- [Instructor] Saltwater pool
maintenance is a bit different than traditional pool care. While you don't have to
add as many chemicals with the saltwater pool, you do have to balance your water and care for your pool equipment
a little differently. So here are nine common saltwater
pool maintenance mistakes, and how to avoid them. Check it out. (fast rhythm music) (water splashing) Before we dive in, if you're looking for help
keeping your pool clean and clear, check out
our free pool care cheat at SwimUniversity.com/CheatSheet. It's a totally free, easy-to-use guide to help you keep track of
taking care of your pool. Mistake number 1: Thinking a
saltwater 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 saltwater
pool is still a chlorine pool. The only difference, you're adding salt instead of chemicals to make that chlorine happen. Your saltwater 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 2: Not testing your free
chlorine levels each week. Like we said, your saltwater
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 1 and 3 parts per million, with 3 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 saltwater generator. Just make sure that your
saltwater 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 3: Not keeping
your pH levels in check. Your pH will run on the high
side in a saltwater pool because your saltwater
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 runtimes on your saltwater generator. Remember, it's your system running that produces higher pH levels. Mistake number 4: 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 5: 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 saltwater 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 wanna 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 6: Not testing and balancing your alkalinity, stabilizer, and calcium levels each month. In addition to testing your
salinity levels once a month, you'll wanna 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 saltwater 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 salt water 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 waterline. If your calcium hardness
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 hardness to the water. Mistake number 7: 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 8: 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 cover's
tracks and hardware with a garden hose every few weeks. Mistake number 9: Forgetting
to inspect your salt cell. Things like calcium can build up over time on a salt cell. You'll wanna inspect
and clean your salt cell every three months and at the beginning and end of the pool season. Open and inspect your saltwater cell to check for scale buildup and deposits. 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 saltwater system
throughout the season, grab our free pool care cheat sheet at SwimUniversity.com/CheatSheet. 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.
