Converting to SWG - How Much Salt to Add?

[BDY]

My PB dumped in the salt without testing
first and I ended up with 4200.

Just because your salt cell is installing doesnt mean it hasn’t have to turned on. You might consider waiting until you have the test kit. Dump in the salt. Wait 24 hrs, then turn on cell.

 

[randytsuch]

What SWG are you having installed?
What is the recommended salt level for it?

Randy

 

[ugadawgs311]

What SWG are you having installed?
What is the recommended salt level for it?

Randy

It’s a Hayward AquaRite. I believe the salt target is 3200 ppm.

 

[ugadawgs311]

Adding chlorine adds salt. So every pool is a "salt pool" to one degree or another. Salt only leaves the pool when water does, through splashout, overflow, draining, etc. So if you've been chlorinating in any way for several years, you could have >1000 ppm already in the water. Adding what your installer said will surely put you over the limit.

I drained over half of the water a few weeks ago and refilled with fresh water. I then went through SLAM for about 10 days. Is that enough time to have added a substantial amount of salt through chlorine additions?

 

[Newdude]

Is that enough time to have added a substantial amount of salt through chlorine additions

No. But it easily could have been 2k or more and you still have 1k+ left. You'd overshoot by as much if you just blindly add salt.

While we are at it, let's expand this convo for CYA and CH also. You cannot lower any of them quickly without draining. They need to be tested before, and eased up to.

 

[ugadawgs311]

No. But it easily could have been 2k or more and you still have 1k+ left. You'd overshoot by as much if you just blindly add salt.

While we are at it, let's expand this convo for CYA and CH also. You cannot lower any of them quickly without draining. They need to be tested before, and eased up to.

As of 4 days ago, CYA was at 50. CH was at 70 when I last tested 14 days ago.

 

[Newdude]

As of 4 days ago, CYA was at 50. CH was at 70 when I last tested 14 days ago.

See. ??? Lol. You already test them to see if they need adjustments. We know the salt 'needs an adjustment' but without the test, we have no idea how big of an adjustment.

 

[ugadawgs311]

See. ??? Lol. You already test them to see if they need adjustments. We know the salt 'needs an adjustment' but without the test, we have no idea how big of an adjustment.

I guess I didn’t realize I was adding salt through the chlorine additions. At least not enough salt to really make a difference. I assumed the water coming out of the hose would have 0 salt, so the pool would essentially be starting from 0 ppm.

 

[Newdude]

I guess I didn’t realize I was adding salt through the chlorine additions.

It's something new and something new always has a learning curve. That's why you have us.

Of course, with all this buildup to the test, it's going to come back at 200. . But if you didn't test, it would be 3k. Whattayagonnado?

 

[BDY]

Salt doesn’t evaporate - so any salt reduction is only through splash out or draining. If you overshoot you wait for it to go down - two months later the “salty” taste is just now reducing after the PB overshot the salt dump (and I was touching the max limit on my SWG). Just from my experience I wish I could go back and tell them to measure first - I just didn’t know any better

some pool stores have the Taylor salt kit, if you need it sooner…

 

[AUSpool]

I guess I didn’t realize I was adding salt through the chlorine additions. At least not enough salt to really make a difference. I assumed the water coming out of the hose would have 0 salt, so the pool would essentially be starting from 0 ppm.

Salt in tap water varies by location but you could expect somewhere between 100-200ppm. We generally can’t taste salt until it is over 1000ppm.

 

[ugadawgs311]

Just had the water tested, and it was around 400 ppm before adding anything. So we added 14 40-pound bags. The SWG is currently being installed…

 

[Puertex]

Thanks everyone! The guy installing the SWG told me to add about 10 40-pound bags today (I’m getting 15 bags total). Do you all agree with adding the salt one day early?

Also, what’s the best method of adding? Just spreading around the perimeter of the pool?

Hi there,
I just purchased some test strips at Leslies while I waited for the Taylor test kit.
I was surprised to see how much salt was already in the pool water.
After you determine how much salt is already in there, then add the difference as indicated by Poolmath.
I suggest you add half of what Poolmath suggests, then, 25% than the final 25% to make sure you dont overshoot.
P

 

[ugadawgs311]

SWG is installed now, and the guys recommended that I keep it off for 24 hours to allow the salt to dissolve. So I’ll turn it on tomorrow afternoon.

FC was at 5 ppm tonight, so I added some LC just to be safe (I did some pressure washing today, and some dirt and other nasty stuff got in the pool).

 

[PoolStored]

SWG is installed now, and the guys recommended that I keep it off for 24 hours to allow the salt to dissolve. So I’ll turn it on tomorrow afternoon.

Great news on the SWCG!!! (edit) THOSE Pool guys are smart, always turn off SWCG when adding a large amount of salt. When you are topping off with a bag or two, don't need to turn it off.

 

[ugadawgs311]

Great news on the SWCG!!! (edit) THOSE Pool guys are smart, always turn off SWCG when adding a large amount of salt. When you are topping off with a bag or two, don't need to turn it off.

Good to know! All the salt I added earlier today should be fully dissolved by tomorrow right? It seemed most dissolved by this evening.

 

[PoolStored]

Good to know! All the salt I added earlier today should be fully dissolved by tomorrow right? It seemed most dissolved by this evening.

Where did you put the salt? Is it sitting in the pool? You need to get your brush and brush it until it is dissolved? You need to wait until the salt is dissolved, and run your pump for 24 hours after it is DISSOLVED before you fire up that SWCG.

It will dissolve quickly, if you brush it until dissolved, that is not the issue. It is about mixing. It usually takes 24 hours after you dissolve it before it is sufficiently mixed. (e.g. you put it in the shallow end and dissolve, the shallow end will have a high ppm of salt, but if you test the bottom of the deep end, you wouldn't find much of that salt...gotta mix the brew!)

Kinda like dropping an egg on the top of your pancake batter. It is in the bowl, but not mixed...(I know horrible analogy, but makes sense...no?)

 

[ugadawgs311]

Where did you put the salt? Is it sitting in the pool? You need to get your brush and brush it until it is dissolved? You need to wait until the salt is dissolved, and run your pump for 24 hours after it is DISSOLVED before you fire up that SWCG.

It will dissolve quickly, if you brush it until dissolved, that is not the issue. It is about mixing. It usually takes 24 hours after you dissolve it before it is sufficiently mixed. (e.g. you put it in the shallow end and dissolve, the shallow end will have a high ppm of salt, but if you test the bottom of the deep end, you wouldn't find much of that salt...gotta mix the brew!)

Kinda like dropping an egg on the top of your pancake batter. It is in the bowl, but not mixed...(I know horrible analogy, but makes sense...no?)

We dumped some in the shallow, some in the deep, some in the middle ha. It was sitting in larger clumps for a while, so I brushed it up some just to move it around. I also ran my robot vacuum later in the day just to help churn things up, but I couldn’t hardly see any salt on the floor left before it started going.

I guess worst case scenario, the salt ppm might be a little below 3,200. I think I’d rather be a little low than way high and have to drain and refill. My salt test kit should arrive tomorrow, so I can check salt level then. The SWG has an “instant reading” on it though, so I could just use that. Are those accurate?

 

[PoolStored]

I guess worst case scenario, the salt ppm might be a little below 3,200. I think I’d rather be a little low than way high and have to drain and refill. My salt test kit should arrive tomorrow, so I can check salt level then. The SWG has an “instant reading” on it though, so I could just use that. Are those accurate?

You should always have a test kit before adding salt. When I converted, my salt was 1500. If you don't know your starting salt, you don't know how much to add.

Too late now.

Salt cells can be +/-500 from the test kit. You want to know what the salt cell likes (if it generates at 3200 from the cell reading great...but if the drop kit says 2800, then maintain 2800 so the salt cell is happy and generates)...said another way, maintain an actual salt level (based on the drop test) that keeps the salt cell happy and generating FC.

 

[ugadawgs311]

If you don't know your starting salt, you don't know how much to add.

Too late now.

We tested before adding anything (installed had a tester). It was below 500 ppm. So with 14 40-pound bags, I should be right around 3,200 ppm.