Free tool
Salt Calculator
Pool salt to raise your salt level, an honest drain-and-refill calculation to lower it — dosed to your exact pool volume.
How to use this calculator
- 1Enter your pool volume
Don't know it? Use the Pool Volume Calculator first — this tool is built to work with that gallon figure.
- 2Choose raise or lower salt
Enter your current and target salt readings from a salt test strip or your chlorinator's built-in reading.
- 3Raising: read your pool salt dose
The calculator shows exactly how much sodium chloride pool salt to add, in pounds.
- 4Lowering: read your drain-and-refill amount
There's no way to chemically remove dissolved salt — the calculator instead shows how much water to drain and replace with fresh water to hit your target.
Frequently asked
Questions about salt level
What's the ideal salt level for a saltwater pool?
Most salt chlorine generators target 2,700-3,400 ppm, with 2,500-3,500 ppm considered acceptable. Always double-check your specific chlorinator manufacturer's target range too, since cells vary — running outside that range can reduce chlorine output or accelerate cell wear.
Why isn't there a chemical dose for lowering salt?
Because there genuinely isn't one — no chemical additive removes dissolved salt from pool water. The only real fix is diluting it out with a partial drain-and-refill using fresh (or lower-salt) water.
When would my salt level get too high?
Most commonly from adding more salt than needed, or from evaporation concentrating the water over a season without a fresh-water top-off. Heavy rain or refilling after a drain has the opposite effect and dilutes salt back down.
What if I don't know my pool's exact volume?
Use the Pool Volume Calculator first to get a solid estimate, then come back here — the two tools are designed to work together.