Salt water pool maintenance schedule
With a Hayward AquaRite, hold the salt level close to 3200 ppm (parts per million, the number a salt test shows). A Pentair IntelliChlor needs an acid cleaning of its cell once every 3 months. The handbook for your cell gives the precise figures.
Every week
Weekly, check the water with a test and give the walls a brushing. Skim off leaves, clear out the pump basket and look at chlorine and pH.
Test your cyanuric acid too; it's the same thing as stabilizer. According to Jandy's TruClear manual, you want 30 to 50 ppm.
CircuPool's guide puts that stabilizer range at 30 to 50 ppm too and cautions against going over 50 ppm. Pass that mark and your chlorine can lose some of its punch.
Monthly
Once monthly, check both salt and stabilizer.
Line your results up with whatever the box on your wall shows. Hayward's AquaRite manual sets salt at 2700 to 3400 ppm. Best results come at 3200 ppm. An AquaRite 900 kept outside needs 30 to 50 ppm of stabilizer. For indoor pools, set it at 0 ppm. Older AquaRite models call for 60 to 80 ppm of stabilizer. Aim for 80 ppm there.
With a Pentair IntelliChlor, target 3000 to 4500 ppm of salt. 3600 ppm hits the sweet spot. Stabilizer on that unit should sit at 30 to 50 ppm. The Jandy AquaPure calls for 50 to 75 ppm of stabilizer. Once readings pass 30 C, bring it to 75 to 85 ppm. Intex Krystal Clear units need stabilizer close to 1% of your salt by weight.
Once per 3 months
Give the cell an acid wash every 3 months, following Pentair's IntelliChlor guide. Just work through the directions it lays out.
Each season
When you open in spring, get stabilizer and salt balanced before starting the cell. Run your own water test before pouring in any bags.
During the hottest summer stretches past 30 C, lift a Jandy AquaPure stabilizer reading to 75 to 85 ppm. When closing in fall, wash the filter, disconnect the cell and keep it inside through winter.
Questions people bring to the counter
Which chemicals does a saltwater pool need?
Stock pool grade salt, cyanuric acid stabilizer and an acid for bringing pH down. Plenty of cells specify 30 to 50 ppm for stabilizer. Salt falls between 2700 and 3400 ppm for the Hayward AquaRite and between 3000 and 4500 ppm for a Pentair. The handbook for your cell gives the precise figures.
How frequently does a salt water pool need servicing?
Check chlorine and pH weekly, then test the salt and stabilizer once a month. With a Pentair IntelliChlor, give the cell an acid cleaning every 3 months. When opening in spring and closing in fall, fully clean the filter and inspect the equipment.
What keeps a salt water pool looking crystal clear?
A Hayward AquaRite likes salt close to 3200 ppm, and a Pentair unit wants it near 3600 ppm. Many cells ask for stabilizer between 30 and 50 ppm. CircuPool cautions that going past 50 ppm weakens your chlorine. Scrub the walls each week and remove scale from the cell blades every 3 months.
Do salt pools take more work to maintain?
Mostly, the work comes down to testing. Set salt and stabilizer at the levels your cell's manual lists. Own a Pentair IntelliChlor? Give its cell an acid wash every 3 months.