I’m going to add to add a 40lb bag to bring my salt level back up. Since I am not adding multiple bags and not starting with freshwater, is it necessary to turn off the SWG when adding? What happens if the SWG is running while salt is added?
Topping off with salt,SWG off or on?
- Thread starter NaCLTPool
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Depends how and where you are adding it to your pool.
It is best practice to turn off the SWG before adding salt.
Many folks get away with adding salt with the SWG running.
Do you feel lucky today?
Maybe nothing. Maybe a high salinity slug of water goes through the cell which causes the amps to spike and damage components.
Some SWG systems electronics are more sensitive and easily damaged then others.
Saturn94
Bronze Supporter
- Mar 11, 2015
- 1,864
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I always turn off the swcg when adding salt. It’s simply not worth risking damage to expensive swcg equipment.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,636
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You'll regret that. It'll only be more work, a lot more, and won't get mixed into the pool water any better or faster.
Turn your pump on. Turn the SWG off. Then pour the salt all into one small pile in the shallow end. Use your brush and sweep the pile onto itself. Keep the pile small. Some will escape. Just sweep that back into the pile. In five or ten minutes it'll be dissolved, and the pump will do the rest.
If you broadcast it all over the pool bottom, you'll have to walk back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. I only did it that way once, and learned my lesson.
Don't turn the SWG on for at least a full day (pump running the whole time). I usually go two or even three days, because I add salt in late winter (now) and can use just a little liquid chlorine to keep the pool sanitized. I'm in no hurry this time of year.
You can do whatever you want as it's your pool. I pour it at the farthest point away from the main drain in the shallow max 2 bags otherwise the cell is off for a couple of hours and that's with a heated pool only.
I turn my drains off and add 1 or 2 bags to the shallow end, 40 ft from the skimmers. I go back and brush it every 30 to 45 mins and might get distracted on the 2nd one and it goes for 2 or 3 hours. I rarely need a 3rd brushing whether or whether not I was distracted for #2.
For large adjustments, same. And for those the cell is off for 24+ hours.
For large adjustments, same. And for those the cell is off for 24+ hours.
The powder salt dissolved way faster than the rock salt. I just added 8 bags of powdered salt to my pool and it was totally dissolved in a few minutes using the pile and brush method. The rock salt would still be there a day later. I also run my robot to stir everything up.
I can't run my swg yet since my order for cya won't be delivered for a few days, but the water is cold so not worried.
I can't run my swg yet since my order for cya won't be delivered for a few days, but the water is cold so not worried.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
You can run your SWG at any CYA level.
Use the SWG to generate the chlorine you need as long as the water is warm enough for the SWG to run.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 12,636
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I neglected to mention the type of salt when I was describing my MO. Mostly because I've never used anything but the powder, so it didn't occur to me. By all means, buy the powder.
I buy salt from Leslie's. I don't even know how it's price compares to the Lowe's next door. It's probably a little more, but I buy salt and chlorine from a pool store because I want to support it, at least in some small way. And the price difference is really no big deal.
When Lowes has nothing but old chlorine, I like knowing that Leslie's is going to have plenty of fresh. And all types of stores getting gobbled up by big chains and Amazon is not going to work out for us someday.
Sure, I can run it, but the chlorine will just disappear due to sunlight. Seems like a waste of the swg run time. And since the water is still cold, no real need.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,062
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
If the water is warm enough for the SWG to generate there it needs chlorine.
Without chlorine algae will take hold in your water and party once it warms up.
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Also if the water is barely warm enough for the SWG to work, the UV demand is minimal. You don't jump to 4ppm daily loss because the SWG kicked on. You run a month at 8%, then some weeks at 20% before spring kicks in.
So the higher CYA isn't needed yet at that point and a 20 or 30 is fine to start.
So the higher CYA isn't needed yet at that point and a 20 or 30 is fine to start.
Liquid chlorine costs more FC to FC. My replacement cell will produce over 3x worth of bleach.