If you have been thinking about converting to a saltwater pool, you may be wondering where to start.
Switching to saltwater is gentler on your skin, hair, and clothes, but it can be rough on some of your pool equipment. Therefore it is important to follow the proper steps when starting or converting to a salt pool.
Whether you are starting up a saltwater pool or converting your chlorine pool, you need to start by determining the gallon capacity of your pool. Knowing the gallon capacity of your pool will help you determine how much salt you will need.
To determine your pool’s gallon capacity, use the following formula:
Length x Width x Depth x 7.5 gallons = volume of the pool (in gallons)
The length times the width provides you with the pool’s surface area. When you multiply that by the depth of the pool, you get the volume in cubic feet.
Now that you have determined how many gallons of water your pool hold, you need to work on testing and balancing your pool water. Knowing the gallon capacity for our pool will help you determine how much of each pool chemical you will need to add to keep the water balanced.
When you test your pool, we recommend testing for:
· Alkalinity
· Chlorine
· Calcium Hardness
· Cyanuric Acid
· pH
· Salt
· Metals
The proper levels for each are as follows:
· Alkalinity- 80-120ppm
· Chlorine- 1-3ppm
· Calcium hardness- 200-400ppm
· Cyanuric acid- 50-80ppm
· pH- 7.2-7.6
· Salt – This will be based on what the chlorinator’s manual says. It is usually within the range of 3200ppm.
· Metals- 0
Before you turn on the salt chlorinator, you need to make sure your water is completely balanced with all the correct levels. If you are converting an existing pool, you will already have a salt level, so you need to know the starting salt levels so you know how much more salt to add.
Each salt chlorinator has its own recommended salt range. Be sure to check
your manual for the right amount for your pool. On average, most pools will require 3200ppm of salt. You need to make sure that you use the correct slat for your pool, which is sodium chloride. The salt you use for your pool needs to be at least 99% pure.
Salt is available in 40lbs bags, and the amount of salt you need to use will depend on your current salt level, the gallon capacity of your pool, and the manufacturer’s recommendation for your salt chlorinator.
When adding the salt to your pool, pour a few bags at a time into the pool. Using your pool brush, move the water around to help the salt on the bottom of the pool dissolve. As you get close to your final bags of salt, stop, and test the salt levels. You want to test prior to putting all the salt in because you can always add more salt, but you cannot remove it once you put it in.
If you raise the salt level too high, this could result in you needing to drain your pool several inches and filling it back up with fresh water to balance the slat levels.
Now that you have balanced your chemical levels and added your salt to the ideal range, you can turn on your salt chlorinator. Be sure to refer to the slat water chlorinator’s manual for the specific operation and care instructions.
If you are ready to start a saltwater pool or want to convert your current pool, Swimming Pool Discounters has the chemicals, salt, and equipment you need to get the job done! Contact us today to learn more!
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