I have a 21ā X 54ā round pool. Weāre going salt water. I just got it filled today and I ordered 8 40lb of salt. Iām not getting a definite answer to how much salt I need. I believe my pool works out to about 11000 gallons. Also do you add anything else. Some pool places recommended 2 1lb bags of shock with the salt to keep from over working the SWG. Thoughts? What about algacide? Iām picking up a zinc anode tomorrow also. Just trying to cover everything, if there is something Iām over looking or you have a suggestion of please feel free to give your thoughts, itās all new to me. Thank you.
Pools up now what? š first time salt water
- Thread starter Wardf
- Start date
Good job on coming here first!
Our PoolMath app will help you calculate everything you need to add to your pool based upon the volume.
Check your SWG manual, but most of them are happy with 3500 ppm of salt. Add the salt and allow it to dissolve overnight before turning on your SWG. Run the pump 24x7 to keep the water moving.
Add 70 ppm of stabilizer (aka cyanuric acid or CYA) right away. Put it in an old sock and hang it in front of the return to help it dissolve. It'll take a few days. You can squeeze the sock to speed it up. CYA buffers the effect of chlorine and protects it from burnoff due to the UV rays from the sun. This is a one-time addition.
Once the CYA is in the pool and dissolving, use liquid chlorine or non-scented, non-splashless laundry bleach to raise your free chlorine (FC) level to 7 ppm. Be sure to enter the correct concentration into Pool Math, usually 6 to 12.5%. Your SWG adds chlorine too slowly so this will get your pool to the desired level right away. Then when you turn on the SWG, it just needs to replace the 2-3 ppm of FC that your pool will consume each day.
Wait about 15 minutes after adding chlorine and check the pH. Use muriatic acid to keep in the range 7.2 - 7.8. If you need to raise it, you will use baking soda instead. But with a swg, you will be dealing with pH slowly creeping upward. Test and dose weekly.
Test FC daily for a while until you get a feeling for how many hours and what % you need to run your SWG to keep your FC at 7. Don't worry if it gets a little higher - it's safe to swim up to 28 ppm for your CYA level (28 is 40% of 70 ppm CYA). *NEVER* let your FC fall below 5 ppm. If it does, add a quick splash of liquid chlorine to get back to 7 then up your SWG to maintain it.
We do not recommend the use of algaecides as they add undesirable things to your pool such as copper, which can stain your liner and turn hair green. Likewise, phosphate removers are unnecessary. All you need is chlorine to keep your pool sparkling clear. Anyone that tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something. All this is explained in more detail in Pool School.
Also, you will need one of our two recommended test kits in order to follow the TFP method. These are the only ones that contain all the tests we need. We do not rely upon pool store testing or test strips, as both have proven themselves time and again to be completely unreliable. Trust me, this is the best money you will ever spend on your pool. Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared
Our PoolMath app will help you calculate everything you need to add to your pool based upon the volume.
Check your SWG manual, but most of them are happy with 3500 ppm of salt. Add the salt and allow it to dissolve overnight before turning on your SWG. Run the pump 24x7 to keep the water moving.
Add 70 ppm of stabilizer (aka cyanuric acid or CYA) right away. Put it in an old sock and hang it in front of the return to help it dissolve. It'll take a few days. You can squeeze the sock to speed it up. CYA buffers the effect of chlorine and protects it from burnoff due to the UV rays from the sun. This is a one-time addition.
Once the CYA is in the pool and dissolving, use liquid chlorine or non-scented, non-splashless laundry bleach to raise your free chlorine (FC) level to 7 ppm. Be sure to enter the correct concentration into Pool Math, usually 6 to 12.5%. Your SWG adds chlorine too slowly so this will get your pool to the desired level right away. Then when you turn on the SWG, it just needs to replace the 2-3 ppm of FC that your pool will consume each day.
Wait about 15 minutes after adding chlorine and check the pH. Use muriatic acid to keep in the range 7.2 - 7.8. If you need to raise it, you will use baking soda instead. But with a swg, you will be dealing with pH slowly creeping upward. Test and dose weekly.
Test FC daily for a while until you get a feeling for how many hours and what % you need to run your SWG to keep your FC at 7. Don't worry if it gets a little higher - it's safe to swim up to 28 ppm for your CYA level (28 is 40% of 70 ppm CYA). *NEVER* let your FC fall below 5 ppm. If it does, add a quick splash of liquid chlorine to get back to 7 then up your SWG to maintain it.
We do not recommend the use of algaecides as they add undesirable things to your pool such as copper, which can stain your liner and turn hair green. Likewise, phosphate removers are unnecessary. All you need is chlorine to keep your pool sparkling clear. Anyone that tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something. All this is explained in more detail in Pool School.
Also, you will need one of our two recommended test kits in order to follow the TFP method. These are the only ones that contain all the tests we need. We do not rely upon pool store testing or test strips, as both have proven themselves time and again to be completely unreliable. Trust me, this is the best money you will ever spend on your pool. Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared
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For the TFP methodology, it is best to have your own test kit - see Test Kits Compared
Also read Pool Care Basics
In addition to salt, you will need Stabilizer to add CYA to your pool. For a salt pool you will need a CYA of 60-80. Add stabilizer in increments so you do not overshoot your target.
Are you familiar with FC/CYA Levels See the section for Salt Pools for levels of CYA and FC.
To raise your FC it is best to use liquid chlorine (LC) - not granular shock. The saltwater chlorine generator (SWCG) is great at maintain a FC but best to use the LC to raise it to the initial desired target.
Do not use algacide.
You will need some muriatic acid (MA) to maintain your pH levels. All is denoted in the Pool School info linked above.
Also suggest you download the PoolMath app. Fill out your pool details and record your test data in it. It will tell you how much chemicals to add based on your current test results.
Also fill out your signature, under Settings on left pane.
This will help the forum help you when you have a question.
Apologize for all the "action" items but we want you to avoid relying on a pool store as they will lead you astray and just try to sell you a lot of unneeded products.
Basically, all you need is LC, MA, Salt and Stabilizer to manage your pool.
Edit - Sorry for duplication with @jeffcarp as he got is post in as I was typing mine
Also read Pool Care Basics
In addition to salt, you will need Stabilizer to add CYA to your pool. For a salt pool you will need a CYA of 60-80. Add stabilizer in increments so you do not overshoot your target.
Are you familiar with FC/CYA Levels See the section for Salt Pools for levels of CYA and FC.
To raise your FC it is best to use liquid chlorine (LC) - not granular shock. The saltwater chlorine generator (SWCG) is great at maintain a FC but best to use the LC to raise it to the initial desired target.
Do not use algacide.
You will need some muriatic acid (MA) to maintain your pH levels. All is denoted in the Pool School info linked above.
Also suggest you download the PoolMath app. Fill out your pool details and record your test data in it. It will tell you how much chemicals to add based on your current test results.
Also fill out your signature, under Settings on left pane.
This will help the forum help you when you have a question.
Apologize for all the "action" items but we want you to avoid relying on a pool store as they will lead you astray and just try to sell you a lot of unneeded products.
Basically, all you need is LC, MA, Salt and Stabilizer to manage your pool.
Edit - Sorry for duplication with @jeffcarp as he got is post in as I was typing mine
Last edited:
Right or wrong, at least we are consistent here. 
Thank you all very much, Iāll be reading through this info. I have the MA from the last pool. Iāll get LC in the morning and the salt will be delivered tomorrow. Is the CYA something to get at a regular pool store, just trying to CYA my myself. 
Iāll fill out my signature also.
Iāll fill out my signature also.
Pool store, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware...Thank you all very much, Iāll be reading through this info. I have the MA from the last pool. Iāll get LC in the morning and the salt will be delivered tomorrow. Is the CYA something to get at a regular pool store, just trying to CYA my myself.
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,171
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
You'll have a hard time finding it if you're searching for CYA. It's usually sold at the big box stores as "chlorine stabilizer." Confirm that the ingredients are [close to] 100% cyanuric acid.
In the pool math it didnāt really tell me how much to start with. On line I saw anywhere from 240 to 400 lbs of salt. I started with 240 lbs let it run over night and still had a low salt light. I added 80 more and let it run overnight and the light went out. Let me back up. I started with a jug (close to a gallon) of CYA, let that circulate and then added 3 gallons of LC, then the salt. I have no way to test yet, I ordered the big salt test kit from the link you all gave me, tf-pro salt, it will be a few days. I might have a few strips to get me by til then. Thank you for the help. I may have more questions after I get the test kit and some readings.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,872
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Ward, now would be a good time to slow down a bit. More is not always better. If your pool is about 11K gallons, adding 3 gallons of chlorine to your pool (if it was 10%) at one time is 27 ppm of free chlorine. That's a lot. Thankfully you added some conditioner (CYA), but there's still no reason to go that high unless you are doing a SLAM which you are not.
One gallon of liquid conditioner might only take your CYA up to about 35. If we rounds-up that CYA to 40, the SLAM level would be 16 which means you are almost twice the SLAM level for your pool. That's a lot of chlorine. So you can see where accurate dispensing becomes very important. We not only want to save you money and time, but also don't want your pool liner to get damaged.
I doubt you will need to add chlorine for 2-3 days, so just keep an eye on things for now and don't add anything else until your test kit arrives. Best to be safe than sorry. Keep practicing with the PoolMath APP and especially the "Effects of Adding" area so you can get teh hang of it. If you have any questions let us know.
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