Southern California’s unusually wet start to 2017 brought many unexpected results, some of which are still being discovered. ?If you are a salt pool owner in cities like Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley where I maintain pools, you may be trying to figure out why your salt system is suddenly reading low salt. ?Here’s the probable answer: That 10 inches of rain we received in January went into your pool. ?As you know, your pool usually only has 3 or 4 inches of room to spare before it starts running over the top and into your yard. ?If you have a built-in overflow drain, your pool may only take an inch or two before it starts draining. ?What this means is that at least 6 or 7 inches of water left your pool during January. ?And if you were concerned, you may have drained some of that water yourself with your circulation pump and backwash valve, or maybe a portable submersible pump and a garden hose. ?(If you did backwash water out, make sure and add some fresh DE to your filter). ?The point is, water left your pool, and with it, some of the salt that was dissolved in your pool water. ?With an average pool depth of 4 feet, that 6 inches you lost represents over 10% of your total pool volume. This could equate to lowering your pool salt level 300-500 ppm. ?How do you resolve? You need to add a bag or two of salt.
Now it’s important to note that rain is not the only reason your salt pool system will read low, but if it was fine at Christmas, and it’s suddenly low a month later, it’s likely our January rain was the culprit. ?Other reasons for a low salt reading include a dirty or worn out salt cell, ?or a malfunctioning salt control. ?If you are unsure, we are qualified to diagnose your salt pool system. ?Give us a call!