Pool Salt Calculator

Keeping your pool at the ideal salt levels ensures a healthy swimming experience without harsh chemicals. This pool salt calculator lets you know how much salt your pool needs to reach optimal levels. Use your pool’s volume and an average salt level of 3,200 PPM to estimate the pounds of salt needed. With this information, you can be sure that your pool is at the recommended salt levels.

On This Page

1. Pool Salt Calculations
2. Current Salt Measurements
3. Quick Reference: Salt Need Estimator
4. Pool Volume Calculations
   1. Rectangular Pool
   2. Round Pool
5. FAQs

Pool Salt Calculations

Using your pool size and current salt measurements, apply the following formula to determine how much salt your pool needs:

Salt to Add (in pounds) = Gallons x 8.35 x (0.0032 – (current salt ppm / 1,000,000))

If you had an 8,000 gallon pool with a current salt level of 1,000 ppm, you would need to add 147 pounds of salt.

Current Salt Measurements

The first step to using the salt pool calculator is to measure your pool’s current salt levels. The ideal level is 3,200 PPM (parts per million). If your pool’s levels are lower than that, you need to add more salt. If they’re higher, you’ll need to add water. How much salt or water you add depends on your pool’s water volume.

Quick Reference: Salt Need Estimator

Using current salt levels and your pool’s volume information, you can refer to the table below to estimate how much salt your pool needs to reach the ideal 3,200 PPM.

Pool Volume Calculations

If you’re not sure how many gallons of water your pool holds, you can quickly estimate it using a few measurements. The formula to calculate your pool’s water volume varies depending on the shape of your pool.

Rectangular Pool

To calculate volume for your rectangular pool, start by taking the following measurements:

• Width (in feet)
• Length (in feet)
• Average Depth (in feet)

Use those measurements and the following formula to calculate the amount of water that your pool holds.

Volume = (width x length x depth) x 7.48

For a rectangular pool that’s 18 feet long by 9 feet wide and 6 feet deep, your pool volume is 7,271 gallons.

Round Pool

For a round pool, start by calculating the pool’s radius in feet. This is just half the distance from one side of the pool to the other.

With that information, use the following formula to calculate the pool volume:

Volume = (3.14 x r² x depth) x 7.48

For a round pool with a radius of 5 feet and a depth of 6 feet, your pool’s water volume is 3,533 gallons.

Once you know your pool volume and how much salt you need, find a swimming pool contractor to help maintain your pool. The cost of maintaining a swimming pool ranges between $120 and $370, depending on your pool type and where you live.

If you’re thinking of installing or making the switch from chlorine, the average cost of converting to a salt water pool ranges between $12,000 and $67,000. To help you make the best decision, these are the pros and cons of salt water vs. chlorine.

FAQs

Are salt water pools chlorine-free?

No. Salt water pools add chlorine to your pool using a sanitation system that produces this chemical. Salt alone does not sanitize a pool.

How much salt can I add to my pool at one time?

For pools with no salt, you need to add 30 lbs. of salt for every 1000 gallons of water.

What happens if I put too much salt in my pool?

Over-salting your pool won’t damage the pool system, but it will create water that tastes salty. This can also damage metals such as ladders and handrails.

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