Pool Salt Dosage Calculator
Reviewed by Hamza Gujjar, Algorithm Architect & Software Developer
Last updated: July 27, 2026Getting salt level right for a saltwater chlorinator
Saltwater pools aren't chlorine-free - a salt chlorine generator converts dissolved salt into chlorine electrolytically, and the system needs salt within a specific concentration range to function correctly and avoid damaging the chlorinator cell.
Worked example
For a 20,000-gallon pool at 1,500 ppm salt, targeting 3,200 ppm (a typical chlorinator target):
Salt = (3200-1500) x 8.34 x (20000/1000000) = 283.56 lbs of salt
The 8.34 figure is simply the weight of one gallon of water in pounds, used to convert a ppm concentration change into an actual weight of salt needed across the pool's full volume - always check your specific salt chlorinator's manual, since target salt ranges vary by manufacturer (commonly 2,700-3,400 ppm).