We switched to salt water, now the wife says it burns her face and eyes

Jump to latest Follow Reply
D

dropanotherthou

Member
Aug 29, 2022
14
Florida
Pool Size
9000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
CircuPool RJ-30 Plus
Before I switched to salt CYA was way above 130 (because of continued tablet use) and CH was near 200. Wife never complained. I’m sure CSI was bad because I didn’t have a good Taylor test kit at the time. I always struggled with the water about to get cloudy. Probably because the chlorine wasn’t high enough for the cya. I bought a circu 45+ for a 10,000 gallon pool. I used to get black build up in the skimmer. That seems to be gone now. I don’t see any algae and CC is 0-.2.

After switching to salt this is what I have my pool at now.
FC: 4.0
PH: 7.6
TA: 80
CH: 470
CYA: 70
Salt: 3800
We keep to pool at 92 degrees
CSI: 0.0

I was thinking the extra calcium might be burning her eyes and face. But to get CSI near zero and lower calcium these would have to be my numbers..
FC: 4.0
PH: 7.8
TA: 70
CH: 360
CYA: 70
Salt: 3600
Temp 92 degrees.
=CSI: 0.0

I used pool math website for the numbers.

What do you think is causing the irrigation and is it worth dumping about 25% of the water to lower CH? I always read salt was easier on skin and eyes. Doesn’t seem to be the case….
 
D,

What are your CC numbers?

Do you have an auto-cover?

Do your wife's eyes hurt from opening them underwater or from just swimming?

It is odd, as most people find saltwater pools much better on the skin and eyes than standard chlorine pools.

Does your pool have that 'chlorine' smell, like what you get when you open a bucket of tablets?

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
No auto cover. CC is 0-.2. I know the pool likes to be at 7.8 ph. To get my CSI closer to 0.0 with 7.8 PH I’d need to drop my CH to 360. Im wondering if that’s the issue? Once a week i probably add 10 oz of MA to lower it back to 7.6ph. Maybe I’m fighting it and I just need to dump the water out and lower the CH?
 
For reference, this is data for salt content. So the saltwater should not be affecting her eyes. It may be related to CC numbers as Jim has stated.

Salinity of a Saltwater pool: ~3,400 ppm
Salinity of your tears: ~7,000 ppm (double that of a SWG pool)
Salinity of the ocean: ~34,000 ppm ((10x that of a SWG pool)
 
HermanTX said:
For reference, this is data for salt content. So the saltwater should not be affecting her eyes. It may be related to CC numbers as Jim has stated.

Salinity of a Saltwater pool: ~3,400 ppm
Salinity of your tears: ~7,000 ppm (double that of a SWG pool)
Salinity of the ocean: ~34,000 ppm ((10x that of a SWG pool)
Click to expand...
So dumping the water to lower the CH would not be the cause of irritation?
 
Welcome to TFP.

Lower your salt down around 3000 and see if that helps her. Your SWG will run fine with 3000.

How are you measuring the salt level?
 
Jimrahbe said:
D,

I have never heard of anyone having a reaction to CH. But I am not one of our chemical experts and have no clue if that could be the case or not.

Let's see what Matt has to say... Calling @JoyfulNoise

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
Maybe I did or do have some CC. When I do the test and add 5 more drops back in it doesn’t really turn pink and after adding 1 drop of 0871 it’s back to clear.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Hey DAT and Welcome !!!!!

I was typing out the sunscreen/makeup thing when Matt posted above.

So I got nothing new. :ROFLMAO: Your username, however, made me chuckle on a sideways rain day. So thanks for that. (y)
 
  • Like
Reactions: dropanotherthou
Seems rather odd. In truth, calcium hardness and CSI have nothing too do with irritation. Eye irritation is typically caused by osmotic stress from low salinity which wouldn’t be the case in a saltwater pool. The other issue can be the creation of chloramines in the mucosa from exposure to chlorinated water. Any eye pain or irritation can refer pain to other parts like the face and scalp.

I suggest raising your CYA by 10ppm and leaving your FC at 4ppm. Also, make sure the SWG isn’t running while they are swimming. Let the pH sit up higher at 7.8 and try to knock down your TA another 10ppm. Your CSI will be fine in the short term.

Here’s the kicker - don’t tell her what you’re doing. See if she self-reports a difference. The placebo effect is powerful.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dropanotherthou
Does anyone else report any issues?

Is there noticeable redness or irritation?

How long does the irritation last?

Is the irritation only on the face and eyes or does it also affect other exposed skin?

Does the irritation happen immediately on contact with the water or is there a delay?
 
It is hard to believe that salinity alone (at these levels) could cause the irritation. Contact lens solutions, saline eye drops, and overnight eye ointments designed to reduce eye irritation have sodium chloride as the active ingredient. Natural eye/tear salinity is 7000-9000ppm from what I've seen.

I don't have any good suggestions though -- if she was amenable, I can think of crazy experiments like making up 2 big buckets of water, balancing the pH and FC levels in them, one with 0ppm of salt and one with 3800ppm. Then have her splash/dunk her head in both and see if she can tell the difference (maybe with some time between, and multiple times for each). Suggest this at your own peril :)

Do you know what your pH was typically before switching (and other levels)? Trichlor tablets are acidic, so many pools will hover in the low 7's with them. That really shouldn't be an issue -- many of us keep our pH in the upper 7s, but it might be a difference before/after.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply