Salt Water Pool Maintenance 101: How to Keep Your Pool Clean and Clear

Maintaining a salt water pool involves a few key steps that are slightly different from those required for a traditional chlorine pool. While the overall goal is to keep your water balanced and properly circulated, salt water pools have unique considerations, such as managing high pH levels and preventing calcium buildup in the salt chlorine generator. Here's a complete guide to help you keep your AQUASTRONG salt water pool in top shape.

1. Add the Right Amount of Salt

Unlike chlorine pools, salt water pools require the addition of pool-grade salt, which is used to generate chlorine. Typically, you’ll only need to add salt once or twice a year, or when you open your pool for the season. Salt does not evaporate and is recycled through the pool’s salt chlorine generator, so once it's added, it should last for the entire season unless you experience heavy rain or need to add fresh water, which may dilute the salt levels.

For optimal performance, your salt levels should fall between 2,700 to 3,400 ppm, with 3,200 ppm being ideal. If you’re unsure of the exact amount to add, you can use an AQUASTRONG salinity calculator or consult your pool’s owner’s manual for guidance. To ensure even distribution, turn on your pool’s filter system after adding the salt and allow it to circulate for 24 hours.

2. Maintain Proper Water Circulation

Proper circulation is crucial in a salt water pool to ensure the salt is evenly distributed. If your pool’s water isn’t circulating properly, certain areas might have high salt concentrations, which can lead to imbalances. Run your pool pump for at least 8 hours each day to keep the water moving and prevent dead zones. Test the water in various pool areas to ensure even salinity levels. Adjust the direction of return jets if needed to help with circulation in hard-to-reach areas.

3. Prevent Erosion and Calcium Buildup

Splash-out, or water that splashes over the edge of your pool, can cause salt buildup around the pool’s edges, leading to erosion, especially if you have limestone or softer stone coping. Regularly rinse off any salt buildup from the pool’s coping and other exposed surfaces using a hose.

Calcium buildup can also occur in your salt water system due to the high pH levels created by the generator. This can manifest as white flakes in the pool water or as scale deposits in the salt chlorine generator. To prevent calcium buildup, avoid using calcium-based pool chemicals, such as cal-hypo shock, and regularly inspect and clean your salt cell.

4. Inspect and Clean Your Salt Cell Every 3 Months

The salt cell plays a critical role in converting salt into chlorine. Over time, calcium and other debris can build up on the metal plates inside the cell, reducing its effectiveness. Inspect your salt cell every three months to check for any visible buildup, and clean it if necessary.

If you notice calcium deposits, rinse the cell with a hose or use a mild acid solution, such as muriatic acid, to dissolve the buildup. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning to avoid damaging the cell. Limit the use of chemicals for cleaning to preserve the integrity of the salt cell.

5. Keep Your Water Balanced, Especially pH and Chlorine

Balancing your pool’s pH and chlorine levels is essential for maintaining a clean, safe swimming environment. Salt water systems often result in naturally high pH levels, which can cause issues like eye irritation and scale formation. Therefore, it’s important to regularly test and adjust your pool’s pH levels.

Test Free Chlorine Levels Weekly:
Your salt chlorine generator should maintain chlorine levels automatically, but it's a good idea to test the water weekly to ensure everything is working properly. The ideal free chlorine level is between 3-5 ppm.

Balance pH Levels Weekly:
High pH levels can lead to skin and eye irritation and cause scaling on pool equipment. Test and balance your pH levels weekly to keep them within the ideal range of 7.2-7.6. If necessary, use a pH decreaser or muriatic acid to bring pH levels down.

Additionally, it’s important to test other chemical levels such as alkalinity, calcium hardness, and cyanuric acid (CYA) monthly. Keeping all these factors in check ensures the water remains balanced and safe.

6. Shock Your Pool Weekly

Shocking your pool involves adding a concentrated dose of chlorine to kill bacteria and algae and to refresh the chlorine levels in your pool. If your salt water generator has a “boost” function, use it weekly to ensure your pool water stays clean. If not, you can add a non-chlorine shock or a chlorine shock, such as liquid chlorine or dichlor shock, depending on your pool’s needs.

Shocking your pool is especially important after heavy use, a storm, or if you notice the water becoming cloudy or green. Always retest your pool water the day after shocking to ensure the balance is restored and adjust any chemical levels as needed.

7. Skim, Brush, and Vacuum Weekly

To keep your salt water pool sparkling clean, make sure to skim the surface, brush the pool walls, and vacuum the floor once a week. This will remove any debris and prevent algae from taking hold. If you have an automatic pool cleaner, this task will be easier, but regular maintenance with a manual skimmer and brush is still necessary to keep your pool in the best condition.

Frequently Asked Questions About Salt Water Pool Maintenance

How is a Salt Water Pool Different from a Chlorine Pool?
Salt water pools use a salt chlorine generator to convert salt into chlorine, eliminating the need for direct chlorine additions. This system provides a smoother, softer water feel and reduces irritation compared to traditional chlorine pools.

What Happens if You Add Too Much Salt?
Excessive salt levels (above 5,000 ppm) can cause corrosion of pool equipment and malfunction of the salt generator. If you’ve added too much salt, dilute the water by partially draining your pool and refilling it with fresh water.

Is it Easier to Maintain a Salt Water Pool?
Salt water pools are generally easier to maintain than chlorine pools because the generator takes care of chlorine production. However, regular testing and balancing of pH, alkalinity, and other chemicals are still required.

How Often Should I Service My Salt Water Pool?
While you should inspect the salt cell every three months, most maintenance tasks, such as testing and balancing chemicals, should be done weekly. Major servicing of the salt generator may require professional assistance.

Are Salt Water Pools High Maintenance?
Salt water pools are not considered high maintenance but do require regular upkeep, including checking the salt levels, cleaning the salt cell, and balancing the chemicals. The salt generator will handle the chlorine levels, but you still need to maintain other aspects of pool chemistry.

What Chemicals Do I Need for a Salt Water Pool?
To maintain proper water chemistry, you'll need pool salt, chlorine stabilizer (cyanuric acid), pH decreaser, and possibly a calcium hardness increaser. Additionally, you'll need a non-chlorine shock or chlorine shock to maintain optimal water quality.

By following these maintenance steps and regularly testing your pool’s chemical levels, you can keep your AQUASTRONG salt water pool clean, clear, and ready for swimming all season long.