Salt water pool maintenance is a bit different than traditional pool care. While you don’t have to add as many chemicals with a salt water pool, you do have to balance your water and care for your pool equipment, like your salt water generator, a little differently. Here are 9 common salt water pool maintenance mistakes and how to avoid them.
💦 Download our pool maintenance video course and save money with the promo code VIDEO: https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-handbook/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description'>https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-handbook/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description
🏊♂️ Our Favorite Pool Maintenance Gear: https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-maintenance/'>https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-maintenance/
⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Salt Water Pool Maintenance
00:37 - Mistake #1. Thinking A Salt Water Pool Has No Chlorine
01:06 - Mistake #2. Not Testing Free Chlorine Each Week
01:49 - Mistake #3. Not Keeping pH Levels In Check
02:29 - Mistake #4. Adding Too Much Salt Too Quickly
03:02 - Mistake #5. Not Testing Salinity Levels By Hand
03:34 - Mistake #6. Not Balancing Alkalinity, Stabilizer, and Calcium Each Month
05:15 - Mistake #7. Forgetting To Shock Pool Regularly
06:11 - Mistake #8. Letting High Salt Levels Erode Pool Surfaces and Equipment
06:59 - Mistake #9. Forgetting To Inspect Your Salt Cell
📡 Subscribe to our channel if you want more information on swimming pool and hot tub maintenance: https://www.youtube.com/swimuniversity
Swim University has made swimming pool and hot tub care easy for more than 10 million homeowners. And each year, we continue to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting. We know taking care of a swimming pool or spa can be difficult. And it’s hard to find a trusted source of information. We get it! This is the reason we created Swim University.
😎 Visit our website for more in-depth information on swimming pool maintenance: https://www.swimuniversity.com/
💦 Download our pool maintenance video course and save money with the promo code VIDEO: https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-handbook/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description'>https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-care-handbook/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description
🏊♂️ Our Favorite Pool Maintenance Gear: https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-maintenance/'>https://www.swimuniversity.com/pool-maintenance/
⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Salt Water Pool Maintenance
00:37 - Mistake #1. Thinking A Salt Water Pool Has No Chlorine
01:06 - Mistake #2. Not Testing Free Chlorine Each Week
01:49 - Mistake #3. Not Keeping pH Levels In Check
02:29 - Mistake #4. Adding Too Much Salt Too Quickly
03:02 - Mistake #5. Not Testing Salinity Levels By Hand
03:34 - Mistake #6. Not Balancing Alkalinity, Stabilizer, and Calcium Each Month
05:15 - Mistake #7. Forgetting To Shock Pool Regularly
06:11 - Mistake #8. Letting High Salt Levels Erode Pool Surfaces and Equipment
06:59 - Mistake #9. Forgetting To Inspect Your Salt Cell
📡 Subscribe to our channel if you want more information on swimming pool and hot tub maintenance: https://www.youtube.com/swimuniversity
Swim University has made swimming pool and hot tub care easy for more than 10 million homeowners. And each year, we continue to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting. We know taking care of a swimming pool or spa can be difficult. And it’s hard to find a trusted source of information. We get it! This is the reason we created Swim University.
😎 Visit our website for more in-depth information on swimming pool maintenance: https://www.swimuniversity.com/
Saltwater pool maintenance is a bit different than traditional pool care, while you don't have to add as many chemicals with a saltwater pool, you do have to balance your water and care for your pool equipment a little differently. So here are 9 common salt. Water pool maintenance mistakes and how to avoid them check it out before we dive in, if you're looking for help keeping your pool clean and clear check out our free pool care cheat sheet at swimuniversity.com cheat sheet, it's a totally free easy to use guide to help. You keep track of taking care of your pool.
Mistake number one thinking: a salt water pool has no chlorine. When you add salt to your pool, your salt, water generator uses that dissolved salt to create chlorine. That's right, your salt, water pool is still a chlorine pool. The only difference you're adding salt instead of chemicals to make that chlorine happen.
Your salt, water generator also produces a steadier lower level of chlorine than a typical pool. That means the water is gentler. On your skin and eyes. Mistake number two, not testing your free chlorine levels.
Each week like we said your salt, water generator produces chlorine, and that means you need to test and balance your free chlorine levels to keep your water sanitized. Your free chlorine levels should be between one and three parts: per million, with three parts per million being ideal test. Your water weekly with test strips or a liquid test kit, then adjust your generator accordingly. If your chlorine levels are off, you can keep your chlorine levels.
A little higher than you would with a traditional pool because of how chlorine is produced and dispersed by your salt. Water generator just make sure that your salt water levels are high enough for your generator to work properly and that you don't have any calcium buildup. On your salt cell mistake number three, not keeping your ph levels in check. Your ph will run on the high side in a salt water pool, because your salt, water generator naturally raises your ph as the system runs.
High ph levels above 7.6 can lead to skin irritation and burning eyes and cause scaling on your pool equipment so be sure to test and balance your ph. Every week you can add ph decreaser to lower your ph levels or muriatic acid. If you have a chronically high ph problem, make sure your other levels are balanced, like your cya and check the run times on your saltwater generator. Remember it's your system running that produces higher ph levels.
Mistake number four, adding too much salt too quickly, the upside of a saltwater pool. Well, once you add the salt, it stays in, the water salt doesn't evaporate, and that means it can continuously flow through your saltwater generator and produce chlorine. The downside is, if you add too much salt, it's a pain to lower your levels. Your salinity levels only go down with rain splash out or by diluting your water manually, so be sure to add your salt slowly and test your levels as you go, especially if it's the beginning of the pool season mistake, number five, not testing your salinity or salt Levels by hand, most saltwater generators display your water's salinity level, but it's always smart to test your salt water levels manually in case your system is producing a false reading check your salinity levels at least once a month during the pool season. You'll also want to check. After a heavy rain, heavy use or if you've drained out lots of water, you can use saltwater test strips or we recommend using a digital salinity reader check your saltwater generator instructions for the right salinity levels. For your system mistake number six, not testing and balancing your alkalinity stabilizer and calcium levels each month, in addition to testing your salinity levels once a month, you'll want to test and balance your alkalinity, stabilizer and calcium hardness levels once a month as well. Your alkalinity helps buffer your ph from fluctuations, and your alkalinity levels should be between 100 and 150 parts per million, but, like we said, your ph levels will rise, naturally with a saltwater generator, and that means alkalinity is a bit less important and it's okay.
If your alkalinity levels runs a bit lower than 100 parts per million, if you need to raise your alkalinity levels, you can use an alkalinity, increaser or baking soda. If you need to lower your alkalinity levels, you can actually use ph decreaser or muriatic acid. Your stabilizer aka cya levels should be between 30 and 50 parts per million in a traditional pool, but many salt water pool owners find it helpful to maintain cya levels of 80 parts per million, especially if you're having trouble keeping chlorine levels up in your pool. Now most saltwater systems recommend that you keep your calcium hardness levels between 200 and 400 parts per million high, calcium hardness levels can calcify and burn up your salt cell or cause scale at your pool's water line.
If your calcium, harness levels are too high, you'll need to dilute or drain some water out of your pool, be sure to fill up your pool using a hose filter to avoid adding any hard water. And if you have a vinyl liner pool that you drain and take down at the end of the season, you do not need to add any calcium harness to the water mistake, number, seven forgetting to shock your pool regularly shocking. Your pool is the process of adding an extra boost of chlorine to help raise your free chlorine levels regularly shocking. Your pool also helps destroy extra contaminants, algae and bacteria.
If your saltwater generator has a boost mode, it can disperse extra chlorine from your system. You can also shock your pool by manually, adding granular, dichlor chlorine or liquid chlorine just be sure to check your cya levels after using stabilized chlorine and try to avoid using calcium, hypochlorite or cal hypo shock that can cause calcium buildup in your salt cell. We recommend using the boost mode or shocking your pool at least once a week during the peak pool season or after a heavy rain or heavy use, make sure to add this extra chlorine at night and let it dissipate so the sun doesn't burn it away. Then retest your water, the next day mistake number eight, letting high salt levels break down your pool, equipment and surfaces. Salt water isn't harmful in normal concentrations, but if your salinity levels get too high or if it builds up on surfaces, it can start to break down your pool equipment. Your pool liner and your pool cover use a pool lube to prevent o-rings from breaking down for pool lights and ladders, rinse them with a garden hose at least once a week. Splash out can lead to high concentrations of salt on the outside of your pool liner. So rinse this off as well splash out, can also erode limestone or any other soft stone coping around your pool, and if you have an automatic pool cover, salt residue can corrode your cover's components so rinse off your covers tracks and hardware with a garden hose.
Every few weeks mistake, number nine forgetting to inspect your salt cell. Things like calcium can build up over time on a salt cell you'll want to inspect and clean your salt cell every three months and at the beginning and end of the pool season open and inspect your salt water cell to check for scale build up and deposit. If there are deposits, use a high pressure hose to flush them off, you can also use a diluted solution of muriatic acid to get rid of the tougher deposits and be sure to follow any cleaning directions that come with your saltwater generator. Now, if you want more help taking care of your salt water system throughout the season, grab our free pool care cheat sheet at swimuniversity.com cheat sheet, and if you found this video helpful leave a comment hit the like button and subscribe for more pool maintenance.
Tutorials like this throughout the season, that's it thanks again and happy swimming.
Too techy. Trying to sell the course it feels. Speak layperson
How long is it safe to operate a pentar intieli chor chlorinator with high salt levels? It says on unit 3600 is normal however reading of water is 4200 . Cant drain pool until next week will it be ok?
I own 16 villas with pools in greece and supervise the day to day running.
This video is bollocks and clearly comercial.
well this is overwhelming af. filling in my pool with dirt.
It makes hypochlorite like the bleach for laundry. Do not touch it if nothing changes. Mine has not changed since i opened it in May. Sorry i added a bag of salt after a week of hard rain.
Us pool guys should vote whether we like salt systems or not, would be interesting to see the results lol. I personally don't like them unless we install an acid feeder, especially in plaster pools
So if my pool is 2770 ppm what should I do?
My pool guy is telling me he has to empty the pool (salt water ) because the calcium is too high. Any input? How did it get to this point? Is this common? Service area Kanata??
Agreed. Good information.
I love the way everyone is a genius – with different methods. I had a 20 x 40 in ground vinyl pool for 30 years and the only thing I ever used was chlorine – When it got green I shocked it – otherwise I just kept a normal chlorine level ( before salt and all the liberal geniuses ) my pool always was sparkling clean. I'm 70 years old now and visit my kids Salt pool – Its always a problem and he's like a chemist trying to figure it out – I just laugh and drink my Scotch as I watch.
I couldn't watch due to the open mouth soy pose in the thumbnail. Who decided these faces are cool. Its dumber than duckface.
FYI salt is a chemical. And salt pools are stupid.
Why do you recommend running alkalinity so high? It causes my PH to raise even faster
Been in the pool industry for 41 years salt is good and bad it will in time destroy your pool and equipment this will happen regardless of chemistry slowly if pool is kept balanced let me tell you it sucks to tell a customer that the chlorine generator is bad or cell is bad and a 4 to 900 dollar repair where with tabs is a 80 dollar repair I like both but I let the customer decide I let them know ALL the pros and cons both types have the same amount of care
Borates Borates Borates Service area Orleans??
Hello is it true with a fiberglass pool don't use calcium
Decent video but couple mistakes that I see.
#1 It is a saltwater CHLORINE generator. It does not generate salt, it generates chlorine.
#2 pH tends to rise in saltwater pools because Di/trichlor (pucks) are acidic which is what keeps pH down when you use them. Owners of saltwater pools don't use these pucks so hence their pH rises because there is nothing to keep it down. The SWG creates chlorine and hydrogen.
#3 There is no evidence that the marginally higher salt content of a saltwater pool erodes anything around the pool any faster than with a traditional pool. This is a myth. Traditional non-salt pools after a couple years tend to run at 1-2ppt salt concentration while saltwater pools run at 3-4ppt. Marginally higher. For reference, the ocean is 35ppt.
#4 Pools that are properly balanced and maintained with a proper chlorine level do NOT need to be shocked, ever. In my 5 seasons of pool ownership I have never once "shocked" my pool.
#5 The most important number to avoiding scale buildup over time is the calcium saturation index (CSI). Keeping this number between -.06 and +.06 keeps everything running great with NO scale buildup on the SWG plates. And again, in my 5 seasons I have never once cleaned my SWG plates but do inspect them annually and they never have a single bit of calcium buildup. Cleaning the SWG cell damages the cell whether it needs to be cleaned or not so cleaning should not be performed unless it is absolutely necessary.
Shock your pool only when pool start to be fogy
Over time, doesn't the salt level decrease since it is being turned into chlorine? How often would you be adding more salt to the pool?
Long time pool owner here. Agree with everything except the part about having to shock the pool regularly. If your pool chemistry is fine and the water remains clear algae free there is no need to shock the pool. Only time i shock is when i open and close the pool for the season.
I had a salt water generator… what pain! Converted back to chlorine and I couldn't be happier.
I bought a blue works system for a 15000 gallon pool mine is a 10'000 the cell produces very little chlorine, the tech support said it is to small and I need to by a bigger cell which is not going to happen this year but I was curious what will happen if I just run it at 100% other than wearing out a cell that really isn't worth a crap anyway.
Can you make a video of how home owners can try plastering their own pool?
Much appreciated video. I'm about to close on a house with a saltwater pool. I have zero pool maintenance experience.
I’m new to maintaining my own pool. It has a SWG but I come to find out my pool man (of 20 years) wasn’t adding salt or keeping the ph level balanced. (8.0+) After having pool water tested I’d need to add 400 lbs of salt to correct it. If I want to continue with using chlorine, can I just shut the SWG off? ( will that hurt anything?) I’ve managed to balance ph levels and the pool still looks great, despite my inexperience. Thank you for all your advice SU. PS-I’m sure he never cleaned the cell… Are you in Nepean ?
I had this Dude tell me that he has a saltwater pool and he has a salt water generator where he doesn’t have to put salt water in that it actually generates salt. Stating I repeat that it makes salt. hahhahaha hahahahhaha ahahahaahahhhaha .
Once you put salt in water you get a sodium ion and chlorine ion, no? (assuming concentration is less than fully saturated) That chlorine ion is now free to evaporate out, which is why you probably need to keep adding more chlorine. If the salt never goes away as the video suggests, why the need for a weekly (really? weekly?) extra dose of chlorine ions?
I'm not being combative here, I really want to know. I've been considering switching over but every time I talk to a professional, I come away thinking they couldn't have passed highschool chemistry and think they are just trying to sell me more gadgets.
Because salt systems always bounce the PH up, and you need to lower the PH weekly, I would add Sulfuric acid (no fume) instead of muriatic acid. You are only trying to lower the PH, not the alkalinity. Muriatic acid lowers both more rapidly. Also, if you're in a area where the calcium levels in the source water are high. You'll want to keep the alkalinity a little bit lower than you might normally keep in a pool where you're adding chlorine manually. That way you won't get the calcium granules blowing back into the pool when the cell reverses polarity to clean itself.
I run my pool totally CYA free and relly on just the free chlorin without any issue.
My pH level is totally stable the whole year, so I run the full season without adjusting the pH and alkaline. The only extra treatment is twice a season a small dosage of flocculant.
Side info, the pool temperature is 24-28°C. Service area Barrhaven??
I’ve tried both salt and chlorine… chlorine is far easier to maintain. Liquid chlorine is the “secret”..
Great info – thanks! I'm curious, should I take the salt cell out and put in a bypass during the non-swim season?
Note: This is from a pool supplier. This is way too much testing. Unless you have a new pool installed every year, you just know how many hours to run the chlorine generator. I have had an 18’ above ground pool and never did any of this. No issues.
"pool season" LOL. I often forget that there are places in the US where people don't swim year-round. Are you in Ottawa ?
Dude…….Im putting a timer on my pump, what do I do with the salt generator? Leave it on ? Shut it off when the pump is off? I assume the salt generator doesn’t make chlorine if water isn’t pumping through it….HELP ! Are you in Orleans ?
Turn the cell off while vacuuming, brushing, and of course backwashing/rinsing. Turn the cell off for 24 hours if you add salt. This will prolong the life and make the cell happy. In other words, use the cell only during timed filtering cycles. Period.
Can i borrow some chlorine. The stores are out lol Are you in Barrhaven ?
If my free chlorine is staying good do I still have to shock?
You otta do a video on white water mold, can't get rid of it, grrr Service area Nepean??
Is 10000mg/L dangerous for equipment of 10-15000 gallons pool?
What happens when the salt cell is replaced by a dummy cell, but manually apply chlorine tablets instead. Is it okay to do so by just switching off the chlorinator function and discontinue the salt cell production permanently? Will the filter and booster pump be damaged without the salt cell functioning? Thanks.
Hi, new to pools. I have a 14' (about) Intex pool that I mainly use for my dog. It gets dirty fast and i havent used any chemicals cause im afraid she will get sick as she likes to drink the water out of it. We have been partially draining and refilling which gets expensive and doesnt helo the drought we are in. Is it safe to do the normal cleaning-chemical routine if I know my dog will drink the water?
How long should I run the boost mode once a week?
Matt, my SWG manual says it must be turned off (set to 0%) when adding chemicals. I usually run the pump/VSP on high after adding chemicals… but how many hours do I wait before turning the SWG back on?
I have a salt pool, haven't shocked it and haven't had issues with calcium. Am I missing something?
So I'm getting a new salt water pool put in now, so my last pool I had 10 years ago was chlorine and I only ran the pump 4 hours a day and never had any problems. Except when winter came in Florida we don't have real cold weather for long. But how long would I need to run the salt water pump per day. I think 8 hours is a bit much. My pool is 14×28 and 6 feet in the middle so what would u recommended.
Matt- If I have a vinyl liner, in-ground pool that I drain a few inches under my skimmer for the winter, should I care about water hardness? Thanks – Matt