I was told by the company who put my pool in to use 6-way test strips but I read on your site those aren't good. I'm confused. Thanks.
6-way test strips
- Thread starter dolwig
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
Pool builders and installers just aren't very good at taking care of pools. The strips are not accurate enough for more than a rough idea of your water chemistry. The drop-based kits use clear color changes and drop counts to determine levels for most water paramaters.
Pool builders and installers just aren't very good at taking care of pools. The strips are not accurate enough for more than a rough idea of your water chemistry. The drop-based kits use clear color changes and drop counts to determine levels for most water paramaters.
Welcome to TFP!!!Yup. Get one of the Recommended Test Kits and you will always know EXACTLY what is going on in your pool.
Have you started reading through Pool School yet?
I have read through pool school and I appreciate it greatly. I am a severe pool novice. I was looking at the test kits but I wasn't sure if I needed the same thing for SWGs? Thanks so much. 
Same test kit ... your pool is still a chlorine pool.
You just may want to consider adding a salt test ... the drop based is generally more accurate than the strips.
And the TF-100 is certainly the better value.
You just may want to consider adding a salt test ... the drop based is generally more accurate than the strips.
And the TF-100 is certainly the better value.
I was a pool novice last year when I put in a new pool. Thanks to this site I feel very confident in caring for my pool. Read pool school several times and you will soon feel comfortable in taking care of your pool and know exactly what is going on. Good luck and welcome aboard.
Thank you all so much. I will reread pool school and continue to read up on everything and buy a test kit. I appreciate it. 
Welcome to tfp, dolwig
The only thing you might want to add for a swg pool in addition to the tf-100 is either the aquacheck salt strips (probably good enough) or the Taylor drop based salt test (K-1766).
The only thing you might want to add for a swg pool in addition to the tf-100 is either the aquacheck salt strips (probably good enough) or the Taylor drop based salt test (K-1766).
I have no idea why it would make a difference; didn't know that they were all the same.
I guess I just thought the Intellichlor told you how much salt is in the pool; didn't think you had to test for it? Thanks.
I believe it does, but there are times that you may want confirmation if the intellichlor is not working, or indicting a low/high salt reading. Swg salt readings can easily go out of calibration.
Always good to have an independent test for salt. One sign of the SWG getting dirty and/or starting to go bad at the ends of its life is when it starts to read lower salt levels than reality.
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