I started this season with about twenty test strips and was planning on buying a real test kit. Money has been tight so I have put off buying a test kit and probably will not until next year. I have not tested my water since about July 15. I just keep on adding about 14 oz of bleach each night. I have a 15'-4' Intex. I have two type a cartridge filters in parallel that run 12hr a day. My water is very, very clean and sparkly. I wonder if my pool is easier because the water is never over 80 degrees. It is usually between 72 - 78 degrees. I would think that warmer water has faster chemical reactions and algae will grow easier.
How long can you go without testing water
- Thread starter 1380ken
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We recommend using a drop based kit to at least check the pH and chlorine every few days with other tests done weekly and monthly. There is an article in Pool School.
Sounds like you have been lucky this year, but you have no idea if your levels are drifting well outside the recommended range.
Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short
Sounds like you have been lucky this year, but you have no idea if your levels are drifting well outside the recommended range.
Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short
I started off checking every day...sometimes even twice a day if I added chemicals. Now that I know how my pool reacts to chemicals, and how they change over the period of a week I only check Cl and PH every three days (i have a swg), and some of the other things TA, CC's once every 10-15days probably. I will probably spread that out a little bit more since I now know how fast TA is dropping and what not.
You can go forever without testing it, just don't expect it to be sanitary even if it looks clean.
I know a full test kit seems like a lot but it's well worh the expense.
I know a full test kit seems like a lot but it's well worh the expense.
For me it has just been a money issue. I am an R&D Engineer and love testing things. I will have a good test kit next year.
If it is sparkly then we can guess that the chlorine is not too low -- for you would get algae eventually. But the chlorine could be too high -- which would bleach the liner. The pH could be high or low, both would be something that you would sense by eye or skin irritation. Even the simplest test kit, the OTO kit in the little box that tests FC and pH would be a start. Then you could omit that part when you got the full test kit.
I assume this in not the Intex with the SWG system?
I assume this in not the Intex with the SWG system?