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Pool Salt Calculator
Pounds and bags of salt to reach your salt chlorine generator's target level.
How it's calculated
Pounds of salt = (target ppm − current ppm) × gallons × 8.34 ÷ 1,000,000. 8.34 is the weight of a gallon of water in pounds. Add salt in stages and retest after it dissolves, because it is easy to add and hard to remove (only by draining).
Example
A new 15,000-gallon pool to 3,200 ppm: 3,200 × 15,000 × 8.34 ÷ 1,000,000 = 400 lb — just over ten 40-lb bags, so buy 11 and hold back what you don't need.
Typical generator targets (check your model's manual)
| Range | Typical |
|---|---|
| Low end | 2,700–3,000 ppm |
| Most generators' ideal | 3,000–3,400 ppm |
| Upper limit before shutdown | ~4,500 ppm |