Rising Salt levels

[Vetsa]

Is it possible for my pool water to produce more salt without adding it? Every since I had my cartridge bleeched my SWC high salt fault light is coming on.
Got the levels tested and they were 3600
The next month they were 3800 and I didn't add any salt??
Is it possible for salt levels to rise when you don't add any?
I am sick of seeing the red light. Does this effect the amount of chlorine the cell is producing?

[Strannik-au]

no, SWG doesn't produce salt

what's possible is that due to evaporation your salt concentration rises
so you need to put more water in

also possible for a salt level to rise if the water you use to fill pool has high salt concentration. in that case after a while salt will build up

[poolpro1]

Salt levels can rise if you are using liquid chlorine to shock the pool as it contains sodium. Try to keep your salt level closer to 3000 ppm. Most salt systems work harder and run hotter when salt is high or low and/or the cell has buildup. Also test results can vary with pool stores. If you take a water sample in for testing and get 3400 ppm you can walk out the door and hand the sample to another person to take back in and you will get a reading of 3500 ppm !!

[Vetsa]

Thanks for the replies.
I dont use liquid chlorine to shock and only use tap water to top up the pool.
It was probably due to evaporation then.
I have been told to run it a 4000 probably explains the light if your only supose to run them at 3000.
Have topped up the pool and I'm going in for a test in the morning, will be interesting to see what it is.

New to this game so still learning

Thanks again

[dblom]

Hey, I just got on this thread because I am experiencing a similar problem. Have an in-ground concrete pool in Florida with pebble-tec finish that I ran conventionally (stabilized Chlorine tabs) for 8 years or so at which point I switched to salt water (having bought into the evidently false claims of lower maintenance) - the pool now demands alot of acid (about a gallon over every 6 weeks) and the salt levels just keep rising. Salt was up to 4500 ppm when I drained it down and refilled to bring levels down to 2500 ppm - note: I filled it from a deep artesian well, and salt levels must be low in that source because replacing the water brought the salt level back down to 2500 ppm - over the last 8 weeks, without doing anything else, salt levels have risen back up to 4800 ppm. I do not disbelieve the salt readings (from my generator) because I can taste it in the water. What gives?

[chem geek]

You can significantly reduce the rate of pH rise and amount of acid you need to add by significantly lowering your TA level (and not trying to raise it), by having your CYA at 80 ppm with an FC target of 4 ppm, and adding 50 ppm Borates. Read Water Balance for SWGs for more info.