Pool salt calculator
Work out how much pool salt brings your salt level up to the chlorinator’s target. Follow your salt cell’s manual for the right range — many ask for about 3,200 ppm.
How it works
Salt ppm is milligrams per litre, so kg = litres × ppm increase ÷ 1,000,000. In US units, lb = gallons × 8.345 × ppm increase ÷ 1,000,000. Filling a new 10,000-gallon pool to 3,200 ppm takes 267 lb of salt — seven 40-lb bags.
| Pool | 0 → 3,200 ppm | Bags (40 lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 US gal | 134 lb (61 kg) | 4 |
| 10,000 US gal | 267 lb (121 kg) | 7 |
| 15,000 US gal | 401 lb (182 kg) | 11 |
| 20,000 US gal | 534 lb (242 kg) | 14 |
| 30,000 US gal | 801 lb (363 kg) | 21 |
Use pool-grade salt (99%+ sodium chloride, no anti-caking agents or iodine). Pour it in the shallow end with the pump running and the cell off, brush it until it dissolves, and wait 24 hours before retesting. It is much easier to add salt than remove it — only draining and refilling lowers salt.
Questions
How much salt do I need for a 15,000-gallon pool?
About 400 lb of salt to go from 0 to 3,200 ppm — ten 40-lb bags gets you to just under. If the pool already reads 2,500 ppm, about 88 lb raises it to 3,200.
What salt level should a saltwater pool be?
Whatever your chlorinator’s manual says — commonly 2,700–3,400 ppm, with 3,200 ppm a typical target.