How Much Salt to Add to Pool

 Maintaining the optimal salt level will not only make your experience in the water the most positive, but it will also help your pool last as long as possible. The better care you take of your pool surfaces and equipment, the longer it will last. Having an appropriate salt level is an important step in that maintenance process.

What Should the Salt Level Be in Your Swimming Pool?

Ideally, the salt level of your pool water should be somewhere between 2700 and 3400 ppm (parts per million). 3200 is optimal, but it can be tricky knowing how much salt to add to get the water there and to keep it there.

If the level is low, add salt according to the number of gallons in your pool. We will visit that more specifically in a little bit.

What Happens if Your Swimming Pool Salt Level Is Too High or Too Low?

Having a low salt level will reduce the efficiency of your salt chlorinator, which will lead to low chlorine production. Too much salt, on the other hand, can cause your chlorinator to shut down entirely! This could cause your water to have an unpleasant, salty taste which typically happens around 3500-4000 ppm. Salt doesn't go away (it doesn't wear out or evaporate), which means it has to be monitored.

How Much Salt I Need to Add to My Pool?

Knowing how much salt to add is crucial to keep your pool running efficiently and for a long time. If you're new to this process, that's okay! We're here to walk you through it so that you're comfortable and confident in maintaining the best setup.

How to Test Your Current Salt Level

It makes sense that before you can figure out how much salt to add to your pool water, you will have to know the current salinity levels (that just means how salty it is). Your generator should tell you what the salt level is, so checking that display is the first step.

Saltwater generators don't always provide accurate salt readings if they need to be recalibrated, cleaned, or if the water temperature is too low, for example. High totally dissolved solids (TDS) will also mess with the reading. To verify the reading, you can use a manual testing method at least once a month. As long as everything is in good order, your generator should give a fairly accurate number.

Calculating Swimming Pool Volume

The formula for finding the volume of a rectangular pool is simple. It's just length x width x average depth. If you have a differently-shaped pool, there are plenty of pool volume calculators out there that will ask for a few simple measurements (such as average depth) and give you a number back. Finding measurements for an above-ground pool can be simpler than finding an inground pool, but the idea is the same for both.

How to Use a Pool Salt Calculator

Here is a formula for calculating exactly how much salt to add to your pool (we're shooting for 3200 ppm): Pool water in gallons x 8.35 x (0.0032 - current salt ppm / 1,000,000)

For example, if you have a 10,000-gallon pool with a current salt ppm of 900, your formula will look like this: 10,000 x 8.35 x (0.0032 - 1000 / 1,000,000)

Then, you just type it into a regular calculator, and you're good to go!

If you're checking your math, this particular calculation equals 183.7. That means adding about 183.7 pounds of salt to your pool to get it up to the proper level. It's most common to find pool last being sold in 40-pound bags, so expect to purchase five bags.

How to Add Salt to Your Saltwater Pool

You really only need to add salt to your pool once at the beginning of the season unless you have to add salt to replace anything lost from daily use. Additionally, if you ever have to completely drain and refill the water, you will have to start over with the salt.

Use Pool-Grade Salt Products

It is very important to make sure any salt you buy is pool grade. That means it's at least 99.8% pure sodium chloride, food-grade, granulated, non-iodized, and not evaporated. Also, ensure that it doesn't contain any anti-caking agents since those will discolor many pool surfaces, fittings, and finishes.

Make Sure Your Salt Chlorine Generator Is Turned Off

If you leave the generator running while you pour salt or while the salt dissolves, it can cause uneven concentrations in the pool. So, turn off your chlorine generator, but leave it on the pump and filter to help dissolve the salt by circulating the water.

Add the Right Amount of Salt You Need

Avoid pouring salt directly onto the skimmer, but instead, add it to the shallow end of the pool or disperse around the perimeter. Once that's done, let the salt dissolve and circulate. This could take up to 24 hours.

Turn on Your Salt Chlorine Generator

Once everything is dissolved, you may turn the salt chlorinator back on. The final step is to test your water and make sure you have a level of around 3,200 ppm (it doesn't have to be exact). Levels much lower than that aren't as effective, but levels much higher than that could reduce the lifespan of your salt cell, pool surface, and equipment.

Salt levels might not be something that you think of often, but they're important to consider and monitor if you want to save money and have your pool last for as long as possible. It may sound a little complex at first, but once you get your hands involved in the process, you will find that it's pretty simple. As long as you can do some math (or you have a calculator handy), spend a little time, and devote your efforts, it's a breeze! There's no need to bring in an expensive professional when you can just as easily do it yourself.