Swimming Pool Salt Chlorinators by Watermaid

Buy Pool Salt here

Pool salt is available from all leading pool shops and most hardware stores and home building stores (try and get your hands on the cleanest available). See "Best type of salt to use"

Formula to calculate required salt for the Watermaid swimming pool salt chlorinators is Length x Width x Average depth x 6/20=The number of 20kg bags needed for pool as initial start-up.

In swimming pool salt chlorinators, salt is not lost through the process of chlorine manufacture (electrolysis), only through splash-out, backwashing, draining or excess rain. The average pool loses about one third of its pool water each year.

6000 PPM is the ideal salt level for all Watermaid swimming pool salt chlorinators however lower or higher salt levels may be used from 3000 - 35,000 PPM (Seawater). At less than 6000 PPM - chlorine production may not be sufficient and the advantages of a salt pool are not felt. At 6000 PPM the pool chemisty is close to your own body chemistry and the pool "FEELS" better to swim in.
In Canada, 20Kg And 40Kg. bags are commonly found
In Australia, a 25Kg bag is commonly found.
In the USA, a 40lb bag is commonly found.

The Best Type of Salt

The best type of salt to use is coarse rock sea salt (NaCl) that is specifically recommended for use with saltwater swimming pool chlorinators. This type of salt contains the least amount of impurities.
In Canada, at this time, sea salt is difficult to obtain. We do, however, have very pure salt deposits in Goderich, Ontario which supply us with a salt source, which is almost as good as evaporated sea salt. We must caution that some other salt sources contain manganese, which will leave brown stains on your pool if used. Salt which has a flowing agent (YPS or Sodium Meta-Silicate) must not be used. The use of this agent will cloud your pool.

If you wish to use a finer grade of salt to speed the dissolving process, contact WATERMAID (1-877-WTR-MAID) or your pool supply company for specific dealers in your area which carry the proper salt.

Some customers have asked if Potassium Chloride (KCl) can be used. YES it can but it is far more expensive. If you would like to run your pool on potassium salts, please contact Watermaid. The calculation for salt level is different for potassium chloride than it is for sodium chloride. The type of salt that you DO NOT want to add to the pool is Salt that contains a Free Flowing Agent (containing Sodium Meta-Silicate) The use of this agent will cloud and foul up your pool.

To Initially start a pool with the correct amount of salt,
Add Salt to the pool at the rate of:

6 grams / 0.006 Kilograms of salt for every 1 Litre of water
or
.06 Pounds of salt for every imperial Gallon
or
0.22 ounces / 0.05 Pounds of salt for every 1 US Gallon of water.

How Do I know when my Salt Level is Low?

The LED readout on the front panel will drop. You will be unable to get the unit to 100% production.

Please note that low water temperatures on spring start up will keep your unit from reaching 100% even if the proper salt level is present. If the salt level drops to a very low level, ALL the Green LED indicators on the readout will not illuminate until eventually only the first three AMBER lights will illuminate. (indicating to check the salt level) The illumination of AMBER lights also indicates that low levels of chlorine are being produced and that salt may need to added to increase the salt level in the pool so that the WATERMAID Chlorinator can produce more chlorine, enough so that the pool remains clean, clear, sparkling and sterile.

If the LED readout drops, check the salt level, either by taking a sample to a shop and have them tell you the level in parts per million (ppm) or by simply tasting the water (should be pleasant to taste with a hint of salt in it.)

You can now test your water with the WATERMAID salt tester which is available from your pool supply company or WATERMAID (1-877-WTR-MAID)