Salt 5000ppm in Non-SWG pool

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MugZona

MugZona

0
Jun 23, 2014
74
Tucson, AZ
I recently posted a question about a replacing a light fixture and noted that the fixtures I was considering are rated for freshwater pools at 6000ppm salt or less. Well, I just tested my salt using the strips and I'm at 5000! The pool was last drained exactly four years ago (the summer I bought the house) and I started using TFP methods. I simply have not lost much water to splashout or anything else, so I guess the amount of liquid chlorine I've dumped in over four years has really made its mark in creating salt.

What should I do? For so many reasons, I don't want to drain the pool. And I definitely don't want to waste money on a light fixture that's going to degrade because of the saltiness after next year, when I'll certainly hit 6000ppm at the rate I'm going. Of course, if you say I need to drain to save other parts of the pool equipment. I would have no metal in the pool that I know of except for the fixture.

Advice please! Thanks.

Matt
 
I certainly will. Though I see no reason why salt wouldn't build up consistently in a situation where the water never has a chance to get diluted -- and everyone who swims in it tells me it tastes really salty (though they love how it feels)...
 
I'd take the opportunity to go saltwater chlorine generator and save yourself $50 in salt! Seriously, get a proper kit like the K-1766 and see what your actual levels are. 5000 is getting up there but not the end of the world. The only way to get rid of salt is to drain and refill.
 
Get your salt test redone first. The strips are about $12.00 and are fairly consistent + or - 400 ppm. My bet is your Salt is not that high unless it has been added. Chlorine alone cannot account for that increase.
 
I agree this would be really rare, but lets do a little math:
Assuming average 2ppm FC added every day of the year in Tucson ... that would be 3.3ppm of salt added every day.
In 1 year that would be 1200ppm of salt added.
4 years since last water replacement = 4800ppm of salt.
Not counting any that may be in the refill water to replace evaporation.
Not very much yearly rain that would required pumping out the excess.
OP has a cartridge filter, so no backwashing and likely no vacuuming to waste.
There would have to be some splashout just from use, but that would not be a significant source of salt reduction.

So while on the face it seems highly unlikely, it is not outside the rhelm of possibility.
 
I am impressed that in Tucson you can keep your water that long without the CH rising to well over 1000 ppm.
 
Thanks for chiming in everyone, Retested salt with a couple of fresh strips, and I'm getting 5200 ppm. I'll keep finding ways to verify, but it seems that Jason's math is right on the money — virtually no water loss except to evaporation for four years puts it at about this level. Here are other current numbers:

FC: 4
pH: 7.5
CH: 1300
TA: 40
CYA: 40

Since my CSI is close to 0, do I need to address the high salt issue (or the obviously high CH) at this time, or can I go a few more seasons without draining as long as my CSI remains OK? My CH seems to go up around 150 a year because of the hard water. I'm fine with holding off on a new light fixture, since these fixtures are not rated for water that's as salty as mine (or at least as salty as it will be in a couple years — I should hit 6000 ppm at some point soon), but I don't know if other equipment can be affected. I have no exposed metal in the pool besides my old fixture.

I know that my situation is rare, and along with Dave, I am skeptical about that salt number. Assuming it's correct, I do wonder if it's really a problem to leave the water as is. It looks and feels awesome. I would also be OK with doing a drain and refill once the Arizona winter rolls around, but I won't unless you all think I really should.

Thank you all!

Matt
 

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Flying Tivo said:
With a CYA of 40 in Tucson, i would think more of a 3-4ppm of CL loss daily. Which could make your salt level even more believable.

Felipe
Click to expand...
In the summer yes, but in the winter the loss drops way down ... so I used 2ppm as a rough average over the year.

- - - Updated - - -

If you can keep the CSI balanced, then I suppose you can wait on the water replacement. Your CYA and TA are a little low, but you would have to play with the numbers to figure out where the pH would need to be to keep the CSI near 0.
 
Which makes the builders who REFUSE to install SWGs for warranty purposes even more illogical and showing how little they understand about the chemistry in maintaining a pool.
 
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