I've been following you guys before my pool was even built. First time poster (I think). Last year was 100% trouble free (as far as pool water goes). Thank you all.
I've read in detail here about testing the salt. And I get it - just make sure the cell is happy.
Well, I'm not comfortable with that. Sorry, I'm a dork. I want to test my testers (strips and Taylor kit).
I have a suspicion that my Taylor kit is off because it expires in 45 days. My test strips are from last year but are darn close to what the pool stores measure. I haven't started my salt cell yet - so I don't even know what it thinks right now. My pool temp is really low.
So, my goal is to create my own Salt Standard. Similar to the CYA, TA, CH, and pH standards that you can buy here. Simple enough - how difficult could it possible be? We've all done it in grade school.
I googled around with different sources and came up with a 1/4 tsp of table salt in 500 ml of water should be about 2600 ppm (roughly). I'm really just trying to hit it in the in-field of the ballpark.
1/4 tsp - I can measure that!!! And I have a flask from my beer making days which accurately measures 500ml.
Ohhh - I'm so smart
Well I did it. The test strips registered at 1600 ppm? And my Taylor salt test came up with 4000 ppm? So this was a huge failure .
Does my sample need to be more balanced? I didn't measure pH or anything. The water was from grocery store - distilled. Help me out please...
For reference,
Thank you in advance.
I've read in detail here about testing the salt. And I get it - just make sure the cell is happy.
Well, I'm not comfortable with that. Sorry, I'm a dork. I want to test my testers (strips and Taylor kit).
I have a suspicion that my Taylor kit is off because it expires in 45 days. My test strips are from last year but are darn close to what the pool stores measure. I haven't started my salt cell yet - so I don't even know what it thinks right now. My pool temp is really low.
So, my goal is to create my own Salt Standard. Similar to the CYA, TA, CH, and pH standards that you can buy here. Simple enough - how difficult could it possible be? We've all done it in grade school.
I googled around with different sources and came up with a 1/4 tsp of table salt in 500 ml of water should be about 2600 ppm (roughly). I'm really just trying to hit it in the in-field of the ballpark.
- source
- Distilled water=500ml
- Target Salinity=2.6 ppt (2600 ppm)
- Temp=77 (yes, i even heated it up)
- Water Impurity=0
- Calculate - > Use 1.3 grams salt (about 1/4 tsp).
1/4 tsp - I can measure that!!! And I have a flask from my beer making days which accurately measures 500ml.
Ohhh - I'm so smart
Well I did it. The test strips registered at 1600 ppm? And my Taylor salt test came up with 4000 ppm? So this was a huge failure .
Does my sample need to be more balanced? I didn't measure pH or anything. The water was from grocery store - distilled. Help me out please...
For reference,
- Two pool stores measured my pool water at about 2200 ppm.
- My Taylor kit measures my pool water at 3200 ppm. If the reagent gets weaker with age, then this makes sense.
- The AquaChec test strip measures my pool water at about 2200 ppm if you don't measure to the TIP of the white cone - instead measure 2 tenths less where the white is aprox 95% of the color change. The instructions are subjective because the picture on the bottle does not show a cone shape. Instead it shows a really, really small but definitely rectangular shape - which is not what really happens. There's enough subjectivity in these tests. Why do they create more...
Thank you in advance.