do i need a salt water tester?

[chinolofus]

i have (and am using for the first time) the intex sand filter/saltwater pump combo. it has a low and hi salt warning built in. just wondered if i need to invest in a salt water tester to see how many ppm it has. so far none of the warnings have gone off. though i just started using it yesterday. ive put in 120lbs of salt so far.

if i do need it...is it something that can wait a week or 2? im kinda cash strapped at the moment with all of the other summer yard projects going on too.

this is the kit i was looking at http://www.amazon.com/TAYLOR-TECHNO...01862187&sr=1-1&keywords=salt+water+pool+test

maybe there is something better or cheaper. i assume the test strips are junk, just like the ones that test chemicals.

 

[jblizzle]

The strips seem to be hit and miss ... they can expire and go bad. I like the kit you posted. Although my kit seems to always read 600ppm higher than my SWG ... who knows which one is "right". The only thing that matters is that the SWG is happy.

The kit is consistent though, so I can get a sense for if the salt level is dropping, etc. If the number for the test does not change, but the SWG starts to have issues, I can be pretty sure that it is in fact the SWG that needs attention and not the salt level.

 

[chinolofus]

thanks for the info. so do you think its urgent i get one right away? or can i wait a week or 2?

 

[jblizzle]

It can wait if the SWG is new and working properly.

 

[Xexys]

The strips seem to be hit and miss ... they can expire and go bad. I like the kit you posted. Although my kit seems to always read 600ppm higher than my SWG ... who knows which one is "right". The only thing that matters is that the SWG is happy.

The kit is consistent though, so I can get a sense for if the salt level is dropping, etc. If the number for the test does not change, but the SWG starts to have issues, I can be pretty sure that it is in fact the SWG that needs attention and not the salt level.

I agree with this statement as I've found my control panel just a little off from the test kit, although usually only by 200 ppm.