Pool Salt Calculator

A pool salt calculator tells a saltwater-pool owner exactly how much salt to add to hit the target level your chlorine generator needs — in pounds and in 40 lb bags. Enter your pool's gallons and current salt reading, and it works out the difference.

Your measurements

Result

Salt is the cheapest, most-repeated pool purchase of the season, and the dosing is simple maths once you know your volume. Get it right and the generator makes its own chlorine; get it low and chlorine production drops off.

How it is calculated

Salt to add (lb) = gallons × (target − current) ppm × 8.34 ÷ 1,000,000. The 8.34 converts the parts-per-million to pounds per gallon of water. Bags assume the common 40 lb size. If you're already over target, the only fix is draining and refilling to dilute.

Steps

Enter your pool volume in gallons (use the pool volume calculator if you don't know it).
Enter the current salt level from a test strip or your generator's reading.
Enter the target level (around 3,200 ppm is typical).
Read the pounds of salt to add and the number of 40 lb bags.
Add it with the pump running and re-test after a day.

Worked example

A 15,000-gallon pool going from 0 to 3,200 ppm needs about 400 lb of salt — eleven 40 lb bags.

Common questions

How much salt does my pool need?

It depends on volume and how far below target you are. From empty, a saltwater pool needs roughly 200–250 lb per 10,000 gallons to reach ~3,200 ppm.

What salt level should I run?

Most chlorine generators want around 3,000–3,400 ppm — check your unit's manual. The calculator defaults to 3,200.

Can I add too much salt?

Yes — over-salting can't be removed except by draining and diluting, so add in stages and re-test.

What kind of salt?

Pure, fine, non-iodised pool/water-softener salt (99%+ NaCl). Avoid salt with anti-caking or iodine additives.