K 1766 drop test or strips for salt level?

[JoyfulNoise]

Just to be clear, the K-1766 is a chemical test of the chloride ion (Cl-) level. It has very few interferences that matter in pool water (no one has any cyanide in their water) and so it is a very specific test. What your K-1766 tells you is pretty much exactly what your salt level is in solutions to within an accuracy of ~ 1 drop of titrant or +/-200ppm based on the sample test volume.

Your SWG, on the other hand, is an electronic meter that is measuring a proxy for salt concentration, namely the electrical conductivity of water flowing through the cell. Different manufacturers use different techniques to correlate solution conductivity to know salt levels but it is an inherently more inaccurate measurement. Your SWG has tolerance of roughly +/- 400ppm.

That said, it is the SWG that you must make happy. So, even after bumping up to 3200ppm, if your Aquarite says 2800ppm and demands more salt, you must raise it. There is no harm to cell in that sense, they are very forgiving pieces of equipment that can operate safely over a very wide range of salt concentrations.

 

[bdavis466]

Just to be clear, the K-1766 is a chemical test of the chloride ion (Cl-) level. It has very few interferences that matter in pool water (no one has any cyanide in their water) and so it is a very specific test. What your K-1766 tells you is pretty much exactly what your salt level is in solutions to within an accuracy of ~ 1 drop of titrant or +/-200ppm based on the sample test volume.

Your SWG, on the other hand, is an electronic meter that is measuring for salt concentration, namely the electrical conductivity of water flowing through the cell. Different manufacturers use different techniques to correlate solution conductivity to know salt levels but it is an inherently more inaccurate measurement. Your SWG has tolerance of roughly +/- 400ppm.

That said, it is the SWG that you must make happy. So, even after bumping up to 3200ppm, if your Aquarite says 2800ppm and demands more salt, you must raise it. There is no harm to cell in that sense, they are very forgiving pieces of equipment that can operate safely over a very wide range of salt concentrations.

Agreed, the cell reading is far more important for chlorine production, however, I use the 1766 for CSI calculations because that is far more accurate (especially when considering water temperature).

 

[pooldv]

Hey, that is good thinking on the CSI test!