If you own a saltwater pool, you already know the balance is everything. Too little salt, the system won’t work properly. Too much salt, and suddenly you are dealing with corrosion, stinging eyes, or the water just not feeling right. Many pool owners get confused when their salt levels go high and wonder – should I drain the pool? will just topping up with fresh water help? how much salt is even ideal? will diluting my pool water reduce my salt level?
Let’s go step by step and break this down.
Step 1: Determine the current salt level
So how to add salt to a pool is probably what you are wondering. It’s easy, first get a salt testing kit (test strips or digital meter). Ideal salt levels for most pools sit around 2700 – 3400 ppm (parts per million). Some systems run best closer to 3200 ppm, but check your pool’s manual because every chlorinator is slightly different.
So let’s say you test and the reading is 4000 ppm. That’s too high. If you leave it like that, your pool equipment might struggle and you’ll spend more money fixing it later.
Step 2: Calculate the amount of water to drain
Now that you know how to add salt to a pool, you also need to calculate how much water to drain. When you know your number, you can figure out how much water needs to be drained out. The formula is simple, you lower salt level in pool only by dilution.
If you want to drop from 4000 ppm to 3200 ppm, that’s a 20% reduction. So you should remove 20 percent of the waters of the pool. As a case in point, a 20,000-gallon pool will be about 20 percent or 4,000 gallons. Sounds like a lot, but that is the only way.
Step 3: Drain Calculated amount of water
Next is the part that is painful, at least, draining. You should not drain the entire pool (unless the job is dismantling the entire pool or a repair). Then just pour off the amount you figured Use either a submersible pump or the waste system of the pool. Watch where you dump that water, a recent use of chemicals will not allow you to flood the garden.
Step 4: Fill it Back Up
After you’ve drained it, fill the pool back up with fresh water from the tap or your well (assuming it’s decent quality). This brings down the salt level in pool. Don’t go crazy and overfill – just get it back to where it was before. Some people do this bit by bit, draining and filling in stages so the pool doesn’t get shocked by all the changes at once.
Step 5: Get the Water Moving
After topping up, don’t just leave it sitting there. Switch the pump on and let it run a good while, a full day if you can. The fresh water has to blend with the salty water already in there. If it doesn’t mix, your test kit will give you weird results. It’s kind of like adding water to a drink, until you stir it, the taste isn’t right. In this case, the pump is doing the stirring for you.
Step 6: Retest the salt level
Once the pool has been running for long enough, grab your test kit again. This is when you’ll see the real numbers. With luck, it should be close to where you wanted it. Example: if you started around 4000 ppm and aimed for 3200 ppm, you should land in that neighborhood now.
Step 7: Adjust if necessary
Sometimes it doesn’t line up exactly. Maybe you drained less than you thought, or a little too much. No big deal. Just repeat in smaller steps until the reading looks right. If you overshoot and the salt gets too low, don’t stress. It’s way easier to add a few pounds of salt back in than to get rid of excess. Keep a salt chart handy, most bags have one printed on them. The chart basically tells you how much salt per gallon (or per 10,000 gallons) you need to bump the level back up.
How Much Salt to Add to Pool (And Keeping It Balanced)
How much salt to add to pool is the most asked question on the internet. Now that we already saw how to reduce salt level in pool by draining and diluting, let’s talk about the other side, adding the right amount of salt. Most pool owners either throw in too much or too little. But there’s a simple formula behind it.
Step 1: Determine Pool Volume
Everything starts with knowing the exact size of your pool. Salt is measured in parts per million (ppm), so you need the pool volume in gallons or liters.
- Rectangle pool: length × width × average depth × 7.5 (for gallons).
- Round pool: diameter × diameter × average depth × 5.9.
- For liters, just multiply gallons by 3.785.
Example: If your pool holds 20,000 gallons, that’s the number you’ll use in calculations.
Step 2: Check Current Salt Level
Don’t just start dumping salt. Test first. A proper salt test kit or a digital meter will give you the current reading. Let’s say you test and it shows 2000 ppm. The target for most saltwater systems is between 2700 and 3400 ppm, with many chlorinators running best around 3200 ppm.
So in this case, you need to raise by about 1200 ppm.
Step 3: Apply the Formula
Here’s the simple formula:
Pool Volume (in gallons) × Desired ppm increase × 0.00000835 = pounds of salt needed
Example: 20,000 gallons × 1200 ppm × 0.00000835 = ~200 pounds of salt.
That’s the amount you should add gradually, not in one giant dump.
Step 4: Salt Type
Different salts behave differently in pools. For pools, use pool-grade salt or solar/evaporated salt. Avoid rock salt or table salt because they contain additives that can damage your pool system. Look for salt labeled “99% pure sodium chloride.” Some cheaper salts leave residue, so spend a bit more and save yourself cleaning later.
Step 5: Adding the Salt
The best way is simple:
- Turn off the salt generator for now.
- Broadcast the salt evenly across the pool surface (don’t just dump in one corner).
- Brush the bottom so the crystals dissolve faster.
- Run the circulation pump for 24 hours.
After that, test the salt again and restart the generator once the numbers are in the correct range.
Pool Salt Chart
Most salt bags come with a chart, but here’s a rough idea:
| Pool Size | To raise 500 ppm | To raise 1000 ppm |
| 10,000 gal | 42 lbs | 83 lbs |
| 15,000 gal | 63 lbs | 125 lbs |
| 20,000 gal | 83 lbs | 167 lbs |
| 25,000 gal | 104 lbs | 208 lbs |
This pool salt chart helps you avoid overdoing it. Always round down a bit because adding extra later is easier than lowering it again.
Calculator of Pool Salt Calculator
Need not put yourself through the pain of calculating pool salt, following an online pool salt calculator will suffice. It tells you the precise number of bags to add to your pool by you inputting the size of your pool in feet, and in standard ppm. Most pool supply websites, and manufacturers have one. It is basically the same formula as we just used only quicker.
Important Considerations
Salt Generators
Your salt generator (chlorinator cell) will only operate in the event that your salt levels are adjusted. Too much and production of chlorine decreases. It is too high and the cell is damaged. Maintaining that balance also extends the cell life, which is not inexpensive to switch out.
Avert future high salt levels
Topping up with salt to frequently without testing is the major cause of high salt. Just like anything, test before adding There is also a change of levels in rain and splash-out. Stop blindly adding a bag in because you feel the water is not right.
Chemical Balance
Salt in itself does not cure chemical imbalance. P.H, alkalinity and chlorine need attentions. Salty swimming pools are less demanding as regards the skin, but you need to check at least once a week.
Calcium Hardness
Attention to calcium hardness. When high, and coupled with high amount of salt, it may cause scaling on tiles and in generator cell. Maintain calcium between 200 and 400 ppm.
FAQs
Q: What happens if too much salt is in the pool?
A: The water feels heavy, can taste salty, and may corrode metal parts over time. Chlorinators might also shut down with an error code. The only fix is dilution (draining and refilling).
Q: Does pool salt raise or lower pH?
A: Salt itself doesn’t directly raise or lower pH. But saltwater generators slowly push pH up because of the way they make chlorine. That’s why you’ll often add muriatic acid to balance it.
Q: How to lower salt level in pool quickly?
A: Sadly, there’s no chemical trick. The only way is to drain part of the water and refill with fresh water. If you’re in a hurry, drain more at once.
Q: Will diluting my pool water reduce my salt level?
A: Yes, dilution is the only effective way. You drain a portion, add fresh water, circulate, and then retest.
Wrapping Up
Managing salt levels in a pool is not complicated at all, but it does take discipline. Always test before adding. Use the chart or calculator, spread the salt evenly, and circulate well. Keep an eye not just on salt but the full water chemistry. A little extra care now saves you a ton of repair bills later. If you want to know how much does it cost to build a pool, you can check the blog.
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