Maintenance needed for salt water pool?

[Fndr70]

Hello everyone,

At the end of last year we had an in ground pool installed with a salt water filter. Previously we had an above ground chlorine pool so I’m familiar with the basics. However with the salt water pool I’m getting conflicting information rom different sources so I am trying to clear it up.

Back story - since the pool was installed late last year we didn’t really use it. The pool company instead it, land scraper finished the job, and the pool company closed it. We jumped in once just to say we did. Now that it’s opened im just getting familiar with how it all works with the salt generator.

After the pool company opened the pool and added salt, the filter ran for a a day or so. According to the salt meter the salt level was a bit low, so I added salt according to directions. It was at about 2300. Next morning it was at 4700. After taking to the pool guy it turns out the control panel was set to the wrong cell type. I corrected it and now it’s reading 3700 - 3800.

So just to confirm I took a sample to Leslie’s. They read about 3600 so it’s basically accurate. However their chlorine readings don’t jive with my Taylor test kit

They read the free chlorine at 2.13 and total chlorine at 4.82. My test kit gives me about 4.5 free chlorine and 0 combined chlorine. They said it’s because their test is more accurate which I can believe to some extent but that is WAY off.

Second they’re saying I need to increase my calcium hardness. But information I read online (and also information from the pool installer) says a vinyl pool (which I have) doesn’t need to have calcium hardness monitored.

So I’m looking for more information here. Any idea why the chlorine readings are so different? Also do I need to monitor calcium hardness for a vinyl pool? They also said I don’t need to dilute the pool to bring salt down. It’s not that far out of range and slashing and rain will eventually dilute it.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

BTW - the water LOOKS great but has a slight salt taste.

 

[MITBeta]

You should trust your own testing (be sure you're doing it right - double check the directions). Do you have the salt test add-on? You should trust this over the reading on the SWG cell.

Your vinyl pool doesn't need calcium. Do you have a heater?

 

[dfwnoob]

A chlorine pool is a salt water pool and vice versa. There is nothing special, except now having to purposely add and monitor salt.

Pool store testing is garbage and all pool store opinions should be discarded. What are the results from your K-2006? Do a full suite of tests and post them. Additionally, if you don't already have the Taylor salt reagents, pick up the K-1766 salt test.

 

[Fndr70]

Will post a full suite of test results later today.

FYI some of my regents are a more than a few years old because I never really used them.

 

[Fndr70]

You should trust your own testing (be sure you're doing it right - double check the directions). Do you have the salt test add-on? You should trust this over the reading on the SWG cell.

Your vinyl pool doesn't need calcium. Do you have a heater?

No heater

 

[Fndr70]

Ok here are my numbers

FC 1.0 (I had the solar cover off most of the day)
Ph 7.2
TA 70
Calcium hardness - about 100 but I found this test difficult to read
CYA - 0 (cuz I haven’t added any)

So if calcium hardness doesn’t really matter I guess I just need a little stabilizer right?

 

[thefloatqueen]

Ok here are my numbers

FC 1.0 (I had the solar cover off most of the day)
Ph 7.2
TA 70
Calcium hardness - about 100 but I found this test difficult to read
CYA - 0 (cuz I haven’t added any)

So if calcium hardness doesn’t really matter I guess I just need a little stabilizer right?

Did you download the PoolMath app? It will help tremendously with this. You definitely need to get CYA in there asap or your FC is gonna keep disappearing FAST! And you need to toss the old reagents that are a couple years old and buy new ones. They do go bad.

 

[duraleigh]

No, you will need more than CYA to manage your pool water. You should start with Pool Care Basics Archives to help get you started.You should also reorder the expired reagents. They are good for about a year.

I would suggest you bring your CYA (stabilizer) up to about 50 for your climate and then maintain your FC around 4-6 ppm.

 

[Fndr70]

Thank you for the advise! I know the basics but will refresh myself. I was under the impression that a salt water pool is maintained differently than a chlorine pool but seems I was mistaken.

Any recommendations in a complete kit?

 

[JJ_Tex]

Thank you for the advise! I know the basics but will refresh myself. I was under the impression that a salt water pool is maintained differently than a chlorine pool but seems I was mistaken.

Any recommendations in a complete kit?

This is the gold standard for a complete kit for a Saltwater pool. Note there are links at the top for reagents only, or supplemental kits like Salt test kits.

TF-Pro Salt

tftestkits.net

 

[Fndr70]

This is the gold standard for a complete kit for a Saltwater pool. Note there are links at the top for reagents only, or supplemental kits like Salt test kits.

TF-Pro Salt

tftestkits.net

I ended up getting the Taylor 2006-c cuz it’s what I already had and it was on sale on Amazon. Plus it’s one of the recommended kits in here. I also got the Taylor salt test kit.

 

[dfwnoob]

Be sure to check the expiration dates; I've gotten Taylor stuff off Amazon that were both expired and within a month of doing so. Return it to them and get your money back if they try to do that to you.