Pool Salt Calculator
Enter your pool volume, the current salt reading and the target level for your chlorine generator. The calculator returns the weight of salt to add.
Result
- Kilograms
- 242 kg
- Increase
- 3,200 ppm
Use pool-grade salt that is at least 99 percent pure sodium chloride. Add it in stages and retest before adding more.
Formula
- Salt (lb) = gallons × 8.34 × (target ppm − current ppm) ÷ 1,000,000
- 1 ppm = 1 part of salt per million parts of water by weight
How the Pool Salt Calculator works
Parts per million is a weight ratio. A gallon of water weighs about 8.34 pounds, so the pool holds 8.34 pounds of water for every gallon. Multiply the weight of the water by the ppm increase you need and divide by one million.
Most salt chlorine generators run best between 2,700 and 3,400 ppm. Check the manual for your cell and aim for the middle of its range.
Worked example
A 20,000 gallon pool at 0 ppm raised to 3,200 ppm needs 20,000 × 8.34 × 3,200 ÷ 1,000,000 = 534 lb of salt, which is 14 bags of 40 lb.
Frequently asked questions
How much salt do I add to a 10,000 gallon pool?
About 267 pounds to go from 0 to 3,200 ppm. That is 7 bags of 40 pounds.
How many ppm does one 40 lb bag of salt add?
In a 10,000 gallon pool, one 40 pound bag raises the level by about 480 ppm. In a 20,000 gallon pool it adds about 240 ppm.
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