I was quite surprised today. I have used the same water for 5 seasons now. I knew my water had a salt taste to it, so i decided to get a Taylor test kit and check it. 6000 ppm !
How much salt is in a chlorine pool?
- Thread starter jmikeb
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,343
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Every gallon of 10% liquid chlorine you used added 18 ppm of salt.
Looks like you used over 300 gallons of LC in the last 5 years.
Looks like you used over 300 gallons of LC in the last 5 years.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,965
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Many owners don't realize the salt content continued to build from byproduct in chlorine, acid, etc. This is why we have interesting discussions with builders and pool stores who try to warn people about putting in a SWG system because many of them don't realize the water's salt level could already be high enough for a SWG, or in your case even too high. Good that you are aware of it now. 
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,343
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Salt levels over 5,000 ppm can cause corrosion on metals around your pool.
I might be concerned with your Coverstar mechanism.
To lower the salt level you need to exchange water with fresh water.
Draining - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
After looking at pool math “effects of adding”, if i installed a swg, it would add about half the amount of salt to the water as the equivalent amount of LQ (ppm wise)Salt levels over 5,000 ppm can cause corrosion on metals around your pool.
I might be concerned with your Coverstar mechanism.
To lower the salt level you need to exchange water with fresh water.
Draining - Further Reading
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,343
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I am not sure what you are saying.
A pool with a SWG needs around 3000ppm of salt. Then that salt level is maintained.
On pool math, .3lbs of chlorine gas raises the fc 4ppm and salt 3.3ppm. .35 gallons of 10% LQ adds 3.9ppm fc, and 6.4ppm salt. I’m i looking at this wrong?
- Jan 7, 2012
- 1,507
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,343
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
A SWG is not adding chlorine gas. That is a different product and different way of chlorinating a pool.
Salt Water Chlorine Generators
Salt Water Generators are designed to produce small amounts of chlorine continuously. This is perfect for day to day use and reduces work for the homeowner.
www.troublefreepool.com
- Jan 7, 2012
- 1,507
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
- Jan 7, 2019
- 236
- Pool Size
- 14344
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
This is a great post though. Many LC and tab users do not measure salt and therefore do not realize how much salt is in their pools. I just used your story as an example I shared with my friends who are building a pool and they actually called PB with me there and had him add an swcg to their build!!!!
I think the Pool Math web version (PoolMath) does not have "SWG" as an option in "Effects of Adding", while the same-named phone app does. The salt generated from adding "Chlorine gas" might actually be correct -- but doesn't take into account that the SWCG is consuming an equal amount of salt to generate that chlorine gas.
In OP's pool example if you run the SWCG enough to raise the FC level by 3.9ppm, the salt level would *drop* by 6.5ppm. Shut off the SWCG and let the FC level drop by 3.9ppm, and the salt level would raise again by 6.5ppm to the original level. Of course, we can measure FC at that granularity (ish) but we can't measure salt variances to that precision (the Taylor salt test is 200ppm steps), so we never notice that our salt levels are varying +/- a few tens of ppm as the FC level varies.
When adding chlorine in any other form, the salt was consumed elsewhere (e.g. the bleach plant), and when the FC breaks down the salt just accumulates in the pool. So yes, a SWCG pool actually has a more predictable salt level than other chlorine sources, where it varies extremely widely depending on how many total ppm of FC have been added over how many years.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,929
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
All chlorine pools are saltwater pools (eventually). Others mentioned salt as a byproduct of chlorine and pool acid. Don't forget about those pesky salt-sheddin' humans! They leave salt behind, too. Hopefully just from sweat. Hopefully... 
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