Salt level dropped surprisingly... a LOT!

[setsailsoon]

Folks,

My salt system is so boring I got a little complacent. Couple days ago I noticed the low salt light flickering and sort of surprising since I brought it up to 3600 less than 2 months ago. Checked with my K1766 and sure enough my reading was 2800. Double checked with same result. Went out to the salt controller next day and it's now got the "check cell" light. We've had a couple of early tropical storms and a tropical wave so I've had to dump pool water a lot. We do not have a level control or auto fill. Never realized it was that much but I guess it was 6"+ each time. Before you know it that's quite a few feet! It's starting to make sense.

Added two bags of salt and level went right back up to 3600 and was almost exactly as predicted by Pool Math. Think I'll split a bag with the water softener next. Rainy season doesn't even start 'till Monday! Better start checking salt more often during rainy season.

Chris

PS Diamond Bright pellets were on sale at under $5 a bag. Dissolved in 30 min just like the Morton's pellets that were $10/bag. I think I'm a convert Allen! @ajw22

 

[ajw22]

I bought this salt meter. I have the K-1766 test but for weekly checks of the salt level it is easier to just stick it in the pool water and read a value. It is within a few hundred ppm of the K-1766 and the first time I get it I check it against the K-1766 and I know what the delta is between them. Then I only take out the K-1766 if the salt meter shows an unexpected value.

Amazon.com : eSeasonGear SALT-3000 Meter, Digital Salinity PPM Temperature Tester for Salt Water Pool and Koi Fish Pond : Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com : eSeasonGear SALT-3000 Meter, Digital Salinity PPM Temperature Tester for Salt Water Pool and Koi Fish Pond : Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

My weekly chemical check is pH and OTO chlorine just to confirm the SWG is putting out and dip the salt meter in. Maybe check CYA and TA monthly.

Chris, you check your CYA? If one is low usually the other is low also.

 

[setsailsoon]

I bought this salt meter. I have the K-1766 test but for weekly checks of the salt level it is easier to just stick it in the pool water and read a value. It is within a few hundred ppm of the K-1766 and the first time I get it I check it against the K-1766 and I know what the delta is between them. Then I only take out the K-1766 if the salt meter shows an unexpected value.

Amazon.com : eSeasonGear SALT-3000 Meter, Digital Salinity PPM Temperature Tester for Salt Water Pool and Koi Fish Pond : Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com : eSeasonGear SALT-3000 Meter, Digital Salinity PPM Temperature Tester for Salt Water Pool and Koi Fish Pond : Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

My weekly chemical check is pH and OTO chlorine just to confirm the SWG is putting out and dip the salt meter in. Maybe check CYA and TA monthly.

Chris, you check your CYA? If one is low usually the other is low also.

Yep, sure did and you're right! I knew it was low as it usually is this time of year and I thought it would be around 50. It was 30 so I added all I had (3#). I'll probably have to add a little more and reduce the SWG run time.

Thanks.

Chris

 

[Bvacchiano]

Yep heavy rains will do it. I’ve seen it happen multiple times here in Houston. I purposely get my CELL reading to 4200/4300 ppm for this reason especially if I’m going away for vacation or something like that. I was in Aruba last year and we had some WICKED rain for two days. My cell went from 3600 to 2600 in two days. Cell quit working. Had to have my buddy go dump LC in for me so I didn’t have an algae party. Since the. I keep at 4200 ppm and let it come down.

 

[fkong777]

I also have a big drop in salt level. using the taylor test kit. It was about 3900ppm about a month ago. It is now at 3200ppm. I didnt really have to fill the pool more than the usual evaporation. Can my filter cause this? I didnt really clean it for the pool open this year yet.

 

[setsailsoon]

Not likely, there are some microbes that feed on it but not normally in the filter with the FC bath they get. You do get some degradation naturally during summer months but most I've seen on this is 10%. Have you got an auto-fill? That said, say 400 ppm real loss and test accuracy +/- 200 ppm you're in range of reasonable.

@ajw22 any thoughts on this?

 

[ajw22]

I also have a big drop in salt level. using the taylor test kit. It was about 3900ppm about a month ago. It is now at 3200ppm. I didnt really have to fill the pool more than the usual evaporation. Can my filter cause this? I didnt really clean it for the pool open this year yet.

Put your location in your profile so it appears
<--- there.

Many recommendations about pool depend on the environment your pool lives in.

 

[fkong777]

Southern California. Los Angeles county area. Thanks.
- No Autofill
- Not much rain in the pass 2 month.
- I will add a bag of salt and test again.

 

[SouthVirginiaPool]

Yep heavy rains will do it. I’ve seen it happen multiple times here in Houston. I purposely get my CELL reading to 4200/4300 ppm for this reason especially if I’m going away for vacation or something like that. I was in Aruba last year and we had some WICKED rain for two days. My cell went from 3600 to 2600 in two days. Cell quit working. Had to have my buddy go dump LC in for me so I didn’t have an algae party. Since the. I keep at 4200 ppm and let it come down.

Is there an upper limit for your salt? Can it damage a SWG if too high?

 

[ajw22]

Is there an upper limit for your salt? Can it damage a SWG if too high?

Your AquaPlus does not like high salt levels and can burn out boards. An IC40 is much more tolerant of high salt levels.

 

[PoolGate]

 

[setsailsoon]

*** Wow update ***

I drained enough water to reduce my salt from 3600 to 2800 over the past two months. Got it back up to 3900 ppm last Sunday and raised CYA to 50. It's now Wed and here's the pool this morning. Will go down another 8" today. It's only 3rd day of our 6 month rainy season! Gonna be a long one... think I'll keep a couple bags of that low cost salt and CYA on hand this year.

Chris

 

[PoolGate]

And hear I am praying for rain! My pool has been dropping and dropping due to evaporation. I have resisted up to today but with the forecast in the 90s I can't wait anymore. The hose is in full blast probably take 2 hours to get it up to an acceptable level. I'd say it is down at least 2k gallons.