Why do the WaterGuru TEST Results Show Salt if I don't have a Salt Water Pool?

After submitting a water sample to WaterGuru in a WaterGuru TEST kit, you may notice a reading for Salt in your WaterGuru TEST results, even if you do not have a saltwater pool. 

• This is completely normal. This occurs because all types of chlorine, i.e. Trichlor, Cal-Hypo, liquid chlorine, or any sanitizer that uses chlorine—eventually produce chloride, which is reported as Salt in pool water tests.

• Mineral pool systems use a blend of magnesium chloride, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride that passes the water through a chlorinator. The chlorinator generates chlorine from any sodium chloride in the blend.

When chlorine disinfects your pool, it reacts with bather waste, pathogens, pool covers, and even sunlight. During this process, the chlorine (hypochlorous acid or hypochlorite ion) breaks down into chloride ions, which are part of sodium chloride—common table salt. The “Salt” test in lab reports measures these chloride ions and reports them in units of ppm sodium chloride.

Different types of chlorine contribute to different salt levels:

• Trichlor: Every 10 ppm of Free Chlorine (FC) adds about 8 ppm of salt and 6 ppm of Cyanuric Acid (CYA).
• Calcium Hypochlorite (Cal-Hypo): Every 10 ppm of FC adds roughly 10–12 ppm of salt and 8 ppm of Calcium Hardness (CH).
• Liquid chlorine or bleach: Every 10 ppm of FC adds around 17 ppm of salt. 

For pools with a saltwater chlorine generator (SWCG), the process is slightly different.  The process of electrolysis in a salt pool converts salt (sodium chloride) into chlorine to sanitize the water. Once the chlorine breaks down, it recombines with the sodium to reform salt, which is then recycled through the system.  

In short, the salt reading in your WaterGuru TEST lab results isn’t from added salt—it’s a natural byproduct of the chlorine you’re already using to keep your pool clean and safe.