Pool-chemical safety: Store salt as a pool chemical. The MAHC defines a chemical storage space as one for “pool chemicals such as acids, salt, or corrosive or oxidizing chemicals,” and Pentair’s manual notes that salt “is an inherently corrosive material.” Never mix pool chemicals with each other, as CDC’s chemical-use poster warns.

How much salt to add depends on two numbers: the target in your chlorine generator’s manual and the salt already in your pool. Hayward, Pentair and CircuPool each publish a chart, and each chart aims at a different target, so use the one for your system. CircuPool’s manual sums up its own chart as “approximately 30 lbs of salt for every 1000 gallons of water” for its 3,500 ppm target, which matches the chart’s 0 ppm column. Always test before adding salt; every maker below says so.

Salt targets by maker

Source Target Range and alerts
Hayward AquaRite manual 3,200 ppm “optimal” Ideal 2,700–3,400 ppm. Check Salt light flashes below 2,700 ppm; steady means the unit has shut down. Salt may be tasted around 3,500–4,000 ppm
Pentair IntelliChlor Plus and LT manual 3,600 ppm ideal ADD SALT alert below 3,000 ppm, shuts off below 2,600 ppm. Above 6,000 ppm “can lead to accelerated corrosion”
CircuPool CORE manual About 3,500 ppm Keep within 3,000–4,000 ppm; operates from 2,000 to 7,000 ppm
CDC 2024 MAHC (public pools) The maker’s range Saline content “shall be maintained in the required range specified by the manufacturer”

There is no single salt number for every pool. The MAHC leaves it to the manufacturer, and the makers disagree by several hundred ppm. If you have a different system, including an above-ground one, use the chart in its manual.

Hayward AquaRite chart (target 3,200 ppm)

Pounds of salt from Hayward’s AquaRite troubleshooting guide. These are selected rows and columns; the full chart runs from 8,000 to 40,000 gallons in 200 ppm steps.

Current salt (ppm) 10,000 gal 20,000 gal 30,000 gal 40,000 gal
0 267 lb 533 lb 800 lb 1,067 lb
1,000 183 lb 367 lb 550 lb 733 lb
2,000 100 lb 200 lb 300 lb 400 lb
2,600 50 lb 100 lb 150 lb 200 lb
3,000 17 lb 33 lb 50 lb 67 lb
3,200 Ideal Ideal Ideal Ideal
3,600 and up Dilute Dilute Dilute Dilute

Pentair IntelliChlor chart (target 3,600 ppm)

Pounds of salt from Table 1 of Pentair’s IntelliChlor Plus and LT manual, “Salt required to reach water salinity of 3600 ppm.” Selected rows and columns; the full table runs from 10,000 to 60,000 gallons.

Current salt (ppm) 10,000 gal 20,000 gal 30,000 gal 40,000 gal
0 300 lb 601 lb 901 lb 1,202 lb
1,000 217 lb 434 lb 651 lb 868 lb
2,000 134 lb 267 lb 401 lb 534 lb
2,500 92 lb 184 lb 275 lb 367 lb
3,000 50 lb 100 lb 150 lb 200 lb
3,500 8 lb 17 lb 25 lb 33 lb

CircuPool CORE chart (target 3,500 ppm)

Pounds of salt from CircuPool’s CORE Series manual, which says the chart estimates the salt “required to achieve 3500 ppm.” Selected rows and columns; the full chart runs from 4,000 to 50,000 gallons.

Current salt (ppm) 10,000 gal 20,000 gal 30,000 gal 40,000 gal
0 292 lb 584 lb 876 lb 1,168 lb
1,000 209 lb 417 lb 626 lb 834 lb
2,000 125 lb 250 lb 375 lb 500 lb
2,500 83 lb 167 lb 250 lb 334 lb
3,000 42 lb 83 lb 125 lb 167 lb
3,500 0 0 0 0

Hayward notes that pool salt usually comes in 40 to 80 lb bags, so check the weight on your bags before you count them.

Know your pool volume

The charts are only as good as your gallon figure. CircuPool’s manual gives these formulas, with dimensions in feet:

  • Rectangular: width × length × average depth × 7.5
  • Round: diameter × diameter × average depth × 5.9
  • Oval: width × length × average depth × 6.7

CircuPool’s example: a 15 by 30 ft pool with a 4.5 ft average depth holds 15,187 gallons.

Test before you add salt

  • Pentair says to “always test water salinity before adding salt” and warns that “salt measurements will vary between test methods.”
  • Hayward’s troubleshooting guide says the system should read within 500 ppm of an independent test. A dirty or aging cell can read low, so clean the cell and confirm with a meter first. If the water really is at the right level, Hayward says to “NEVER add additional salt in this circumstance.”
  • Hayward advises having your salt level professionally checked before adding large quantities.
  • CircuPool suggests adding large amounts in portions and retesting at each stage.

The test kit list includes salt-reading kits.

What kind of salt to use

Maker Purity What to avoid
Hayward Sodium chloride “greater than 99% pure,” such as bags labeled “Coarse Solar Salt”; pellets take longer to dissolve Rock salt, yellow prussiate of soda, anti-caking additives, iodized salt
Pentair “At least 99.8% pure sodium chloride,” evaporated, granulated, food quality, non-iodized, no additives Anti-caking agents, calcium chloride, sodium bromide, potassium chloride, rock salt; pellets “could damage pool plaster”
CircuPool Evaporated, granulated, non-iodized sodium chloride, at least 99% pure; pellets take longer Anti-caking agents (YPS), calcium chloride, rock salt

For public pools, the MAHC requires pool-grade salt certified to NSF/ANSI 50 or 60, or EPA-registered. Its annex explains that pool-grade salt avoids disinfection byproducts from impurities “including bromide and iodide,” and that iodized table salt should not be used.

How to add salt

The makers’ methods differ, so follow yours:

  • Hayward: Turn the pump on, add salt directly into the pool and brush it so it doesn’t pile up. Run the filter for 24 hours with suction from the main drain. On new plaster, wait 10–14 days first.
  • Pentair: Pour salt slowly around the perimeter, and “do NOT add salt through the skimmer or surge tank.” Brush the floor and circulate for 24 hours. On new plaster, wait at least one month; for a new vinyl liner, check with the liner maker first.
  • CircuPool: Empty the salt into the shallow end and run the pump and filter with the generator off. Don’t throw the bag in the water. CircuPool says salt may take 24–48 hours to dissolve in summer, and longer in winter.

Too much salt, and salt that goes missing

Hayward’s manual says “the only way to lower the salt concentration is to partially drain the pool and refill with fresh water.”

Salt doesn’t evaporate. Hayward and CircuPool both say “salt is not lost due to evaporation.” What you lose goes out with water that splashes out, is backwashed or is drained after rain. So top-up amounts during the season should be small.

For comparisons of the systems themselves, see the salt chlorine generator list . To shop the three systems whose charts appear above: Search Amazon for Hayward AquaRite , Search Amazon for Pentair IntelliChlor , Search Amazon for CircuPool CORE .

Sources

Facts were checked against these sources on October 9, 2026. This guide summarizes published guidance and labels; it is not based on hands-on testing.

FAQ

How much salt do I add to a 10,000-gallon pool?

It depends on your system’s target and the salt already in the water. Starting from 0 ppm, Hayward’s chart gives 267 lb for 3,200 ppm, CircuPool’s gives 292 lb for 3,500 ppm, and Pentair’s gives 300 lb for 3,600 ppm. Test first and use the chart in your own manual.

What salt level should a saltwater pool have?

Each maker sets its own. Hayward’s AquaRite manual gives 2,700 to 3,400 ppm with 3,200 optimal, Pentair’s IntelliChlor manual names 3,600 ppm as ideal, and CircuPool’s CORE manual suggests 3,000 to 4,000 ppm with about 3,500 ideal. The MAHC tells public pools to follow the manufacturer’s range.

What kind of salt should I use in a saltwater pool?

Pure sodium chloride. Hayward asks for salt greater than 99% pure, CircuPool at least 99%, and Pentair at least 99.8%. All three call for non-iodized salt and say not to use rock salt.

How do you lower the salt level in a pool?

Hayward’s manual says the only way is to partially drain the pool and refill it with fresh water.

Does pool salt evaporate?

No. Hayward and CircuPool both say salt is not lost to evaporation. It leaves with water that splashes out, is backwashed or is drained after rain.