There is an abundance of benefits associated with salt water sanitation systems. With a salt system, you’ll enjoy consistent sanitation as the salt cell is responsible for creating its own natural chlorine to efficiently cleanse your water. Yes, there is always chlorine present in a salt water pool but the difference is that with salt systems, chlorine does not have to be manually added and is natural. Salt systems continually, and safely, regulate natural chlorine which contribute to safe and balanced water.
Salt water pools require less maintenance when it comes to preventing and alleviating algae, as has a difficult time growing in salt water. With a salt water system, you do not have to balance your water chemistry as often as salt is a natural disinfectant. It still requires maintenance, but can be easier on you as a pool owner.
Once you’ve added salt to your pool, you likely won’t have to add any more for a while. The only circumstances where you’ll likely need to replenish your salt is after heavy rainfalls or extreme weather, when you re-fill or re-open your pool, and when you are backwashing.
One of the most exciting benefits of a salt water pool is the lack of chloramine build-ups. The consistent replenishment of natural chlorine prevents those strong chemical odors and results in softer, gentler water without that salty ocean-water taste. Your eyes, hair and skin will thank you for this! Did you know that not only do salt water systems provide smoother, softer water, but they also provide you with more rest? Less maintenance is often required from salt water pool owners as salt systems more efficiently and consistently regulate pool water.
Your pool’s salt cell operates most efficiently when the salinity is within the range recommended by the device’s manufacturer. These ranges can vary slightly with different models, therefore it is important to know what your specific system requires. If your system does not have a built-in monitor or display, we recommend weekly water testing.
If your pool’s salt levels are low, you’ll need to add salt while making sure that you do not go overboard; the only way to lower your salinity count is to add fresh water. In extreme cases, you can damage your salt cell and other hardware if your salt levels are higher or lower than the recommended range. Low salt levels will negatively influence sanitation as there won’t be enough natural chlorine production.
Like refreshing ocean water, your salt water pool will leave you feeling clean, invigorated and soft. A salt water swimming pool will operate at approximately 3000 ppm of salt, whereas the ocean holds a 35,000 ppm of salt. This means that you don’t need to worry about that strong salt water taste or your eyes stinging.
Using pure, high quality salt will increase the life of your chlorine generator and keep your pool producing smooth, healthy water.
Adding salt is required when you open your pool, after extreme weather or when you are converting from a chlorine pool. Salt does not evaporate, you’ll only see salt levels dropping when you add fresh water into your pool, or after heavy usage.
As mentioned previously, it is important to add the correct amount of salt to your pool within the range recommended by your salt cell. Adding a little less salt than you calculate will allow you to test the salinity and add more if required. This is a lot more efficient than having to add fresh water and perform multiple tests.
Please note that colder water will influence the conductivity of your salt water and will result in a lower reading than with warmer water. We recommend testing your pool’s salt water once it has been warmed to room temperature for a more accurate reading.
Adding salt should be done in a manner that allows for efficient absorption. Pool salt is designed to be dissolved quickly, therefore this step should be a breeze. After you add your salt, we recommend using a brush and pole to encourage mixing for at least half an hour. If you’ve noticed that most of your salt has been absorbed, it is time to turn on your pump and filter, just not your chlorine generator. After 24 hours, test your salinity and perform more fresh water salinity balancing if required. If your salinity levels are within range, your pool is ready for splashing.
We recommend that you inspect your salt cell every 2-3 months for calcium build up. If you regularly examine and maintain the integrity of your salt cell, it should last your family 4 to 6 years.
At the end of pool season, always ensure that you perform a thorough pool closing. Closing your pool is essential to the opening and function of your pool next swimming season.
Keep your Phosphate levels at recommended levels. You can test this with one of our professionals in store. Keeping your chemicals balanced and your phosphates low, ensures proper operation of the salt sanitation system, cell and sensor.
The following salt chart is to determine the amount of salt required to raise a pool to 3500 parts per million
| CURRENT SALT LEVEL IN PARTS PER MILLION | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WATER VOLUME (LITRES) | 0 | 500 | 1000 | 1500 | 2000 | 2500 | 3500 |
| 10000 | 35 KG | 30 KG | 25 KG | 20 KG | 15 KG | 10 KG | 5 KG |
| 20000 | 70 KG | 60 KG | 50 KG | 40 KG | 30 KG | 20 KG | 10 KG |
| 30000 | 105 KG | 90 KG | 75 KG | 60 KG | 45 KG | 30 KG | 15 KG |
| 40000 | 140 KG | 120 KG | 100 KG | 80 KG | 60 KG | 40 KG | 20 KG |
| 50000 | 175 KG | 150 KG | 125 KG | 100 KG | 75 KG | 50 KG | 25 KG |
| 60000 | 210 KG | 180 KG | 150 KG | 120 KG | 90 KG | 60 KG | 30 KG |
| 70000 | 245 KG | 210 KG | 175 KG | 140 KG | 105 KG | 70 KG | 35 KG |
| 80000 | 280 KG | 240 KG | 200 KG | 160 KG | 120 KG | 80 KG | 40 KG |
| 90000 | 315 KG | 270 KG | 225 KG | 180 KG | 135 KG | 90 KG | 45 KG |
| 100000 | 350 KG | 300 KG | 250 KG | 200 KG | 150 KG | 100 KG | 50 KG |
| 110000 | 385 KG | 330 KG | 275 KG | 220 KG | 165 KG | 110 KG | 55 KG |
| 120000 | 420 KG | 360 KG | 300 KG | 240 KG | 180 KG | 120 KG | 60 KG |
| 130000 | 455 KG | 390 KG | 325 KG | 260 KG | 195 KG | 130 KG | 65 KG |
| 140000 | 490 KG | 420 KG | 350 KG | 280 KG | 210 KG | 140 KG | 70 KG |
| 150000 | 525 KG | 350 KG | 375 KG | 300 KG | 225 KG | 150 KG | 75 KG |
Note: There may already be salt present in the water. Be sure to test the salt level prior to adding any. Do not operate the salt water chlorinator unitl the salt has dissolved. Running the unit at low salt levels will cause damage to the unit. Be conservative when adding salt as it is easier to add more if needed then it is to dilute if there is too much salt.
Here are some of the products mentioned in the guide above. Use them to help you keep your pool crystal clean.
Designed to be simple to own and maintain without sacrificing performance or reliability. The TruClear Salt System can be controlled from your smart phone using the iAquaLink™ app when combined with AquaLink® Automation Systems. It comes with a compact design for easy integration in most equipment pad configurations.
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DIVE SMART SANITIZERTM G1 is a self-powered and self-contained water sanitizer device for swimming pools. It converts salt to chlorine in your pool, so you don’t have to buy and manually add chlorine to your water. It comes with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and a powerful web and mobile application that lets you remotely monitor and control the operation of your device.
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