What to Do If Your Pool Has Too Much Salt

Saltwater pools require a specific salt concentration to operate correctly. Too little salt and the chlorine generator can’t produce enough chlorine. Too much salt and you risk equipment damage, uncomfortable water, and system shutdowns. If your salt level has crept above the recommended range, here’s what’s happening and how to fix it.

Understanding Salt Levels

Most residential salt chlorine generators are designed to operate within a specific salt range:

Ideal range: 2,700–3,400 ppm (parts per million), depending on the manufacturer
Pentair IntelliChlor: 2,700–3,400 ppm (ideal: 3,200 ppm)
Hayward AquaRite: 2,700–3,400 ppm (ideal: 3,200 ppm)
Jandy AquaPure: 2,500–3,500 ppm (ideal: 3,000 ppm)

Check your specific unit’s manual for its recommended range. These systems will typically display a warning and reduce output — or shut down entirely — when salt exceeds the upper limit (usually around 4,000–4,500 ppm).

For reference, ocean water contains approximately 35,000 ppm of salt. Pool salt levels are roughly one-tenth of that — far below what most people can taste.

Symptoms of Too Much Salt

Equipment Warnings

The most obvious sign is your salt cell displaying a “high salt” warning or error code. Most modern salt chlorine generators have built-in salt level sensors that monitor concentration and will reduce output or shut down to protect the cell.

Salty Taste

At ideal levels (3,200 ppm), most swimmers can’t taste the salt. Above 4,000 ppm, many people notice a mildly salty taste. Above 5,000 ppm, it becomes distinctly noticeable and unpleasant.

Corrosion Risk

Elevated salt levels accelerate galvanic corrosion on metal components — pool light fixtures, ladder anchors, heater heat exchangers, and stainless steel hardware. This is particularly concerning for equipment without sacrificial zinc anodes.

Cell Damage

While the salt cell itself is designed for saltwater contact, excessively high salt concentrations can reduce cell lifespan by increasing the electrical load and scaling on the cell plates.

Common Causes of High Salt

Over-Salting at Startup or After a Refill

The most common cause. Salt takes time to dissolve and distribute evenly — sometimes 24–48 hours. Testing too soon after adding salt gives a false low reading, prompting the owner to add more. By the time it fully dissolves, the level is well above target.

Prevention: Add salt in stages. Add 75% of the calculated amount, circulate for 24 hours, test, then add more if needed.

Evaporation Without Dilution

When pool water evaporates, the salt stays behind. Over time, salt concentration increases. In Phoenix, where evaporation rates are extreme — especially in summer — salt levels can climb significantly between fill water additions.

Autofill systems that add fresh water help offset this, but if the autofill is set to a level that doesn’t fully compensate, salt will concentrate gradually.

Adding Salt-Containing Chemicals

Some pool chemicals contain sodium. Sodium hypochlorite (liquid chlorine), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda for alkalinity), and sodium carbonate (soda ash for pH) all add sodium to the water. While the contribution per dose is small, cumulative additions over months or years contribute to rising salt levels.

Incorrect Test Reading Led to Unnecessary Addition

Salt test strips and even some digital testers have accuracy ranges of plus or minus 200–300 ppm. A reading of 2,800 ppm might actually be 3,100 ppm. Adding salt based on an inaccurate reading pushes you above target.

How to Test Salt Accurately

Salt cell display — Convenient but can drift over time. Use as a reference, not a sole source.
Digital salt meter — More accurate than strips but requires calibration. Rinse the sensor between tests.
Professional water test — Take a sample to a pool supply store or have your service company test it. Lab-grade testing is the most accurate.
Salt test strips — Least accurate method. Acceptable for rough checks but not precise enough for making addition decisions.

For the most reliable reading, test with at least two methods and compare.

How to Lower Salt: Dilution

There is no chemical additive that removes salt from pool water. The only way to reduce salt concentration is dilution — replacing some of the salty water with fresh water that has lower salt content.

Method 1: Partial Drain and Refill

The most straightforward approach:

Calculate how much to drain. If your salt is at 4,000 ppm and you want to reach 3,200 ppm, you need to reduce by 20%. Draining approximately 20% of the pool volume and refilling with fresh water will get you close.
Drain from the main drain or use a submersible pump. Never drain using the pool pump — running it dry will damage the seal and motor.
Refill with hose water. Phoenix municipal water typically has a salt content of 300–600 ppm, which is low enough to dilute effectively.
Circulate for 24 hours and retest before making any further adjustments.

Formula for estimation: Target drain percentage = (Current Salt - Desired Salt) / (Current Salt - Fill Water Salt) x 100

Method 2: Gradual Dilution via Backwash or Splash-Out

If the overage is minor (a few hundred ppm above target), you can lower salt gradually through normal water loss:

Backwashing the filter replaces some pool water with fresh fill water each time
Splash-out from pool use and subsequent autofill replacement slowly dilutes salt
Rain (when it happens in Phoenix) adds nearly salt-free water

This method is slow but requires no active intervention for small overages.

Method 3: Large Partial Drain for Severe Excess

If salt is significantly above range (5,000+ ppm), a larger drain — 30–40% of the pool volume — may be necessary. Follow the same process as Method 1 but on a larger scale. Be mindful of the seasonal window for draining in Phoenix — October through March is safest for extended drain procedures.

After Lowering Salt

Once the salt level is back in range:

Restart the salt cell and confirm it’s reading within the acceptable range
Recheck all other chemistry — the fresh water you added has changed your pH, alkalinity, CYA, and calcium hardness
Monitor salt over the next week — it takes time for the new water to mix completely, and readings may shift slightly as the pool equilibrates

Preventing High Salt in the Future

Always calculate salt additions based on pool volume and current salt reading — never guess
Add salt gradually and wait 24 hours before retesting
Account for evaporation — test salt monthly, especially during summer
Record your salt additions — a simple log helps track the trend over time

Need help managing your saltwater pool chemistry? Contact Splash Mob Pools — we monitor salt levels and all chemistry parameters as part of our weekly service.