Pool, lawn and yard calculators

Pool Salt Calculator

Salt targets on this page come from one manual at a time. Choose the system you own, or type the number from that manual. Nothing is pre-selected.

salt inputs
gallons

Do not know it? Use the Pool Volume Calculator.

No generic salt target. After you pick a system, the ideal from that manual can fill the target. You can type a different number from the manual.

ppm
ppm
percent

No purity is assumed until you enter it. Worked examples below use 100 percent only as a labeled sample.

Result: salt

Select a salt system

There is no generic salt target. Choose Hayward AquaRite or Pentair IntelliChlor, or type the ppm from your manual after you pick the matching system.

Follow the product label.

Chemical safety: read before you add anything

  1. Never mix pool chemicals together, in or out of the water. Add each one separately.
  2. Never mix chlorine with acid. Never mix cal-hypo (calcium hypochlorite) with trichlor.
  3. Add acid to water. Never pour water into acid.
  4. Split large doses into smaller portions. A numeric per-dose limit is not verified.
  5. This result is an estimate. Follow the product label.

How Much Salt Do You Need?

Hayward AquaRite lists 2,700 to 3,400 ppm, and 3,200 ppm as the best reading for that system. Pentair IntelliChlor models IC15, IC20, IC40, and IC60 list 3,600 to 4,500 ppm, and 3,600 ppm as the ideal for those models.

There is no salt number here for an unnamed system. If your manual is a different brand, type its figure after you have identified the equipment. Don't use another brand's target.

Pounds = gallons × 8.34 × ppm change ÷ 1,000,000 ÷ salt fraction

Sample, not a default: 15,000 gallons from 2,000 ppm to the Hayward best reading of 3,200 ppm, at 100 percent salt, is 150 lb. Per Hayward AquaRite manual.

The same 15,000 gallons from 2,000 ppm to the Pentair ideal of 3,600 ppm, at 100 percent salt, is 200 lb. Per Pentair IntelliChlor IC15–IC60 user's guide.

Both samples assume a bag that is entirely salt. Enter the percent printed on your bag. The result box stays blank until you pick a system and enter that percent.

Salt Targets by Salt System

Each row is one manual. Do not mix them.
SystemCited rangeReading the manual calls outSource
Hayward AquaRite2,700 to 3,400 ppm3,200 ppm bestHayward AquaRite manual
Pentair IntelliChlor IC15-IC603,600 to 4,500 ppm3,600 ppm idealPentair IntelliChlor user's guide
Any other systemNot verifiedType the manual's numberNo generic target

Common Mistakes With the Pool Salt Calculator

  • Putting a Pentair ideal into a Hayward cell, or the other way around. The ranges do not overlap.
  • Leaving purity at an assumed 100 percent. The form does not fill purity for you.
  • Using a single sitewide salt target. This page does not have one.

Gallons Come From the Volume Calculator

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Pool Salt Calculator FAQ

What salt level does a Hayward AquaRite need?

2,700 to 3,400 ppm, with 3,200 ppm listed as best. Per Hayward AquaRite manual. Follow the product label.

What salt level does a Pentair IntelliChlor need?

3,600 to 4,500 ppm, with 3,600 ppm listed as ideal for the IC15 through IC60. Per Pentair IntelliChlor IC15–IC60 user's guide. Follow the product label.

Is there a generic salt target if you do not know the system?

No. Enter the number from the manual for your system. Follow the product label.