# Pool salt any good as ice melt?



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

50 cents a bag at walmart for pool salt. Its fineer than rock salt obviously. Would this do the trick? I know it may be too fine for the spreader but hard to beat 50 cent a bag


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Never seen pool salt but based on your comment aboot it being finer than bulk/rock I'd have to think it'd dissolve quicker and more frequent applications are needed.
Also are you sure aboot the $.50/bag?


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Positive its on season ending clearnace


----------



## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

BUFF said:


> Never seen pool salt but based on your comment aboot it being finer than bulk/rock I'd have to think it'd dissolve quicker and more frequent applications are needed.
> Also are you sure aboot the $.50/bag?
> View attachment 197686


Salt water pools and spas are all the rage with hipsters, with 2 hips









The two chemical elements that comprise pool salt are sodium and chlorine.


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

So my real question is, will this melt ice and will it go through my 600lb western spreader? Its finer than rock salt but seems to be the same size granules as the ice melt uou see for 7 bucks a bag.

The bag says sodium chloride.

Ill go buy all of it if it will do the job through my spreader. 50 cent a bag is impressive


----------



## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

Try it.

Maybe the chlorine will keep it clean?

The fine grain may lead to issues .
Both in the hopper and on the ground.

A fine granular may not produce mush brine.


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Because is cheap....


----------



## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

Hydromaster said:


> Salt water pools and spas are all the rage with hipsters, with 2 hips
> View attachment 197688
> 
> 
> The two chemical elements that comprise pool salt are sodium and chlorine.


Isn't there a guy in south bent with a saltwater pool?


rippinryno said:


> So my real question is, will this melt ice and will it go through my 600lb western spreader? Its finer than rock salt but seems to be the same size granules as the ice melt uou see for 7 bucks a bag.
> 
> The bag says sodium chloride.
> 
> Ill go buy all of it if it will do the job through my spreader. 50 cent a bag is impressive


It might run right through your spreader. Maybe use it to make brine?


----------



## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

rippinryno said:


> Because is cheap....


So is bush light.....
And that's not a good reason...


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Okie dokie guess ill just have to use it and report back. The price point is certainly right and the ingredients are sodium chloride, just like ice melt. The fact that it says pool salt and not ice melt really doesnt concern since they are the exact same chemical

First of all its busch latte....get it right. Inlike busch light. Just because the bag says pool salt doesnt mean its not salt.


----------



## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

Don’t forget the chlorine.....

Why don’t we use a fine grain as opposed tp coarse ?


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Active ingredients in this bag are labeled sodium chloride. Thats all it says. If a course blend is required for my spreader i will go that route. I believe the chlorine is made when electolysis occurs in the pools.

Just wondered if if these grains will go threough my spreader well and if anybidy else has tried it. The price is the only reason inam giving it a shot. That and its nacl just like ice melt.


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

If you can run sand through your spreader this stuff should run through it too. However like sand pool salt may pack/bridge and have feeding issue's.
You have a vibrator on the spreader?


----------



## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

It is very fine salt, looks like table salt... And its put into your pool and converted into chlorine via a magical cell off of the filter... 

Supposed to be less aggressive then straight chlorine tablets etc... For sure has been cheaper...


----------



## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

Ajlawn1 said:


> It is very fine salt, looks like table salt... And its put into your pool and converted into chlorine via a magical cell off of the filter...
> 
> Supposed to be less aggressive then straight chlorine tablets etc... For sure has been cheaper...


The question is; would you run it through a spreader?


----------



## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

EWSplow said:


> The question is; would you run it through a spreader?


Maybe it'll clog less than gravel


----------



## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

cwren2472 said:


> Maybe it'll clog less than gravel


If you're putting it in a vbx, you won't even need to turn it on...


----------



## cwren2472 (Aug 15, 2014)

Ajlawn1 said:


> If you're putting it in a vbx, you won't even need to turn it on...


@JMHConstruction - there you go!


----------



## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

cwren2472 said:


> @JMHConstruction - there you go!


I tried to like this more than once...


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Will it work? Yes, its sodium chloride. 

It will work very quickly as well because the granules are small.

It will require more product because the granules are so small 

It will dilute faster because the granules are so small...refreeze. 

It will turn into a solid chunk of salt in your spreader faster when it gets moisture in it because the granules are so small. 

Unless you're trying to create a slurry, larger granules are desired for the above reasons. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean good.


----------



## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

Use it for making brine


----------



## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

I'd buy it all and use it for walks.


----------



## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

cwren2472 said:


> @JMHConstruction - there you go!


Are you suggesting that my spreader has had issues in the past?

I'm trying something new this year when my spreader quits working ..... Jose


----------



## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

JMHConstruction said:


> Are you suggesting that my spreader has had issues in the past?
> 
> I'm trying something new this year when my spreader quits working ..... Jose


Alimento para pollos???


----------



## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

m_ice said:


> Use it for making brine


Gonna need to buy a big stove too so he can boil it...


----------



## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

BossPlow2010 said:


> Gonna need to buy a big stove too so he can boil it...


And an oar to stir it


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Ajlawn1 said:


> It is very fine salt, looks like table salt... And its put into your pool and converted into chlorine via a magical cell off of the filter...
> 
> Supposed to be less aggressive then straight chlorine tablets etc... For sure has been cheaper...


It is much more course than table salt.


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Mark Oomkes said:


> Unless you're trying to create a slurry, larger granules are desired for the above reasons. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean good.


I will agree with you, these are probably too small, they aren't like table salt though, they are the typical size of the ice melt pellets labelled "fast acting", so yes I will expect to use more if required.

I will say it's funny to look at salt pricing based on nothing but a label. Here's some right here, check out the description, calls for melting snow and ice. 
https://www.homedepot.com/p/40-lb-Pool-Salt-Bag-PS40/205955801

When i go to the stores and see salt it's 3 things, softener, ice melt, and pool salt. From there the granules and the packaging are the only differnce. This pool salt is 7 a bag during pool season, so it's not like i'm buying "cheap" sodium chloride. I'm just buying something that isn't marketed to snow removal or ice melt, but it's the same thing.

I'll let you guys know, i went back and bought 20 more bags, i've got 1600lbs of it and it cost me 20 bucks.


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

rippinryno said:


> This pool salt is 7 a bag during pool season, so it's not like i'm buying "cheap" sodium chloride.


Cheap as in you are paying little for it, but in the long run it won't be cheap because you will need more product to produce the same results as you would with larger granules.



rippinryno said:


> I'm just buying something that isn't marketed to snow removal or ice melt, but it should work.


It most certainly will work. It's sodium chloride. Chemicals are inanimate objects, they work the same way every time. The problem comes in when the user expects different results when applying under different conditions. I am not referring to you, just stating a generality.


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

yeah, if i get some hangups i'll just be prepared for that. I am definitely going to give this a go, worse comes to worse i can use it in the push spreader for smaller areas, but will be putting a few hundred lbs in the spreader to see how it goes. I can't imagine needing 5x's the product to be equivelant, i'm hoping that the fast acting can work to my advantage but will see.


----------



## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

I googled swimming pool salt, and found this imagine. I just can't see this working very well. Any moisture at all, and I would think it would gum up in the spreader.


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

yup, that's exactly what mine looks like.


----------



## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

JMHConstruction said:


> I googled swimming pool salt, and found this imagine. I just can't see this working very well. Any moisture at all, and I would think it would gum up in the spreader.
> 
> View attachment 197743


It looks like you're saying eye heart pool salt


----------



## pieperlc (Jan 4, 2005)

Seems like it would be the ticket for burning off what's left after shoveling walks.


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

totally worth what i spent on it. even if i have to poke my hopper to keep it clean, the price point is absurd. Hell I'd consider buying a salt filter now, at this price it's much cheaper than cholorine.


----------



## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

rippinryno said:


> It is much more course than table salt.


Yeah it isn't, table salt on the left and pool salt on the right... I'm sure your WallyWorld stuff is different as everything is there...

It's meant to dissolve quickly once poured into your pool water.


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Ajlawn1 said:


> Yeah it isn't, table salt on the left and pool salt on the right... I'm sure your WallyWorld stuff is different as everything is there...
> 
> It's meant to dissolve quickly once poured into your pool water.
> 
> View attachment 197749


not sure what you're trying to argue but i'll post a picture when i get home of this vs table salt. It is much more course. Sorry if that hurts your butt. move on.


----------



## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

rippinryno said:


> not sure what you're trying to argue but i'll post a picture when i get home of this vs table salt. It is much more course. Sorry if that hurts your butt. move on.


Just letting you know you were wrong is all...


----------



## Mike_PS (Feb 28, 2005)

let's stick to the topic and refrain from the name calling, etc. and to the OP, people are posting their opinions and experience from doing this for years, so if you want assistance, DO NOT post such comments nor call them names

thanks!


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Ajlawn1 said:


> Just letting you know you were wrong is all...


wrong that it's much more course than table salt? Actually michael, this guy is arguing semantics and there was no name calling. I'm not asking anybody for their opinion on which grain is more course, table salt, or this pool salt. I know the answer. It's show in his picture as well although my product is much more course than table salt.


----------



## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Don't let these guys get you down, I say go for it.

Chances are without the mass of the rock, it probably won't sling as far. 

Did you check it for any bounce?

You may need to choke your salter because it all might run out.


----------



## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

Snowex use to make a baffle for the v boxes for smaller material


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Mine has the two slides on each side where i can set how far open i want it


----------



## Mudly (Feb 6, 2019)

JMHConstruction said:


> I googled swimming pool salt, and found this imagine. I just can't see this working very well. Any moisture at all, and I would think it would gum up in the spreader.
> 
> View attachment 197743


That's literally the same size granular I buy in bulk from Morton. Hold on...


----------



## Mudly (Feb 6, 2019)




----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

yup, that's the same as the pool salt I got, it's pretty much the exact same size as the "fast acting" ice melt stuff. I'm hoping my spreader can still check it. Just purchased the last of what they had which was another 40 bags. I'm at 80 bags of pool salt now for the whopping cost of $45


----------



## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

rippinryno said:


> yup, that's the same as the pool salt I got, it's pretty much the exact same size as the "fast acting" ice melt stuff. I'm hoping my spreader can still check it. Just purchased the last of what they had which was another 40 bags. I'm at 80 bags of pool salt now for the whopping cost of $45


 At the price your paying if it don't work in the spreader, chuck it on sidewalks.


----------



## Mudly (Feb 6, 2019)

FredG said:


> At the price your paying if it don't work in the spreader, chuck it on sidewalks.


It'll work in the spreader.


----------



## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

Mudly said:


> It'll work in the spreader.


 Thumbs Up


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Works a little too good in the spreader. I cleared 4 inches this morning, opened the gate on the spreader and chucked 600lbs in about 1 minute time. 2nd go at it i slightly opened 1 gate on the spreader, got more out of it. Instantly melted, but as mentioned the stuff disolves extremely fast. Parking lot took 3 hoppers of this stuff, so overall like 20 bucks of salt?

Also, for anybody who cares and remembers my new plow guy with the welded beater thread that got closed, i plowed 2 acres of very rough parking lot this morning from 4am-6am. At one point the plow stopped working, i heard the pump running like it was locked on but not responding. I unplugged my controller which the lights went out on and the hookup at the front of the truck and plugged them both back in and it worked for the remaining hour of plow time.


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

rippinryno said:


> Works a little too good in the spreader. I cleared 4 inches this morning, opened the gate on the spreader and chucked 600lbs in about 1 minute time. 2nd go at it i slightly opened 1 gate on the spreader, got more out of it. Instantly melted, but as mentioned the stuff disolves extremely fast. Parking lot took 3 hoppers of this stuff, so overall like 20 bucks of salt?
> 
> Also, for anybody who cares and remembers my new plow guy with the welded beater thread that got closed, i plowed 2 acres of very rough parking lot this morning from 4am-6am. At one point the plow stopped working, i heard the pump running like it was locked on but not responding. I unplugged my controller which the lights went out on and the hookup at the front of the truck and plugged them both back in and it worked for the remaining hour of plow time.


How mulch time did it take to run through 3 hoppers of pool salt?


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

how much time to run it or how much time to fill them, lol.
half hour at most to do it all.

not more than 2-3 minutes per time. The spreader has 1 speed, max speed. I just zip around the lot sending it.

any clue on what would cause that pump to get wacky and sound like it was running against itself?  i'm assuming it was electrical considering once i unplugged and plugged back in everything was a ok.


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

rippinryno said:


> how much time to run it or how much time to fill them, lol.
> half hour at most to do it all.
> 
> not more than 2-3 minutes per time. The spreader has 1 speed, max speed. I just zip around the lot sending it.
> ...


Just remember when not working for T/M we sell time and time is money.

I'd say you have a ground or corrosion issue.


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

oh i'd love to have a huge in bed spreader so i don't have to load the dang thing, but this is where I'm at with my first property. 2 acres is a crapload to salt too, what's a good estimate for how much I should be planning to spread? I feel like i've put a ton down, but it's looking good.


----------



## Mudly (Feb 6, 2019)

rippinryno said:


> oh i'd love to have a huge in bed spreader so i don't have to load the dang thing, but this is where I'm at with my first property. 2 acres is a crapload to salt too, what's a good estimate for how much I should be planning to spread? I feel like i've put a ton down, but it's looking good.


Around 1500 pounds a application at just below freezing


----------



## BUFF (Dec 24, 2009)

Mudly said:


> Around 1500 pounds a application at just below freezing


We'd use less than 1/2 that amount for 2acres ootwest.


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

we took another inch last night so i threw 600lbs more this morning.


----------



## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

rippinryno said:


> any clue on what would cause that pump to get wacky and sound like it was running against itself? i'm assuming it was electrical considering once i unplugged and plugged back in everything was a ok.


check your grounds


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

I'll do that, will all the rust everywhere i'm sure that's a problem. 

I noticed that my morton pool salt is different than another brand of clorox. the clorox is muc more fine like table salt, my morton pool salt is just like ice melt. All out, time to buy chunk now.


----------



## Ajlawn1 (Aug 20, 2009)

rippinryno said:


> the clorox is muc more fine like table salt,


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

Which is why i'm not using or buying the clorox brand. That morton pool salt was the same granule as an ice melt product. Somebody told me it wasn't I guess they were talking about the clorox brand. It was a killer deal while it lasted. Got me through this first storm at the cost of very little.

I'm considering solar salt for the future. I can get a pallet of it for around $200 and that's a good price by me.


----------



## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

rippinryno said:


> I'm considering solar salt for the future. I can get a pallet of it for around $200 and that's a good price by me.


is there no access to rock salt in your area?


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

i'm sure there is, but i can't find cheap bagged rock salt. it's always 6 bucks a bag or $300 a pallet.


----------



## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

rippinryno said:


> i'm sure there is, but i can't find cheap bagged rock salt. it's always 6 bucks a bag or $300 a pallet.


interesting...

same amount of bags on both pallets?


----------



## rippinryno (Nov 14, 2019)

63 bags on the solar salt pallet, they're only 40lbers. the rock salt is 50 bags @ 50lbs.


----------

