Methodology
Where Salt Water Pool Calculator's Numbers Come From
Every salt dose on Salt Water Pool Calculator uses one constant: 83.45 pounds of salt per 10,000 gallons per 1,000 ppm. It comes from the size of a US gallon, the pound and the definition of ppm. Each salt target comes from that brand’s own document, and the CircuPool target rests on manual excerpts until the full manual is on file. Pool-guide figures, such as the 3,200 ppm ideal, are labeled as such and never drive a calculation.
Formula 1
The salt dose and its 83.45 lb constant
The salt dose is gallons × (target ppm − current ppm) × 0.0000083454. That works out to 83.45 pounds of salt per 10,000 gallons for each 1,000 ppm.
The constant 0.0000083454 is pounds of salt per gallon per ppm. One ppm is one milligram of salt in each liter of water, so the constant follows from the size of a US gallon, the milligram-to-gram step and the grams in a pound. We round only for display. The salt calculator applies this formula to your gallons and test reading.
Derived from unit definitions: 1 US gallon = 3.785411784 L; 1 ppm = 1 mg/L; 1 lb = 453.59237 g (NIST SP 811 exact definitions).
- 1 US gallon= 3.785411784 L
- 1 ppm= 1 mg/L = 0.001 g/L
- 1 pound= 453.59237 g
- 3.785411784 L × 0.001 g/L ÷ 453.59237 g/lb= 0.0000083454 lb per gallon per ppm
- 0.0000083454 × 10,000 gal × 1,000 ppm= 83.45 lb
- 83.45lbper 10,000 gallons for each 1,000 ppm
Formula 2
Pool volume by shape
Pool volume in gallons is surface area in square feet × average depth in feet × 7.48052, the US gallons in one cubic foot. Average depth is the shallow end plus the deep end, divided by two.
Rectangular pool
length × width × average depth × 7.48052
Round pool
diameter² × average depth × 5.875
The round factor 5.875 is π/4 × 7.48052, shown to three decimals.
Oval pool, curved sides
length × width × average depth × 5.875
A curved-sided oval is an ellipse, so it uses the same factor as a round pool.
Oval pool, straight sides
((length − width) × width + π/4 × width²) × average depth × 7.48052
A straight-sided oval is a rectangle with a half circle at each end; the width is the shorter side. A 32 × 16 ft pool, 3.5 to 6.5 ft deep, holds 17,095 gallons with straight sides and 15,040 gallons with curved sides.
Unit definition: 1 ft³ = 1,728 in³ and 1 US gallon = 231 in³ (exact), so 1 ft³ = 1,728 ÷ 231 = 7.48052 US gallons.
Formula 3
The drain-and-refill fraction
The drain-and-refill amount is gallons × (current ppm − target ppm) ÷ (current ppm − refill ppm), where refill ppm is the salt already in the refill water (0 unless a test shows otherwise). No chemical takes salt out, so a salt level above target comes down by replacing water. The inches to lower the water are that fraction × the average depth, assuming vertical walls.
A staged drain lowers the water by at most 6 inches at a time, the limit in Hayward’s troubleshooting guide. After every refill it recomputes the salt level as current × (1 − stage ÷ depth) + refill × (stage ÷ depth). The last stage is partial and lands on the target. Staging always takes more water than one drain; the pool salt drain calculator shows both.
The calculator flags a drain that would replace more than 50% of the water, as a warning for vinyl-liner pools. Latham Pool, "Vinyl liner pool wrinkles" (Latham Editorial Team, 2025-12-09): a vinyl liner pool should never be completely drained, and never remove more than half of the pool's total water volume.
Rules
When the calculator adds nothing or asks first
Before it prints a dose, the calculator checks the salt system's range, the size of the dose and the unit of the reading.
Inside the range: no drain
A reading above the target but at or under the top of the salt system's range needs no salt and no draining. The calculator advises draining only above the top of the range. For the Pentair IntelliChlor, a reading of 4,500 ppm is in range; above 4,500 ppm, the drain formula applies.
Doses under 1 lb: at target
A dose under 1 pound is reported as “at target” rather than as a fraction of a bag.
Readings under 100 ppm: g/L check
Jandy’s manual gives salt in grams per liter (g/L), and 1 g/L is 1,000 ppm. So a reading above 0 and under 100 ppm is held until you confirm the unit. Type 3.0 into a ppm box and it counts as 3,000 ppm only after you say it’s g/L.
Formula 4
Half-bag rounding
Bags are 40-lb bags, rounded up to the next half bag. Rounding ignores the last 2% of a bag (0.8 lb), so a dose a few ounces over a whole or half bag doesn’t add another half bag.
Formula 5
A salt test's error in pounds
A test method's error in pounds is gallons × stated error in ppm × 0.0000083454, the same constant as the salt dose. Only the maker’s own document supplies the error. Where the maker states none, the page says so and prints no pound figure. For the LaMotte 1749, we read “±2% FS” as 2% of the 9,999 ppm top of its range, the larger of the two possible readings.
| Method | Stated error | Pounds, 10,000 gal | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test stripAquaChek White salt strips | Not stated | n/a | AquaChek Salt System Test Kit product insert 2228IN and AquaChek salt titrator product pages: 400–7,000 ppm; each bottle has its own unique chart; test salt monthly. No accuracy figure is stated. |
| Drop kitTaylor K-1766 | Not stated (one drop is the smallest step) | 16.7 lb per drop | Taylor Technologies K-1766 instructions (Instr. #5031): 10 mL sample, 1 drop R-0630 indicator (yellow), then R-0718 dropwise to the first milky salmon (brick red) change, not brown; drops × 200 = ppm NaCl. The sheet states no accuracy figure. |
| Digital meterLaMotte 1749 | ±2% FS | 16.7 lb | LaMotte 1749 manual (1749-02-MN): salt range 0–9,999 ppm; accuracy "± 2% FS"; automatic temperature compensation 2.0 %/°C; calibrate with a 3,000 ppm salt standard before first use and monthly. |
| Salt system panel | Pentair ±500 ppm; Hayward within 500 ppm of an independent test; Jandy not stated | 41.7 lb | Pentair IntelliChlor guide P/N 520589 Rev. R (sensor within ±500 ppm) and Hayward AquaRite Troubleshooting Guide TSG-AQR159d (within 500 ppm of an independent test). The Jandy AquaPure manual states no accuracy figure. |
| Pool store | Not published | n/a | Jandy AquaPure manual §6.2: take a water sample to the local pool store monthly. No store publishes its salt method or accuracy. |
For step-by-step procedures, see how to test pool salt.
Sources
Manufacturer documents and retrieval dates
12 documents back the numbers on this site: 6 for salt targets, 3 for testing the salt level and 3 for high salt and draining. We read 11 in full; 1 couldn’t be downloaded from the manufacturer on the check date.
| Document | Used for | Part / section | Dated | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentair IntelliChlor Installation and User's Guide | Salt targets | P/N 520589 Rev. R | 2023-08-07 | 2026-09-17 |
| Jandy AquaPure / PureLink Power Center and Cell Kit — Installation and Operation Manual | Salt targets | H0325600 Rev F, §4.7 | retrieved edition | 2026-09-17 |
| Hayward AquaRite Troubleshooting Guide, Residential | Salt targets | TSG-AQR159d | 2017 | 2026-09-28 |
| Hayward AquaRite S3 Owner's Manual | Salt targets | 092769 Rev D | retrieved edition | 2026-09-28 |
| CircuPool Universal / CORE manual | Salt targets | Manufacturer download not available on 2026-09-17. The full manual is not yet on file. | ||
| Intex saltwater system specification sheet | Salt targets | CS8110 / CS8220 / CS15110 / CS20110 | retrieved edition | 2026-09-28 |
| Intex Saltwater System with E.C.O. owner's manual (Intex manual hosted by a retailer) | High salt and draining | ECO5110 / ECO6110, 329PO | 2017-06-16 | 2026-09-28 |
| Taylor K-1766 salt test kit instructions | Testing the salt level | Instr. #5031 | table rev. 2015-05 | 2026-09-28 |
| AquaChek Salt System Test Kit product insert | Testing the salt level | 2228IN | 2010-10 | 2026-09-28 |
| LaMotte 1749 Salt / TDS / Temp PockeTester manual | Testing the salt level | 1749-02-MN | 2025-08 | 2026-09-28 |
| CircuPool support answers on the High Salt light and the cell-version setting | High salt and draining | answers.circupool.com | 2024-04-17 and 2024-07-16 | 2026-09-28 |
| Latham Pool, vinyl liner pool wrinkles | High salt and draining | Latham Editorial Team, blog | 2025-12-09 | 2026-09-28 |
A manufacturer’s salt level is a product specification for that model family. We don’t stretch one brand’s figure to cover every saltwater pool.
Targets
Salt system targets and their sources
Targets differ by salt system. Each one below is the figure from that system’s manual. Pentair IntelliChlor shows two targets because the Pentair guide states both.
A salt system, also called a salt chlorine generator or saltwater chlorinator, turns dissolved salt into chlorine inside its salt cell.
| Salt system | Target | Range | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentair IntelliChlorIntelliChlor IC15–IC60 | 3,600 and 3,400 ppm | 2,800–4,500 ppm | Pentair IntelliChlor Installation and User's Guide, P/N 520589 Rev. R (2023)The same document states both. The English water-chemistry section and salt table say 3,600 ppm; the table of contents and the Spanish section say 3,400 ppm. Low- and high-salt thresholds are identical in both languages. | Manual states two targets |
| Jandy AquaPureAquaPure / PureLink | 3,000 ppm | 3,000–3,500 ppm | Jandy AquaPure Installation and Operation Manual, §4.7 | Read in the manual |
| Hayward AquaRiteAquaRite (TurboCell) / AquaRite S3 | 3,200 ppm | 2,700–3,400 ppm | Hayward AquaRite Troubleshooting Guide TSG-AQR159d (2017) and AquaRite S3 Owner's Manual 092769 Rev D | Read in the manual |
| CircuPoolRJ / Universal / CORE | 3,500 ppm | 3,000–4,000 ppm | CircuPool Universal / CORE manual | Awaiting the full manual |
| Intex Krystal ClearCS8110 / CS8220 / CS15110 / CS20110 · ECO5110 / ECO6110 | 3,000 ppm | 2,500–3,500 ppm | Intex saltwater system specification sheet (intexcorp.com) and the Intex Saltwater System with E.C.O. owner's manual, ECO5110/6110 (an Intex manual hosted by a retailer) | Read in the manual |
CircuPool: target and range come from published excerpts of the manual. We’ll re-check them against the full manual once the document is on file.
Facts
Other sourced facts
The site uses 12 more facts, each cited to the document it comes from.
- ±500 ppmPanel salt-sensor accuracy
- Pentair IntelliChlor guide P/N 520589 Rev. R: 'The salt sensor reading is within +/- 500 ppm accuracy.'
- within 500 ppmHayward panel vs independent test
- Hayward AquaRite Troubleshooting Guide TSG-AQR159d, step 1A: the system should read salt within 500 ppm of an independent test with a calibrated salt meter; cell cleanliness plays a major role in accurate salt reporting.
- above 52 °F (11 °C)Pentair salt report in cold water
- Pentair IntelliChlor guide P/N 520589 Rev. R, Cold Water LED: below 52 °F (11 °C, ±3 °F) the cell goes to standby and resumes normal operation, including an accurate salt report, above 52 °F (11 °C).
- 6 inchesHayward stage limit when draining
- Hayward AquaRite Troubleshooting Guide TSG-AQR159d, High Salt step 2G: reduce the water level no more than six inches at a time before replenishing with fresh water; failure to do so may damage the pool structure or surface.
- code 145Jandy code for high salt
- Jandy AquaPure manual H0325600 Rev F, service codes: code 145 "High Salinity (above 4.0 gpl)"; backwash a DE filter, partially drain the pool and dilute with fresh water until the salt level returns to 3.0–3.5 g/L.
- Code 92Intex high-salt code
- Intex Saltwater System with E.C.O. owner's manual ECO5110/6110 (an Intex manual hosted by a retailer), Alarm Codes: Code 92 is high salt; drain and refill approximately 20% of the pool's water until Code 92 disappears.
- 24 hoursCirculation after adding salt
- Pentair "How to Add Salt to the Pool" steps 4–5 · Jandy §4.7.4 steps 6–7. Both manuals give this step in nearly the same words.
- 99.8%Minimum salt purity
- Jandy §4.7.2 · Pentair "What Type of Salt to Use": evaporated, granulated, food quality, non-iodized, no additives.
- PermittedSalt pellets
- Jandy §4.7.2 · Pentair "What Type of Salt to Use": water-conditioning salt pellets are permitted; they dissolve slower than granulated salt. Pentair warns pellets could damage pool plaster and other surfaces. Pentair and Jandy both say to avoid anti-caking agents (sodium ferrocyanide / YPS) and not to use rock salt.
- above 4,000 ppmJandy power-center damage
- Jandy §4.7: "High salt concentration above 4.0 gpl may damage the power center."
- above 6,000 ppmJandy fixture corrosion
- Jandy §4.7: "High salt concentration above 6.0 gpl may cause corrosion damage to pool fixtures."
- 30 daysNew plaster before salt
- Pentair: wait at least one month after construction before adding salt. Jandy §4.7.1: wait 30 days for new concrete or resurfaced plaster. Jandy says vinyl and fiberglass pools can take salt at start-up. Pentair says to contact the liner manufacturer for guidelines before adding salt to a new vinyl liner pool. For other brands, follow the manual.
Price
Salt price source
We use a salt price of $7.48 to $7.98 per 40-lb bag, from 2 retailer listings in September 2026. The salt cost calculator multiplies that price by the whole bags a dose needs.
Sam's Club Clorox 40 lb Pool Salt $7.48 (item 980001835, listing retrieved 2026-09-16). Home Depot Morton 40 lb Professional's Choice Pool Salt $7.98 (model F124660000, listing retrieved 2026-09-16). Local store prices vary. This site's observation: specialty bags list higher and are not in this range.
Guides
Pool-guide figures and how they are labeled
Two figures here come from pool guides, not a manufacturer: the 3,200 ppm ideal salt level with its 2,700 to 3,400 ppm range, and the swim wait of 20 to 45 minutes that some guides quote. The calculators never dose from them. They take the target from your salt system’s manual.
common pool-guide figure (SERP consensus, 2026-09-29)
Unknowns
What the manuals do not publish
The Pentair and Jandy manuals publish no swim wait after adding salt, so we don’t publish one of our own. The Pentair and Jandy manuals add salt with the pump already running. Pool guides quote about 20 to 45 minutes up to a few hours. That’s a common pool-guide figure, not a manufacturer’s.
The CircuPool Universal / CORE manual is not yet on file, so the targets drawn from them are marked “Awaiting the full manual” in the table above.
Review
How the numbers are kept consistent
Every number on the site comes from one data file, so the calculators, tables and worked examples can’t disagree. If we can’t cite a value, we leave it out or publish it as unknown.
The salt-system table is re-read every February. The documents were retrieved between and ; the CircuPool Universal / CORE manual has not been retrieved.
If a number doesn’t match its document, report it through the contact page for corrections. The about page names the person who reads the manuals and builds the calculators. What happens to the numbers you type is on the privacy page.