Swimming Pool Salt - The Facts
Almost daily, we take calls from distressed clients saying, “I got some cheap salt from my local hardware and now I’ve got these ugly brown stains on my pool floor”. Often, this brown staining becomes noticeable within hours of adding the salt to the water. Many pool owners around the world face this issue. What are the key differences between bad salt and good salt, and why does it matter to your pool? Let’s find out.
Swimming pool salt for pools is sold by weight, not by purity. Some large chain stores purchase salt with high moisture content because it’s cheaper—moisture adds weight, but not value. So, if the salt is overly damp, you’re essentially paying for water instead of actual pool salt. The more moisture in the bag, the less pure salt you’re getting for your money.
The Difference Between Good and Bad Pool Salt
While all salt shares basic properties, the varying levels of minerals, water, and metals in different pool salt brands can drastically affect your pool. The quality of salt you choose directly influences the amount of these impurities that dissolve into your water over time.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that these dissolved minerals and metals don’t evaporate and will accumulate in your pool. This leads to discoloration and staining of your pool’s interior, especially if your water chemistry isn’t perfectly balanced. Investing in quality salt significantly reduces this unwanted mineral buildup.
While no salt is 100% free from contaminants, higher-quality brands usually have better quality control and tighter standards for mineral and moisture content. In the long run, investing in good-quality salt can save you money by protecting your pool equipment and improving salt performance.
How to spot good salt
- Crystals are fine - like table salt
- Crystals dissolve quickly when added to pool
- Salt bag shows a purity higher than 99.5%
- Product is brilliant white in appearance
- Pool water stays clear after adding salt
How to spot bad salt
- Crystals are large
- Salt takes forever to dissolve
- Crystals are off color - brown
- Water turn murky after adding
- Salt leaves stain on pool floor
Did you know the average pool owner spends around $120 per year on swimming pool salt? It is unwise to cut corners by using cheap salt when the consequences can be so costly.
Good quality salt will cost a fortune, right?
Most pools need around 10-12 bags of salt per year to maintain correct salt levels. The cost difference between poor and high quality salt is around $4 per 50lb bag. So the additional cost for quality salt is hardly significant. On the other hand, the cost of removing stains caused by poor quality salt can sometimes be over $1000.00. From a financial perspective, cheap salt does not make any sense.
There are times when inexpensive brands sell reasonably high quality batches of salt. However, less expensive brands need to source lower grade salt in order to meet the low prices some consumers demand. Therefore, the chances of purchasing a contaminated batch of salt are generally higher with less expensive brands. Remember, high purity, fine salt is in demand in several industries so it simply costs more to buy.
Our client in Melbourne, placed a full bag of salt on the steps of their pool and left it to dissolve overnight. The next morning, the steps and the entire pool had a horrible brown stain caused by contaminants within the salt.
How do I remove salt stains from my pool?
Stain stains can be removed with our granular stain compound. So please feel free to call the Pool Stain Removers today. Remember, we can help you remove salt stains without draining your pool water or acid washing the pool.
Do you have any comments or experiences with salt that you would like to share? We look forward to hearing from them via the email address on our website.
References
Color, crystal size, and purity – http://www.saltwaterpoolandspa.com
Customers upset and complaining about staining from cheap pool salt – http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1640290
Adding salt to your pool correctly – http://www.saltwaterpoolandspa.com
Salt quantity needed per year – https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/how-often-are-youll-adding-salt.
Long term benefits of using good quality salt – http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com
Salt graded by water content – http://www.saltcomindia.gov.in
