How often are you'll adding salt?

[Themacdadt]

I'm just curious to how often other people are having to add salt to thier pool. If I'm correct the only way to lose salt is by a leak, splash out. I feel I'm having to add salt more than I should so I would like some comparison. I add a 40 lb bag like once a moth. I live in central Florida. But like I said evaporation should not be an issue since salt does not evaporate.

Thanks todd

 

[pooldv]

You are correct. Salt only leaves the pool with splash out, carry out, backwash, draining, overflowing from rain, etc. That is more salt than I add but you probably get quite a bit more rain than I do. Also note that as water temp drops the reported salt level will also drop even though it isn't actually dropping.

 

[mas985]

I have found that with the T-15 Cell and SWG, the salt level reading is not very dependent on temperature. However, other SWGs, such as the IC40, do have quite a bit of dependency with temperature.

 

[chiefwej]

Since you are using a cartridge filter, you lose nothing to backwash. You should never have to add salt unless you have an awful amount of splash out or are intentionally draining water for some reason. Even with a DE filter, I add maybe one or two bags in a year.

 

[FloridaSolarPro]

In Florida we get lots of rain in summer. Overflow can result in a significant amount of salt loss. I add about 400 pounds per year to my 600 sq ft pool (24k gallons). Most of the salt added is in summer.

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[JoyfulNoise]

I would suggest you invest in a Taylor K-1766 salt test kit to measure salinity as opposed to using the SWG. It is the most reliable and accurate way to know what your salinity is and it is the only way you should be figuring out your salt needs.

 

[needsajet]

I've added three 55 lb bags in my first year. Most salt loss from our pool is through the overflow during heavy rains. The 2nd biggest loss is seven backwashes, accounting for 40 lbs of the salt loss, so that's around 125 lbs going out the overflow. Average annual rainfall here is 48 inches and the past year has been pretty close to the average. I hope that's helpful. Also, you can find out if you have a leak by doing a bucket test:

Get a plastic bucket of pool water and add some rocks to help hold it in place
Set it on the top step going into your pool
Add or remove water to make the water level in the bucket the same as in the pool
Disable your overflow and/or auto-fill
Check it after a day or so and compare the water loss between the pool level and the bucket level

When comparing, a lot of wind across the pool (but not the bucket) or aeration (e.g. spa, water feature, slide) may cause more evaporation in the pool.

 

[Themacdadt]

In Florida we get lots of rain in summer. Overflow can result in a significant amount of salt loss. I add about 400 pounds per year to my 600 sq ft pool (24k gallons). Most of the salt added is in summer.

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My pool never overflows, and I loose approximately 2 inches a week to evaporation and after 2 weeks of adding water I start seeing a drop in salt and by the third week I have to add 40 lbs. of salt

 

[JoyfulNoise]

My pool never overflows, and I loose approximately 2 inches a week to evaporation and after 2 weeks of adding water I start seeing a drop in salt and by the third week I have to add 40 lbs. of salt

Evaporation and refill will not change salinity levels. When water evaporates it leaves the salt behind.

If you are losing 2" per week AND your salinity levels are changing (going down), then you have a leak.

How are you measuring salinity?

 

[gwegan]

As suggested above that is probably more than evaporation, 2 inches a week suggests a leak. Do the bucket test as suggested above and see if you have a leak. Turn off any auto fill.

 

[FLPoolDIY]

I'm in Central FL also. Today was the first day I've had to add water to my pool in 9 months since owning our home. I've also only added two bags of salt with the two tropical storms and my kids splashing a lot of water out of the pool. I keep my salt level at 3000 - 3500.
I would definitely do the leak test.

 

[ping]

This question was asked earlier but it needs to be answered, how are you testing the salinity?

If you are relying on the SWG reading for the salinity then you could be adding too much salt. One of the first symptoms of SWG cell failures is reporting low salinity when it is actually fine.

If the salinity is actually dropping that much then it is most likely a leak.

 

[Themacdadt]

This question was asked earlier but it needs to be answered, how are you testing the salinity?

If you are relying on the SWG reading for the salinity then you could be adding too much salt. One of the first symptoms of SWG cell failures is reporting low salinity when it is actually fine.

If the salinity is actually dropping that much then it is most likely a leak.

I am using my control panel to see salt levels. I do have all the drop tests and the salinity drop test also. After adding a bag of salt the reading goes right back up to 3200. I will start checking with the drop tester. So two inches a week is too much to be evaporation?

 

[FloridaSolarPro]

I am using my control panel to see salt levels. I do have all the drop tests and the salinity drop test also. After adding a bag of salt the reading goes right back up to 3200. I will start checking with the drop tester. So two inches a week is too much to be evaporation?

That all depends. Warm, dry, windy weather can cause 2 inches a week. On the other hand, it could be a leak. Time for the bucket test. Then maybe a pro.

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[pooldv]

2" per week is a little on the high side. Normal evaporation is 1/8"-1/4" per day. You can do a bucket test to check it. More here, Pool School - Leak Detection

 

[Themacdadt]

In Florida we get lots of rain in summer. Overflow can result in a significant amount of salt loss. I add about 400 pounds per year to my 600 sq ft pool (24k gallons). Most of the salt added is in summer.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

So you adding about 10 bags of salt a year correct? Does anyone think this is to much?

- - - Updated - - -

2" per week is a little on the high side. Normal evaporation is 1/8"-1/4" per day. You can do a bucket test to check it. More here, Pool School - Leak Detection

1/4 inch Dailey x 7 days= 1 3/4 a week right.

 

[pooldv]

I don't understand the question of is it too much. The salt level needs to be maintained in range for the SWG. As long as the dilution is from rain and not from a leak then there isn't a whole lot you can do about it.

 

[Themacdadt]

I don't understand the question of is it too much. The salt level needs to be maintained in range for the SWG. As long as the dilution is from rain and not from a leak then there isn't a whole lot you can do about it.

My question is how much salt should I be going through with no leaks no dilution and no splash out? I guy said he uses 2 bags a year and one says he uses 10 bags. So I guess the guy using ten bags has a lot of salt loss somehow.

 

[pooldv]

More rain is the most likely cause. You can certainly lose salt if your pool is leaking but an inch a week isn't much water or much salt.

 

[Themacdadt]

More rain is the most likely cause. You can certainly lose salt if your pool is leaking but an inch a week isn't much water or much salt.

So again, in a perfect pool world how much salt should I be going through with no rain dilution?