

My pool is going on 6 years old. TFP for most of the time and when I recently switched to SWG my salt level was 1100 ppm. I'm on Stuart Fl municipal water.

I hope this is helpful.

Chris

 

[FloridaPoolGal]

We purchased the house 4 years ago and they would have had to refill the pool because the house had been foreclosed and abandoned. Google photos show a green swamp in the backyard which is not what we had when we purchased the house. Looks like the salt level of drinking water is relatively low. What else has salt that we put in our pools? We have used only chlorine, MA, baking soda, and stabilizer for the last 3 years.

 

[ajw22]

What else has salt that we put in our pools? We have used only chlorine, MA, baking soda, and stabilizer for the last 3 years.

Every time you add a gallon of 10% LC you raise your CL by 5 and salt by 8.2 ppm. The CL dissipates and the salt accumulates.

Estimate how many gallons of LC you have added over the 4 years and you can get an idea of the salt accumulation.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

I was at 1000 ppm after three years with no water exchanges.

 

[ajw22]

I was at 1000 ppm after three years with no water exchanges.

40 gallons of 10% LC a year. Less then 1 per week. Sounds about right.

 

[FloridaPoolGal]

[365 days/year x 4 years x 24 ounces/day x 8.2 ppm/gallon]/128 ounces/gallon = 2244 ppm

So, I estimate I have added 2245 ppm of salt (on average) over the last 4 years. We have times of very heavy rains (including hurricanes) where water is removed from the pool so I'm guessing the level is actually around 1000 ppm.

Even though I used tabs during the first 9 months, my estimate assumes using the amount of LC I am currently adding daily (on average).

 

[jblizzle]

Tabs and muriatic acid also add salt. Almost everything we add in the pool adds salt. But with the heavy rains there, it will not build up too much. The case where the salt level was very high was in the desert with little rain.

 

[setsailsoon]

Poolgal,

If your pool is within recommended range you can play around with different salt levels in Pool Math. I think you'll see that it doesn't really matter that much if you are +/- 500 ppm. CSI impact is very minor and chemical additions required to balance are not changed for the key parameters. If you are just curious you could see if there's a salt pool near you that will test your water with their strips or drop test. The strips are way easier to read than most since you're not matching up a color, rather reading a level on the strip.

Chris