1Match the chlorinator to the blend
- Check the manual says the unit works with mineral blends. Many do, and some have a separate mineral or salt setting.
- Operating levels vary a lot, from 2,500–3,500 mg/L (ppm) on some models to 4,000–6,000 mg/L on others.
- Below the minimum, output drops, and some manufacturers say it shortens cell life. Above the maximum, many units (not all) show a high-salt warning. A blend added on top of existing salt can push the reading over.
- Warranties assume the unit is run within the manual's limits.
2Test the reading and the magnesium separately
- Chlorinators give their range as salt, salinity or TDS, never magnesium. A meter or panel reading is a total.
- Low-salt warning? A scaled cell or cold water can set it off (some manuals say check it's above 15 °C). Test first; see salt chlorinator low output.
- Test magnesium with magnesium test strips, or bring a sample in for a LaMotte Spin Touch analysis. Some strips read 0–400 ppm in only five colour steps, so treat the result as a guide.
Targets are set by each blend maker, not by a standard. Follow the label for the product you are dosing.
| What the label gives | What it measures | Test with |
|---|---|---|
| A total-salts range, e.g. 3,500–4,500 ppm | The whole blend, read like salt | Salt meter or panel |
| A magnesium target, e.g. up to 400 ppm | Magnesium only | Magnesium strips |
3Balance on calcium hardness
- Total hardness includes magnesium, but the LSI uses only calcium. Common multi-test strips read total hardness, so use a calcium hardness drop test.
- Self-cleaning cells still scale in hard water. Check the cell more often.
The pool looks more scale-forming than it is.
Use the LSI calculator. More in calcium scale and the LSI.
What AGent stocks, and what it is
- Eco Clear Minerals 15 kg. Over 60% magnesium minerals, 30–60% other chloride minerals. The Eco Clear Minerals SDS classes it as not hazardous and not a dangerous good.
- Liquid Magnesium 5 L and 15 L. A magnesium chloride solution. The Liquid Magnesium SDS carries skin, eye and respiratory irritation warnings.
- Some blends are classed as hazardous (serious eye irritation). Read the SDS and wear gloves and eye protection.
Liquid Lithium 5 L is not a mineral. It is a lithium hypochlorite chlorine sanitiser for spas, and a Class 8 (corrosive) dangerous good, UN 1791. Keep it away from acids, and store and handle it like liquid chlorine. See WorkSafe WA's pool and spa chemicals leaflet.
Converting a salt pool
- Check the existing salt reading first, so the total stays within the chlorinator's range. If it's already near the maximum, partly drain and refill.
- Eco Clear Minerals: use it instead of salt for top-ups.
- Liquid Magnesium: pour it straight into the pool. Follow the label. It still adds dissolved salts, so the salt or TDS reading will rise.
- Sodium-free mineral system? Follow that system's own manual.
Corrosion: still a chloride pool
- Salts in pool water can corrode metal and unsealed concrete. Even marine-grade stainless can pit in chloride water, so rinse and inspect ladders, rails and fittings regularly.
- Some sandstones and limestones are less suitable around salt water pools. Seal them.
Skin and health claims
Some marketing makes skin and health claims for mineral pools. A peer-reviewed review found the promotion of transdermal magnesium (absorbed through the skin) scientifically unsupported. Under TGA rules, a product presented as preventing or relieving a disease or ailment can be a therapeutic good. Don't pass them on to customers.
When it isn't the minerals
- Low chlorine: see salt chlorinator low output. A chlorinator can take days to bring a pool up from zero, so makers recommend adding chlorine manually first (follow the label).
- Cloudy water or high stabiliser: see cloudy pool water and stabiliser too high.
Disposing of mineral pool water in WA
- Not to sewer. Water Corporation does not permit backwash or drainage from domestic pools and spas to go to sewer.
- Emptying the pool? DWER's WQPN 55: a fully emptied saltwater pool should go to a low-permeability solar evaporation pan where practicable. Irrigate only where the water suits the plants. Never to septic tanks, leach drains, parkland or road drains.
- Backwash: some blend makers say dilute it 5 parts fresh water to 1 part backwash to protect sensitive plants. Council rules still apply. More in green pool recovery.
Final step
Write the blend, the chlorinator model and its rated range on the job card, and log the salt or TDS reading and the magnesium reading every visit. Next time the panel shows a warning, you'll know whether it's real.
Based on
- Water Corporation, Aquatic facilities
- DWER, Water Quality Protection Note 55: swimming pools
- WorkSafe WA (Dangerous Goods Safety), Getting chemicals for your pool or spa?
- TGA, What are therapeutic goods?
- Chlorinator manufacturers' installation and operating manuals, and mineral blend makers' product information
- Product labels and safety data sheets; test strip and water-testing references
- Peer-reviewed research on transdermal magnesium
Checked against these and other manufacturer and trade sources, October 2026. Always follow the manufacturer's manual and the product label.
General information for pool and spa trade professionals. Every pool is different. This guide does not replace the product label, the SDS, the equipment manual or advice from a licensed tradesperson, and figures quoted from the WA Code of Practice apply to public aquatic facilities. To the extent permitted by law, AGent Sales & Services Pty Ltd accepts no liability for loss or damage arising from reliance on it. Website terms.