I recently opened my pool. It was closed for 4 years and been a project (I have a post here all about with pics). Everything has gone great. I got all the numbers right (FC still slightly high at 6, but I figured that was good to get the SWG going).
I bought the test kit here and also some salt test strips. I tested the pool to start with and the strips read ZERO salt (I expected that, it has been dormant for 4 years). Also, the SWG was flashing the red LOW SALT light. According to the Poolcalc, I need just over 300 lbs of salt to take it from 0 to 3400, so I started adding salt. I brushed it, disolved it all, let the pump run, etc. I added 160 lbs and waited several hours...brushing, etc. and then tested. It was barely registering on the strip, less than 1 and my SWG was now solid red low salt. I measured several times with the strips throughout the day and it never got to 2...So I added another 120 lbs and brushed it all in. I then shut off the pump for a minute and when I restarted it, the SWG went through its self test, blinking, etc. and (I since found out) tested the water (seems it only does this on power up and then like once a day). It was flashing green HIGH SALT...which means over 4200 ppm (if memory serves).
So I let it run for 24 hours. Now, I tested it again with the salt strips and still just under 2! Which is like 500ppm or something. So, I assume that I got a bad batch of test strips here and, if my SWG is correct (which I hear they are pretty accurate) I am now oversalted.
I noticed that the test strips are brownish and when it does goes up the strip, it turns white. The directions say watch the YELLOW strip and it DARKENS? They are dark to begin with (in fact, look exactly the same as the picture on the bottle) and then go white. Also, just to be clear on method, I put the test strip directly in the pool on a clip and held it underwater for 10 minutes as the direction say.
So wife if off to find me some test strips that I can compare against. Definitely not working...
Here's a picture...new strip on the right, old strip on left (hard to see the numbers, but you get the idea from the white). This is after 280 lbs of salt and 24 hours:
A few questions if someone could help with I would appreciate it:
Anyone have trouble with these test strips before?
I love the test kit but the salt strips are not part of it, just an off the shelf brand I assume?
Does high salt hurt anything?
How long before it goes down on its own or do I have to drain water? I really hope that is not the case, I spent a boatload of time with this pool so I wouldn't have to drain water and now to be killed in the home stretch by some faulty test strips would be a real bummer.
Thanks for the help.
EDIT: I should have said, I am using Morton Pool Salt from Walmart, here's the link:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Morton-Salt-Pool-Salt-40-Lb-Bag/16561292?reviews_limit=10&
I bought the test kit here and also some salt test strips. I tested the pool to start with and the strips read ZERO salt (I expected that, it has been dormant for 4 years). Also, the SWG was flashing the red LOW SALT light. According to the Poolcalc, I need just over 300 lbs of salt to take it from 0 to 3400, so I started adding salt. I brushed it, disolved it all, let the pump run, etc. I added 160 lbs and waited several hours...brushing, etc. and then tested. It was barely registering on the strip, less than 1 and my SWG was now solid red low salt. I measured several times with the strips throughout the day and it never got to 2...So I added another 120 lbs and brushed it all in. I then shut off the pump for a minute and when I restarted it, the SWG went through its self test, blinking, etc. and (I since found out) tested the water (seems it only does this on power up and then like once a day). It was flashing green HIGH SALT...which means over 4200 ppm (if memory serves).
So I let it run for 24 hours. Now, I tested it again with the salt strips and still just under 2! Which is like 500ppm or something. So, I assume that I got a bad batch of test strips here and, if my SWG is correct (which I hear they are pretty accurate) I am now oversalted.
I noticed that the test strips are brownish and when it does goes up the strip, it turns white. The directions say watch the YELLOW strip and it DARKENS? They are dark to begin with (in fact, look exactly the same as the picture on the bottle) and then go white. Also, just to be clear on method, I put the test strip directly in the pool on a clip and held it underwater for 10 minutes as the direction say.
So wife if off to find me some test strips that I can compare against. Definitely not working...
Here's a picture...new strip on the right, old strip on left (hard to see the numbers, but you get the idea from the white). This is after 280 lbs of salt and 24 hours:
A few questions if someone could help with I would appreciate it:
Anyone have trouble with these test strips before?
I love the test kit but the salt strips are not part of it, just an off the shelf brand I assume?
Does high salt hurt anything?
How long before it goes down on its own or do I have to drain water? I really hope that is not the case, I spent a boatload of time with this pool so I wouldn't have to drain water and now to be killed in the home stretch by some faulty test strips would be a real bummer.
Thanks for the help.
EDIT: I should have said, I am using Morton Pool Salt from Walmart, here's the link:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Morton-Salt-Pool-Salt-40-Lb-Bag/16561292?reviews_limit=10&
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