New pool, when to first add salt?

[riny]

Sorry this is probably a silly question but: my pool was installed just over a week ago and I have a SWG but haven't added any salt yet. The installer put in a packet of shock when the pool was filled and also loaded my chlorinator with 5lb of tablets and turned the dial up to full. I turned it down to 50% after a few days and got an FC reading of 7.8.

Being in the northeast, we've probably got a month of swimming left if we're lucky, and plenty of chlorine in the hopper. Does it make sense to start using salt this year, or wait until the spring? When do you add your first salt, at any time or do you wait for the FC to go below a certain level?

 

[Texas Splash]

Yeah, not much time left for you this season. But you can add salt at anytime really. It just needs at least 24 hours to dissolve and mix well with the water before you turn on the SWG. Really up to you with you want to use the SWG for this last month or just manage your pool as a non-salt pool and stick with the tabs or liquid chlorine for another month. Watch your CYA level though with the tabs. Remember the FC must always be balanced to the current CYA as noted on the FC/CYA Levels.

 

[jonahex2099]

We also started late in the year (had to wait for the price gouging to die down on the pool we wanted), and we're in the PacNW.

I got the pool filled in a little over three days, ran the pump for a full day, added the recommended amount of salt made sure it was all dissolved and then let it circulate for another full day and a half to make sure it was mixed well, then turned on the SWG for a full boost cycle - I think it ran for about 32 hours or so.

I ended up having to add some cyanuric acid and some baking soda but once I had everything circulating for a few days things are great. I've been spot checking it every day and doing more measured tests ever three days and so far it's fairly well balanced. Far better than my first time trying this when we had a smaller pool a few years ago.

 

[riny]

Thanks! We decided to wait on the salt for this year and just do chlorine tabs for the few remaining weeks. Our pool went in about a month later than expected, but it was mostly due to supplier availability (we have a hilly yard and needed a specialty pool) so I really can't complain. The water is good now and I don't want to miss out on any swimming time while switching over, so we'll add the salt when it's time to open in the spring.

Good luck with your new pool!

 

[jonahex2099]

Thanks! We decided to wait on the salt for this year and just do chlorine tabs for the few remaining weeks. Our pool went in about a month later than expected, but it was mostly due to supplier availability (we have a hilly yard and needed a specialty pool) so I really can't complain. The water is good now and I don't want to miss out on any swimming time while switching over, so we'll add the salt when it's time to open in the spring.

Good luck with your new pool!

Thanks and to you as well! We're also trying to eek out as much time as we can using it before having to close it for the winter. I almost waited until spring to even get it put up but since I'm currently one of the multitudes of unemployed people roaming the continent my better half determined it would be a good use of my time. (Along with building two picnic tables, a bench, a massively over-engineered garden box, horse petting steps, half an acre of landscaped yard to keep in check, and a hot tub to maintain)....