How to Add Salt to Your Pool: Seven Steps

Step 1: Select the Right Chlorinator

A suitable chlorinator should be able to handle your pool’s capacity. Choose a chlorinator with a capacity of at least 1.5 times that of your pool to be on the safe side. For example, if your pool is 40,000 litres, you need a chlorinator of 60,000 and 80,000 litres.

Step 2: Buy the Right Swimming Pool Salt

A salt chlorinator requires specific grades, and table salt is typically a bad idea. In Australia, manufacturers usually fortify table salt with iodine and other additives, but a pool needs a salt with a purity of at least 99% (sources recommend 99.8% to 99.9%). Be sure to buy salt specifically designed for salt chlorinators and read the label carefully.

Step 3: Learn How to Measure Salt Levels in Your Pool

The easiest way to measure the salt level is using a saltwater pool test strip, although this might not be the most accurate. Your pool professional will use test equipment that involves an electronic salt test, that provides a closer measurement to ensure over or underdosing is less likely to occur. Collect a sample from the calmest area of the pool (away from pool returns or skimmers) and collect a water sample from 50 cm below the surface. It is best to do this by holding the container upside-down and pushing it to the desired depth before scooping up the sample. Remember, accuracy is key when measuring the correct salt level for your pool.

Step 4: Calculate How Much Salt to Add to Your Pool

A calculator might help for this step as you need to use the volume of the pool to work out the salt requirement. A simple rule is to add four kilograms of salt for every thousand litres of water. A 40,000-litre pool would require 160 kg of salt.

If your pool already has some salt in it, you will not have to purchase much, so check your salt level calculations beforehand. When you have figured out the levels and bought what you need, you can move on to how to add salt to your pool correctly.

Step 5: Turn off the Salt Chlorinator

When you are ready to begin, you will need to turn off the salt chlorinator before adding salt to the water.  Don’t turn it on again until the salt reaches the proper concentration; if the salt chlorinator is running before dissolving the salt, the pool will have uneven salt concentration. Low salt levels also prevent the chlorinator from doing its job, and high levels affect the taste of the water and can turn the salt cell off as a protection measure.

Step 6: Add Salt to the Pool

It is always best to add the salt gradually at the shallow end of the pool. It takes about twenty-four hours for dissolved salt to dissolve sufficiently, so leaving the pump on during this process helps. Test the salt level of the water periodically until it reaches 3500 ppm or the required level as set out in your manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 7: Run the Salt Chlorinator

The salt chlorinator will use electrolysis to convert the salt into chlorine gas, steadily and safely providing the right chlorine target salt level, to sanitise your pool. Your chlorinator might even have a sensor to monitor salt and chlorine levels. Otherwise, check the levels with test strips or kits. Never rely on the chlorinator alone to provide the required salt level for your pool, in case the cell or chlorinator is faulty.

When should I add salt to my pool?

Salt should be added to your pool when the salt level drops below the recommended range for a saltwater pool. The ideal salt level for a saltwater pool is typically between 2500 and 4500 parts per million (ppm), although the exact level may vary depending on the specific type of pool water volume of salt cell and manufacturer’s recommendations.

It’s important to regularly test the salt level in your pool using a salt test kit or a digital salt meter. If the salt level is too low, you should add salt to the pool to bring it back up to the recommended range. It’s important to add salt gradually and in small increments, allowing time for the salt to dissolve and distribute evenly throughout the pool before retesting and adding more if necessary.

How much salt should I add to my pool?

The amount of salt you need to add to your saltwater pool systems depends on the current salt level and the size of your pool. The ideal salt level for a saltwater pool is typically between 2500 and 4500 parts per million (ppm), although this can vary based on the specific type of salt cell and manufacturer’s recommendations.

To determine how much salt to add to your pool, you should first test the current salt level using a salt test kit or digital salt meter. Once you know the current salt level, you can use a salt calculator (often available online) or consult the manufacturer’s instructions to determine how much salt to add based on the size of your pool and the desired salt level.

When adding salt to your pool, it’s important to do so gradually and in small increments, allowing time for the salt to dissolve and distribute evenly throughout the water. It’s also important to run the pool pump and filter for several hours after adding salt to the pool store help circulate the water and distribute the salt evenly.

It’s worth noting that if you have just installed a new salt cell or drained and refilled your pool, you will need to add salt to bring the salinity level of the salt level up to the recommended range. In these cases, you should consult the manufacturer’s instructions for specific guidance on how much salt to add based on the size of your pool.

Where is the best place to add salt to pool?

The best place to add salt to your pool is directly into the pool water, near the return jets. This will help to ensure that the salt dissolves quickly and distributes evenly throughout the bags of salt pool.

To add salt to your pool, you should first determine how much salt you need to add based on the current salt level and the size of your pool. Once you have determined the correct amount of salt, you can slowly pour it into the pool water, walking around the perimeter of the pool and distributing it evenly.

It’s important to add salt gradually and in small increments, allowing time for the salt to dissolve before retesting the salt level and adding more if necessary. It’s also important to run the pool pump and filter for several hours after adding salt to help circulate the water and distribute the salt evenly.

Avoid adding salt directly into the skimmer or near the pool walls main drain or floor, as this can cause localized areas of high salt concentration and potentially damage the pool surface or equipment.

How long after adding salt to the pool can you test?

After adding salt to your pool, you should wait at least 24 hours before testing the salt level. This allows enough time for the salt to dissolve and distribute evenly throughout the pool.

When testing the salt level, it’s important to follow the instructions provided with your salt test kit or digital salt meter and to take the measurement at a depth of at least 18 inches to ensure an accurate reading.

If the salt level of fresh water is still too low after waiting 24 hours, you can add more salt in small increments, allowing time for each addition to dissolve and distribute before retesting. It’s important to avoid adding too much salt at once, as this can lead to localized areas of high salt concentration and potentially damage the pool surface or equipment.

Remember that regular testing and maintenance of your pool’s salt level is important for optimal performance and to ensure a comfortable swimming environment.