How much salt is too much salt?

[JaySav]

About a month ago my board was registering a little low on my salt level so I threw a few bags in to get it to my upper range to ride out the rest of the year (my max I go to is about 3600). A few nights ago I looked and it showed my salt level at 1900. I knew that couldn’t be right so I took the cell and water to get tested, cell is bad and salt level is 5100. Very high.

Today I am buying a new cell, man the prices have gotten crazy on those. Im going with the same one I had, T cell 15, but what do I need to get the salt level down to? I know what a good range is but I don’t want to dump that much water, what’s the absolute max the cell will generate chlorine? I’ve since added about 4 inches of water to the pool, ran it all night and I’m going to get the salt level checked again today. I do my own testing I’ve just never got set up to test the salt. My cell has always seemed to be pretty reliable as far as that goes, even tho it got me this time. Lol.

Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

Aquarite SWCG controllers are susceptible to components failing with elevated salinity. We suggest staying at or near 3200 ppm salinity.

Hayward Aquarite SWG - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Get a K1766 salinity test kit.

 

[Mdragger88]

The t15 is undersized for your pool volume although it is the largest cell hayward makes currently. This means your cells won’t last as long in people years before reaching the end of their 8-10k hour lifespan.
We recommend one rated for 2x’s your pool’s volume for this reason.
If your equipment is aging you may consider replacing it with something that offers a 60k gallon rated cell. Pentair & circupool have these options.

 

[JaySav]

The t15 is undersized for your pool volume although it is the largest cell hayward makes currently. This means your cells won’t last as long in people years before reaching the end of their 8-10k hour lifespan.
We recommend one rated for 2x’s your pool’s volume for this reason.
If your equipment is aging you may consider replacing it with something that offers a 60k gallon rated cell. Pentair & circupool have these options.

Ya well the cell is from 2015 and it’s 2023 so it outlasted its lifetime almost twice. We have very clean water in Memphis, the cell has never had any scale on it. 33k is an estimation from adding chemicals, it’s a free form pool so hard to get an accurate calculation. It may be around 30k. During the summer I’ll run the cell at 85%, 8 hrs a day which keeps the TC around 5-6. Usually CYA level is 50-70, more 70 in the beginning of the season then obviously drops throughout the season. During the off months I’ll run it 65%, I don’t close the pool. The cell seems to do just fine, that’s what was installed when we bought the house in 2019.

 

[JaySav]

The t15 is undersized for your pool volume although it is the largest cell hayward makes currently. This means your cells won’t last as long in people years before reaching the end of their 8-10k hour lifespan.
We recommend one rated for 2x’s your pool’s volume for this reason.
If your equipment is aging you may consider replacing it with something that offers a 60k gallon rated cell. Pentair & circupool have these options.

I didn’t realize my signature stated 36000 gallons. I created this account when we first bought the house so that was a rough guesstimation. I’ve since dialed the pool in a little better. Like I said I think 30k-33k is more realistic.

 

[Mdragger88]

I didn’t realize my signature stated 36000 gallons. I created this account when we first bought the house so that was a rough guesstimation. I’ve since dialed the pool in a little better. Like I said I think 30k-33k is more realistic.

That’s good news but still under sized here in the sweltering mid south - a 60k gal rated unit would serve you well. Something to think about for the future.

 

[JaySav]

That’s good news but still under sized here in the sweltering mid south - a 60k gal rated unit would serve you well. Something to think about for the future.

I didn’t even see you’re right around the corner in Hernando, ya bigger is always better.

 

[mknauss]

At 30K gallons, 8 hour run time, and 85% generation setting, you are adding 1.6 ppm FC per day to the pool. Surprising, but if it works, great.

 

[Mdragger88]

I didn’t even see you’re right around the corner in Hernando, ya bigger is always better.

I have a t15 generic cell that has a little more output than the hayward (it claims 2.1#/day) but it’s part of my frankenstein used (free to me) aquarite system. When that goes kaput i’ll be getting a circupool UL55 or something similar. I currently have to run @75-80% 12-14hrs a day to keep up in my 26k gal pool & its killer on the electric bill with a single speed pump.

 

[JaySav]

At 30K gallons, 8 hour run time, and 85% generation setting, you are adding 1.6 ppm FC per day to the pool. Surprising, but if it works, great.

How much should you be adding a day? I’m not sure about the math, I def could have some numbers off somewhere but all I know is that we bought the house in 2019 and I’ve never had a single spec of algae. The water has always been crystal clear, I only put the basic chemicals in the pool, TFP method and I’ve never had to SLAM it. It’s really been a great pool. Sometimes I wonder if my TF100 test kit is broke (joke) because it just seems like it stays in balance so well once I initially get it in balance beginning of the season. I’ve had very few issues besides some old parts going bad like filter spider selector, pump motor, pump impeller, flow switch and now cell going bad. Pools getting some age now, it was built in 2007. Makes me appreciate it when I hear others pool horror stories. Really can’t thank this site enough for the invaluable knowledge.

 

[mknauss]

Each pool is unique. If you have a lot of shade and little use, the low FC consumption can be realistic. My pool, high UV, etc uses up to 5 ppm FC per day. Typical in the southern climates is 3-4 ppm per day.

 

[JaySav]

Each pool is unique. If you have a lot of shade and little use, the low FC consumption can be realistic. My pool, high UV, etc uses up to 5 ppm FC per day. Typical in the southern climates is 3-4 ppm per day.

Little use is for sure a reality. Not a lot of shade until the late afternoon around 3-4.

 

[Mdragger88]

I am currently using about 3.5/4 ppm/day. I try to keep my cya close to 80 to help with uv losses. I get full shade about 4:00/4:30 right now.
The rest of the day is full sun. Now that school is back in I am the only one who gets in most days. Can’t wait for our “cold front” to hit in a couple days lol my car said it was 103 today