Tested fill water for first time

[Nikilyn]

I got my TF-100 test kit last week and decided to test our water for practice.

No chlorine
No CYA
PH- off the chart
CH-25
TA- 190 or 200

The TA is one I had questions about. It says, until it turns red. Does that mean barely red or full red? Here's the pics.

In my kit they substituted the speed stir with the Smart Stir. It came with a different magnet than the other. Do I need to same kind of I get more?
I've only done the test once but am really glad to get the Smart Stir.

 

[Texas Splash]

Does that mean barely red or full red?

More like bright Barbie pink. Are you testing your fill water or the pool? The smart stir is the new model and the cross stirrer replaces the older bean we're used to.

 

[mknauss]

The CH of 25 implies you tested softened water. Will you be using that for your fill water?

 

[Nikilyn]

@Texas Splash OK, so I didn't get mine dark enough red? Good to know. This is just the fill water to practice on. Pool isn't finished yet.
@mknauss This was not our soft water, or it shouldn't be at least. I used it from the kitchen tap so it shouldn't be hooked up to the water softener.

 

[mknauss]

I would suspect your kitchen tap IS soft water. Would be unusual if not. And your non-softened water does not have a CH of 25.

 

[proavia]

My bet is it is soft water. Did the house have a soft water loop from the builder or was the water softener added as an after thought? Our water (without softening) will have a CH of 225-275 usually - and I am only a few miles from you. Suggest grabbing a sample from the outside hose bib out front near the water shut off valve.

If the house came from the builder with a softener loop, some builders had hard water to the cold tap in the kitchen and some had soft water to the same tap - no telling what your builder or their plumbing sub-contractor actually did without testing the water. My house has a soft water loop installed by the builder during construction - I have hard water to the kitchen cold tap and the icemaker tap. Their reasoning (wrong as it may be) is they didn't want the extra sodium or "salt" in water used for drinking or cooking.

 

[Nikilyn]

We had it added with the build but it isn't supposed to be in the kitchen because you shouldn't drink it. I'll do the test again because I probably did it wrong .

 

[Texas Splash]

We had it added with the build but it isn't supposed to be in the kitchen because you shouldn't drink it.

We have a water softener and it applies to the entire home. The only exception are outdoor spigots because generally you don't need soft water outside and perhaps some plant life may not tolerate the small amount of sodium, but drinking should be fine. It suspect it would be a major plumbing issue to run a separate (hard water) line just to the kitchen. My bet is your kitchen is soft water.