Domakihub How to Add Salt to a Saltwater Pool the Right Way
Get the salinity level right the first time and keep your chlorinator running smoothly all season.
Reviewed by Domakihub pool pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
Saltwater pools are a popular choice for homes, holiday villas, and boutique hotels across Greece — they are gentler on skin and eyes and need less hands-on chemical management than traditional chlorine pools. The video above by Swimming Pool Steve walks through the practical process visually; the steps below spell out exactly what to do, from calculating the dose to circulating the water safely. Whether you are salting a new pool for the first time or topping up after a long winter, getting the amount and method right protects both your salt chlorine generator and your swimmers.
Why Salt Level Matters More Than People Realise
Most residential salt chlorine generators work within a narrow salinity window — typically 2,700 to 3,400 ppm (parts per million), with 3,200 ppm being the common sweet spot. Too little salt and the cell cannot generate enough chlorine to keep the water sanitised; too much and you risk corrosion of metal fittings, light fixtures, and the cell plates themselves.
In the Mediterranean climate, evaporation is high during the Greek summer. Salt does not evaporate with the water, so your ppm creeps upward over the season. You add salt most aggressively at the start of the season or after a large water change — not continuously throughout the year.
Choosing the Right Salt
Use pool-grade sodium chloride with a purity of 99.8% or higher — sometimes labelled as evaporated or mechanically harvested pool salt. Avoid rock salt (which contains impurities and may clog the cell), iodised table salt (the iodine can stain pool surfaces), and yellow prussiate of soda-treated salt (it can leave a residue on your generator). In Greece, pool-grade salt is widely available at pool supply shops and large hardware stores under brand names such as Bayrol and local equivalents.
5 Steps to Add Salt to Your Saltwater Pool
- 1
Test the current salinity level
Before opening a single bag, use a digital salinity meter or a salt test strip to measure your pool's existing ppm. Salt meters give the most reliable reading — dip the probe mid-pool away from the return jets, wait for the reading to stabilise, and note the number. This tells you the exact deficit you need to make up and prevents accidental over-salting, which is harder to fix than under-salting.
- 2
Calculate how much salt you need
Subtract your current ppm reading from your target (typically 3,200 ppm). Multiply the shortfall by your pool's volume in litres, then divide by 1,000,000 — the result is the kilograms of salt to add. Most pool-salt bags come in 25 kg units, so round up to the nearest bag. For example, a 60,000-litre pool that reads 1,500 ppm and targets 3,200 ppm needs roughly 102 kg — about four 25 kg bags. When in doubt, add slightly less than the calculation suggests and re-test rather than overshooting.
- 3
Turn the pump on and broadcast the salt evenly
Run the circulation pump at full speed before you start. Walk the perimeter of the pool and pour the salt evenly into the shallow end, spreading it across a wide arc rather than dumping it all in one spot. This prevents the salt from piling up on the pool floor, which can bleach or etch plaster surfaces. Avoid pouring directly in front of skimmer inlets or main drains, and never add salt through the skimmer basket — undissolved granules can scratch the pump impeller.
- 4
Brush undissolved salt off the floor
Use a pool brush to sweep any salt that has settled on the bottom toward the main drain and into suspension. Coarse granules that sit on plaster or vinyl for too long can cause localised bleaching or pitting. Most pool-grade salt dissolves within 24 hours under normal circulation, but brushing speeds the process significantly — especially important in the cooler shoulder months of April and October when water temperature slows dissolution.
- 5
Wait 24 hours, then re-test and adjust your chlorinator output
Let the pump run continuously for at least 24 hours after adding salt before taking a final salinity reading. Once the level is confirmed in range, cross-check with a standard chlorine test (free chlorine target: 1–3 ppm) and pH (7.2–7.6). Adjust your chlorinator's percentage output accordingly — many owners find that in July and August, with high UV exposure and heavy bather load, they need to run the cell at 70–100% to maintain adequate sanitisation.
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FAQ
- Can I add salt while people are swimming?
- It is best to wait until the pool is not in use. While dissolved salt is harmless, pouring granules into an occupied pool is a slip hazard on pool decks and can cause temporary localised irritation if a swimmer lands on an undissolved pile. Add salt in the evening, brush the floor, and let the pump run overnight.
- My salt level is too high — how do I lower it?
- The only practical way to lower salinity is to drain a portion of the pool and refill with fresh water. Work out what percentage of the volume you need to replace based on your current ppm versus your target, drain that fraction from the deep end, and refill. In Greece, mains water typically reads 0–100 ppm salt, so refilling effectively dilutes the pool. Avoid adding chemical 'salt reducers' sold online — they do not remove salt, they only mask the reading.
- How often do I need to add salt during the season?
- In a properly maintained pool, you top up salt primarily at the start of the season or after a significant water change — not on a weekly or monthly schedule. Salt only leaves the pool when water is splashed out, the pool overflows during heavy rain, or you backwash the filter. Test salinity monthly in summer and adjust only when the reading drops below 2,700 ppm or your chlorinator displays a low-salt alarm.