Brand New IC40 Says Low Salt

[aerospa]

Yes, the more results the better especially when the readings are inconsistent.

Maybe your test kit is off for some reason.

Maybe the drops are too big from your bottle and you need a new dropper tip.

Ok so results are in:

Pool store 2, Tracer pocket tester salt pen - 2450ppm

Pool store 2, AccuBlue - 1792 ppm

Pool store 2, K1766 - 2600ppm

My new K1766 purchased from pool store 2 - 2600ppm

So I guess my K1766 from Amazon is bad (figures). This was an out-of-cycle purchase for me, otherwise I would’ve bought from tf test kits.

350 lbs of salt should raise the salinity by 2,200 ppm in 19,000 gallons.

2 gallons of 31.45% HCl is equivalent to 9.76 pounds of NaCl, which should add 61 ppm.

12 gallons of liquid chlorine (12.5%) should add 130 ppm.

So, 400 + 2,200 + 61 + 130 = 2,791 ppm.

Salt comes in 40 pound bags, so you added 8.75 bags of salt?

So if we adjust the entry for fill water from 400ppm to 173ppm (sum of averages of sodium and chloride from water report), then that puts me at 2564ppm which agrees much better with the results from the salt pen, the two other K1766’s, and the Intellichlor. Sweet.

So add more salt. But how much? Assuming a fill water salt level of 173ppm, and knowing I only get a few inches of rain a year and not much splash out, I expect my salt level to drift up over time from topping off with (softened) tap water. If true, should I target 3000ppm initially and watch it for a year or two, or am I compromising cell efficiency too much?

I’d like to avoid drain/refills to the extent practical, if only because it bothers my wife a little more than it bothers me.

 

[wireform]

@ a 19K pool each salt bag gives you 252 +/- ppm. The water from the softener will never have what you say 173 ppm salt. just because it went through the softener it may have barely a trace of salt.

 

[Newdude]

So I guess my K1766 from Amazon is bad (figures). This was an out-of-cycle purchase for me, otherwise I would’ve bought from tf test kits

I've seen enough posts here that I'd happily pay TFT's nominal shipping fee for the guaranteed fresh supply, and the customer service is unmatched. Nate talked on the phone to a member we were helping for 30-45 mins on a holiday weekend. Good LUCK getting Beezos to take your call.

*we never would have known had the member not told us, but none of us was surprised to learn it.


Anywho, glad you got a grip on it. It was quite the whodunit of a read.

Creep up to the target now that you have a good idea how much each bag will add. I 'undershot' considerably and still went over target by a little. Always leave that wiggle room.

 

[HermanTX]

then that puts me at 2564ppm which agrees much better with the results from the salt pen, the two other K1766’s, and the Intellichlor. Sweet.

Just remember that the SWCG measures salt differently and rarely matches to your actual test with K-1766. Don't let that bother you. If your salt level is in range per your test and the SWCG says it is in range (even those actual values do not match) then chill out and enjoy the swim.

If true, should I target 3000ppm initially and watch it for a year or two, or am I compromising cell efficiency too much?

I test my Salt monthly - do I need to? Probably not but I like to monitor levels over time. So don't set it and forget it - the test is simple and it keeps everything visible

 

[aerospa]

@ a 19K pool each salt bag gives you 252 +/- ppm. The water from the softener will never have what you say 173 ppm salt. just because it went through the softener it may have barely a trace of salt.

Ok interesting. Good to know. Is that to say you don’t think the tap water actually has that much salt in it, or is it because the softener removes it?

 

[aerospa]

I've seen enough posts here that I'd happily pay TFT's nominal shipping fee for the guaranteed fresh supply, and the customer service is unmatched. Nate talked on the phone to a member we were helping for 30-45 mins on a holiday weekend. Good LUCK getting Beezos to take your call.

*we never would have known had the member not told us, but none of us was surprised to learn it.


Anywho, glad you got a grip on it. It was quite the whodunit of a read.

Creep up to the target now that you have a good idea how much each bag will add. I 'undershot' considerably and still went over target by a little. Always leave that wiggle room.

Yes, in the future I’ll put my orders through TF Test Kits. I figured a K1766 is a K1766, but maybe not or maybe I this one’s a dud from the factory. Unlike other tchotchkes I suppose it matters how you store this one.

Anyways yes I plan on creeping up to the target now. I’d hate to overshoot before I understand the trend. Although is there a drawback to high salt in terms of cell operation? What’s the point of the HIGH SALT light?

 

[aerospa]

Just remember that the SWCG measures salt differently and rarely matches to your actual test with K-1766. Don't let that bother you. If your salt level is in range per your test and the SWCG says it is in range (even those actual values do not match) then chill out and enjoy the swim.


I test my Salt monthly - do I need to? Probably not but I like to monitor levels over time. So don't set it and forget it - the test is simple and it keeps everything visible

Copy all. I’m a data and spreadsheets type of pool owner so I’ll be doing frequent tests until I can determine a meaningful testing frequency.

 

[Newdude]

Although is there a drawback to high salt in terms of cell operation? What’s the point of the HIGH SALT light?

High salt can damage the unit if it doesn't shut off first, and it only comes out quickly by draining.

 

[revitup]

Ok that’s a really interesting question.

When I first dumped the salt in I noticed it was dissolving into a concentrated brine pool at the bottom. I could tell bu taste and temperature as I swam along the bottom.

I have one of those Hayward skimmers that is plumbed to the main drain, so you configure this little puck thing in the bottom of it to select how much you want to draw from the surface vs the main drain at the bottom.

I set it for 100% main drain and have left it like that up until 5 minutes ago. Once I did that I could tell the pump was drawing the brine from the bottom because the water out of the return jets tasted super salty for a while, then it evened out.

So I will apply power to the cell again now that I’m drawing from the surface and see what it says.

Running the salt cell with high salinity level or undissolved salt can damage it. Mine had to be replaced after the pool contractor ran it while adding salt (way too much as it turned out, 5600ppm).