I added 28# of Boric acid to my pool yesterday. Per pool math, 50 ppm should be 29# and change (477 ounces). Since I've noticed that using pool math with my estimated volume always causes me to overshoot just a touch, I decided to hold back the extra pound and let everything mix up and test this morning.
I have the Lamotte strips (bone dry, broke the seal on them this morning)
I tested a glass of tap water to make sure I could read the color correctly. The color for 0 borates was dead on in tap water and easy to read.
When I got to the pool water, it was a different story. I'm having a hard time distinguishing between the 30 ppm and 50 ppm shade. It looks similar to the 50 ppm shade, but the whole pad is lighter overall. Hard to describe.
I can run another test later and post pics to see if anyone with better eyes than me can tell me whether they can read it.
Failing that:
1. Does anybody using borates and these strips have tips and tricks for getting a good read? (i.e., leave it in the water for a longer/shorter time; read in sunlight/shade/room light, etc)
2. Is there a good resource for a drop test? I have found a couple of threads here. All of them point back to Piscines Apollo, who appears to no longer be selling the drop test. To date, I have found drop tests to be much easier to read and more consistent than strip tests. I would be willing to spend a few extra dollars to get a good drop test.
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Just did the math again and it looks like 477 ounces is 29.81 pounds (or roughly 29 pounds, 13 ounces). This would mean I held back 1 pound, 13 ounces from Pool Math's recommendation. Is it worth tossing another 2# in today and testing again? Or at shades separated by 20 ppm or so, is the precision too broad for me to think holding back roughly 6% of the suggested amount would make a difference?
I have the Lamotte strips (bone dry, broke the seal on them this morning)
I tested a glass of tap water to make sure I could read the color correctly. The color for 0 borates was dead on in tap water and easy to read.
When I got to the pool water, it was a different story. I'm having a hard time distinguishing between the 30 ppm and 50 ppm shade. It looks similar to the 50 ppm shade, but the whole pad is lighter overall. Hard to describe.
I can run another test later and post pics to see if anyone with better eyes than me can tell me whether they can read it.
Failing that:
1. Does anybody using borates and these strips have tips and tricks for getting a good read? (i.e., leave it in the water for a longer/shorter time; read in sunlight/shade/room light, etc)
2. Is there a good resource for a drop test? I have found a couple of threads here. All of them point back to Piscines Apollo, who appears to no longer be selling the drop test. To date, I have found drop tests to be much easier to read and more consistent than strip tests. I would be willing to spend a few extra dollars to get a good drop test.
- - - Updated - - -
Just did the math again and it looks like 477 ounces is 29.81 pounds (or roughly 29 pounds, 13 ounces). This would mean I held back 1 pound, 13 ounces from Pool Math's recommendation. Is it worth tossing another 2# in today and testing again? Or at shades separated by 20 ppm or so, is the precision too broad for me to think holding back roughly 6% of the suggested amount would make a difference?