Salt stains in swimming pools
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in salt stains in swimming pools. This is because of an increase in cheap and low-quality salts sold in Australia. These low-quality salts are not graded to the same standards normally seen in Australia. Also, some large hardware retailers buy enormous volumes of low-grade salt and sell it at very low prices. As a consequence, issues with heavily contaminated salts and salt staining in swimming pools have increased.
Salt stains can appear in several forms and colours. For example, cheap pool salt with small metal fragments can cause very small rust spots to appear. Also, prolonged use of salt with a light brown (minerals) appearance can lead to general discolouration on the pool surface over time. Remember, it is not the salt that stains your pool but rather the minerals and metals found in low-quality salt. To read more about how to find good quality salt click here.
The good news is that our treatments remove salt mineral stains completely without draining the pool or acid washing. Finally, our proven treatments are very effective in treating and removing salt stains from Pebblecrete, Quartzon, vinyl-lined and fibreglass pools.
5 Signs of salt staining:
- Brown stain that won’t brush away
- Retail stain products won’t remove it
- Brown stains toward the deep end
- Dark stains where salt is added
- Water turns murky when salt is added
Good Quality Salt
Low moisture content
Salt is vivid white
Product has small crystals
It is fast dissolving
Has low mineral content
Product was not the cheapest
Poor Quality Salt
High moisture content
Crystals seem slightly brown
Has large crystals
Takes hours to dissolve
High mineral content
Salt was a real bargain
Remove salt stains without draining your pool
Almost all salt stains in swimming pools can be completely removed using our treatments. As the images show, we completely remove salt stains from swimming pool surfaces without draining or acid washing. Remember, our treatment is a fraction of the cost of an acid wash!
If you are unsure of the type of stain you have please feel free to contact us.
OPTION 1 – Salt Stain Removal DIY kit
FREE DELIVERY
4 KGS POWDER COMPOUND
STAIN DISSOLVING LIQUID
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1 Litre of our powerful salt stain release and prevention formula
- 4 Kgs of our granular salt stain dissolving compound
- Phone support from our technicians
- Simple step-by-step instructions included
- Pool does NOT need to be drained
- Kit is sent and electronically tracked by Fastway Couriers
- Kids are back in the pool in just 7 days
- Kit is $295 for pools 40,000+ Litres
$245
OPTION 2 – Salt Stain Removal – On Site Technician
TECHNICIAN VISIT
4 KGS POWDER COMPOUND
STAIN DISSOLVING LIQUID
TEST WATER
- 1 Litre of our powerful salt stain release and prevention formula
- 4 Kgs of our granular stain dissolving compound
- On-site water test
- Your pool does NOT need to be drained
- Kids are back in the pool in 7 days
- The visit is $465 for pools 40,000+ Litres
$415
Remove copper from pool water
CuLator Metal Eliminator removes copper and most other metals from pool water. This helps to prevent metal stains from appearing in your pool later on. This product is unique because it can physically remove metals and other minerals from pool water. Your pool shop will help you to measure the metal levels in your pool water. Click here for more information about CuLator Metal Eliminator.
What causes salt staining in pools
Contaminated swimming pool salt.
Inexpensive salts have large, light brown crystals (grains) which take longer to dissolve. Because large crystals are slower to dissolve staining is more likely. Always make sure that your pool salt is thoroughly dissolved and not left to sit on the floor of the pool. Remember, the minerals in low-quality salts can leave a light brown haze on the surface of your pool. Examples of what that may look like are here.
Adding salt the wrong way.
Some pool owners pour the entire bag of salt in at the shallow end of the pool hoping that water movement will dissolve and distribute the salt over time. Although most pool owners are smarter than this, concentrated salt stains are still a very common type of staining. So make sure to disperse the salt around the entire pool and then brush it until it is completely dissolved. Good quality, fine salt should dissolve very quickly when added to the pool water. Therefore, if you find that you are spending a long time brushing to dissolve your pool salt, you may want to try a different brand.
Contaminated or mineral-rich salt crystals.
Salt can sometimes have individual discoloured crystals in the bag. Remember that even the very best quality salt will have the occasional contamination from time to time. However, if you experience this frequently, you may want to consider changing your brand or supplier of salt. Above all, remember that cheap salt is cheap for a reason.
Balance the pool before adding salt
When the pH of water is high, water loses its capacity to hold microscopic minerals and metals in suspension. This means that the brown minerals and metals often found in pool salt will plate out (or precipitate) to the pool floor and walls and leave a dark stain. Therefore, salt staining will most commonly present as a dirty brown colour or dark grey depending on the colour of the pool surface. Also, salt will rarely leave a white stain in your pool. It will almost always be brown or grey coloured. Remember, always balance the pool water BEFORE adding salt. If you have white stains or lumps in your pool click here as you most likely have calcium.