Before adding salt, test your pool water for the current level of salt.

pH is the measure of how acid/alkaline the pool water is. If pH is too low, the water can be corrosive to pool equipment. If pH is too high, then the chlorine becomes much less effective for sanitization.

Total Alkalinity (TA) is a measure of the total alkaline substances found in the pool water. The results of improper TA levels range from corrosion of metal pool parts, staining of the pool, burning eyes, cloudy water and reduced chlorine efficiency.

Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer) is very important to the performance of your chlorine generation system. It's a mild acid that helps prevent the breakdown of chlorine due to the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Total Hardness is the measurement of the total amount of minerals that are found in your pool's water. Too much calcium hardness will cause scaling in your pool and too little will cause the pool water to become corrosive.

Phosphates are common components of most pool water sources and they can be introduced by external factors (e.g. fertilizers). For the majority of pool owners, phosphates are not an issue for either health or pool water management. However, in some instances, because phosphates is a food source for algae, you may find it a challenge to keep a chlorine residual in the pool. If you are having trouble with keeping chlorine residual, consult your local pool professional.