Which Salt To Buy??? Table Salt??

[wsettle]

I am sorry to be ranting but I just have a hard time reading a post that gives clear recommendations and then someone coming right behind and doing the complete opposite and posting it as well

I assume you are talking about my post but I purchased "pool salt" not table salt. There are lots of options for salt. The blue bag is not the only one. Just trying to give another option of where to readily buy pool salt. Sammies has both types, table salt which is not recommended here and pool salt which IS recommended on this thread... which I mention.

If you weren't referring to my post, never mind If you were, chill dude, and re-read the post.

 

[Steve]

I am sorry to be ranting but I just have a hard time reading a post that gives clear recommendations and then someone coming right behind and doing the complete opposite and posting it as well

I assume you are talking about my post but I purchased "pool salt" not table salt. There are lots of options for salt. The blue bag is not the only one. Just trying to give another option of where to readily buy pool salt. Sammies has both types, table salt which is not recommended here and pool salt which IS recommended on this thread... which I mention.

If you weren't referring to my post, never mind If you were, chill dude, and re-read the post.

Yea, I think the whole point of this thread is don't use TABLE salt or anything with anti-caking additives or any additives for that matter. There are many brands and type of salt for pools. My pool store sells one in a brown paper bag and it is VERY fine particles, almost like the consistency of table salt, but it is pure pool salt. But the stuff at local home centers or warehouse stores is typically more widely available and cheaper. Much of that is made by Morton's. And, to be perfectly honest, Morton's specific formula for pools is not the blue bag, but rather the white bag with blue print. That is the one wsettle linked to from Sam's and is imho the better choice for a pool. The stuff in the blue bag is formulated for a water softener and is a bit coarser. Will it also work in a pool - sure, because it is pretty pure, but is does contain occasional impurities like pieces of rock. I know, I have used it in my softener for many years. I used the fine $12 bag stuff for many years but recently switch to the $5 bag Morton's in the white bag and it has been cleaner than the blue.

So for Morton's I would recommend white bag pool salt first, blue bag softener salt second, and never the yellow or green bag.

And in case you don't look at the link, this is direct from Morton's site regarding the blue bag solar/softener salt... "This salt contains small amounts of insoluble particles from the environment that may need to be periodically removed from the brine tank." And it is very true, I pick pieces out of my brine tank all the time.

 

[JasonLion]

The coarser solar salt crystals, typically in blue bags, are totally fine for pools, as is the finer pool salt, typically in white bags. Even the coarse crystals dissolve quickly, not a problem at all. The solar salt is plenty pure enough, and in many cases exactly the same purity as the pool salt. In most cases the pool salt is significantly more expensive, making the solar salt crystals the best choice in most cases.

There is salt in yellow bags that is alright to use with pools. Yellow bags are often, but not always, pellets. The pellets dissolve even more slowly but still fast enough to not be a significant problem. Since there doesn't tend to be any price advantage to pellets, you are normally better off getting crystals, even though the pellets will work.

Avoid table salt. Also avoid iron fighter, and rust inhibiter, typically in green bags. They will all cause significant problems. Rock salt is also a problem, because it has too many impurities.

White bags at Home Depot/Lowes are often potassium chloride, which will work but it costs more and you need to use 17% more to get the same salt level, so not usually the best choice. Pool salt also tends to come in white bags, so read the label and check the prices on white bags.