Strips vs TF-100
- Thread starter phyllis
- Start date
Nope. Test strips are made extremely cheaply and are very unreliable.
One of the big problems I, and others, have with those strips is, what in the heck color am I looking at? Is it blue/purple or purple/blue? Lavender maybe? That color differance might be enough the throw you off a couple ppm for chlorine which might put you out of range for your pool. Titrations like in the TF 100 kit are almost always going to easier to read and more accurate.
I have always used my TF-100 kit but its time to replenish it and I was just wondering if they had come out with and new and improved strips!!!! Getting lazy in my older years and my pool is green as a gourd and I am so tired of hauling bleach bottles...... :-(
- May 3, 2014
- 62,717
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Nope. Strips are just as inaccurate and non- repeatable as ever.
Get a refill for your TF100.
Get a refill for your TF100.
And if the pool is green, get the XL option and follow the SLAM Process.
Then, add a SWG to your pool and stop hauling jugs
Then, add a SWG to your pool and stop hauling jugs
yes. I have SLAMMED a pool on many occasions!! At least once every year!! Gotta love the weather in Arkansas!!And if the pool is green, get the XL option and follow the SLAM Process.
Then, add a SWG to your pool and stop hauling jugs
Even if they were accurate, what good is this CYA reading? Is it 30 or is it 50? Or could it maybe be a little higher than that, say 60? Should you maintain a minimum of 2 FC or 5 FC? What if it looks closer to 100? Then you'd want to maintain about 8 FC minimum. Where is that? But is it 8 or could it be 6 or 7?
And then there comes the rub: they aren't accurate. High FC can bleach out the dyes, so you won't know if you're at 2 FC or if you're really at 15 but it's bleached out. And if one pad is bleached out, are they all? And if you do the instinctive thing and set the strip on the chart to match colors, surface tension will wick the water and dyes from pad to pad, which will mess up the colors.
Pool is white cloudy...can't see the bottom yet. green is gone.
According to Pool Math .. I was trying to keep the TC around 16.
Here is where we are this am:
FC: 9
CC: 1
CYA: 20 (pool store said 40 (Tuesday) ..... so that was what I was using to calculate with)
Got my refills in yday so I was able to test my own CYA this am.
The pool math this am says to keep it at 10 with a CYA of 20.
Am I on the right track?? Sure would like to see it crystal clear by July 2.
According to Pool Math .. I was trying to keep the TC around 16.
Here is where we are this am:
FC: 9
CC: 1
CYA: 20 (pool store said 40 (Tuesday) ..... so that was what I was using to calculate with)
Got my refills in yday so I was able to test my own CYA this am.
The pool math this am says to keep it at 10 with a CYA of 20.
Am I on the right track?? Sure would like to see it crystal clear by July 2.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,717
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
If you want the pool crystal clear by July 2, you need to drain as much as you safely can and fill with fresh water. Your sand filter will be slow to clear a pool that is that cloudy.
If you plan to work with this water, add 10 ppm worth of CYA via the sock method. Target 12 ppm FC for the SLAM Process
If you plan to work with this water, add 10 ppm worth of CYA via the sock method. Target 12 ppm FC for the SLAM Process
FC: 7.5 (8 last night before treatment)
CC: .5 (1 last night)
CYA: 30
Dumped some water last night and refilled. Pushed my pH back up to 7.5
I always use the cheapest bleach I can find so I have been using the bleach from Dollar Tree..... $1 for 96 oz.
This am the pool was very sudsy...... never done this before....
Last night I added two stabilizer pkts and 2 containers of bleach.
So it looks like it has killed the algae and holding its own......... just still cloudy.
Maybe my sand needs to be cleaned???? It was replaced 2 years ago.
CC: .5 (1 last night)
CYA: 30
Dumped some water last night and refilled. Pushed my pH back up to 7.5
I always use the cheapest bleach I can find so I have been using the bleach from Dollar Tree..... $1 for 96 oz.
This am the pool was very sudsy...... never done this before....
Last night I added two stabilizer pkts and 2 containers of bleach.
So it looks like it has killed the algae and holding its own......... just still cloudy.
Maybe my sand needs to be cleaned???? It was replaced 2 years ago.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,717
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Dollar Tree bleach is most likely less than 3% sodium hypochlorite. May also be scented if it is foaming.
Use 10% liquid chlorine from Walmart or Home Depot.
Follow the SLAM Process
Use 10% liquid chlorine from Walmart or Home Depot.
Follow the SLAM Process
It is not scented. First thing I checked this am on the bottle..... making sure I didn't pick up the wrong case.
It does contain sodium hypoclorite...... but doesn't say how much....
should i get something to clean the sand????
It does contain sodium hypoclorite...... but doesn't say how much....
should i get something to clean the sand????
checked my Dollar Store bleach......... NO chlorine smell at all....
Back to walmart we go.... :-(
should I get the sand cleaner while I am there?????
Back to walmart we go.... :-(
should I get the sand cleaner while I am there?????
Last edited:
- May 3, 2014
- 62,717
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Unless you have used floc or clarifier, I doubt your sand is an issue.
Always be sure the bleach show % sodium hypochlorite.
Always be sure the bleach show % sodium hypochlorite.
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