Testing salt levels with the Taylor K-1766 kit

[steveg_nh]

I am using the speedstir, and I'd bet, TimerGuy, that you are in the "brown", not stopping at the milky red. But I think it's confusing in that what is called brown, kind of looks red!

I did find this video...guy totally needs a SpeedStir! Unfortunately, he didn't take the test past the end point so you could compare what you want, vs what you don't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8R-u_PeN4k

 

[timerguy]

Nope, that was only once, I stop now as soon as it turns from just milky to milky salmon-- sort of a dark pink, but not really what I would consider to be brick red. My house is red brick, not even close to that. I'll post a pic the next time I do the test.

 

[jblizzle]

That mat he uses is annoying for a horrible product as well But that looks like the same color I call brick red.

 

[Patrick_B]

In water (wet testing) this is one the most difficult of all end points to get right. You want to stop at that first big change to brick red, before it goes further and starts to precipitate everything out.

 

[timerguy]

That mat he uses is annoying for a horrible product as well But that looks like the same color I call brick red.

Yup, that's my color stop point! My bricks are a whole lot redder

 

[JasonLion]

This is the only video I can find. It is far from perfect, but does give you some idea of what the color looks like.

 

[steveg_nh]

Man I just struggle getting this right. Tonight I got 3000ppm. Which makes sense, but I swear, it goes milky white straight to what I think they are referring to as brown (too far). When I stop spinning, it's all separated. Maybe as it gets closer, I'm letting the drops drop too quick, and it needs to stir a second or two longer before it changes to thinks milky salmon brick red color?? It's not gradual. Just white, to yuck brown. It's almost as if the SpeedStir is perhaps mixing it too quickly. Yeah, that's crazy talk right there.

 

[chem geek]

I wouldn't worry about it as you are probably within a drop of the right result. You'd only get to that intermediate salmon color if your drop was halfway between the milky white and the darker red/brown. I use a 25 ml sample size where each drop is 80 ppm, but I'm not measuring as high a salt level for my pool (it's usually in the 1000-1500 range as a non-SWG pool). I see that transition from milky through salmon to red and then deep red/brown so I'm pretty sure it's just going through the transition for you in one drop.

 

[steveg_nh]

Me too. I just deduct that last drop and go with that. I'd like to see a comparison pic from someone to say "yup, that's what I'm calling brown!"

 

[steveg_nh]

So I just retested salt levels last night. Did it 3 times because the numbers seemed low. I got 2400. Have been getting 3000 for the last couple of weeks, and 3200 on the SWG display. I did dump some water due to rain bringing it to the top of the skimmer, but that seems like a big swing. If the SWG is happy showing 3200, should I not worry about it? Jason mentioned that both the drop test and SWGs are +-400ppm. So if the SWG is high, by say 400, and the drop test low by 400, they match! LOL

 

[jblizzle]

I find that my drop salt kit is consistent and gives expected results it just does not match the SWG (which seems to vary a good bit between 3100 and 3600 the different times I have looked). So having the test suddenly drop would concern me.

 

[steveg_nh]

I'm just thinking if I add two bags of salt, my SWG may see that ride and think I'm closer to 4000, which is the upper limit.

 

[steveg_nh]

I wonder if i need to calibrate my SWG or something. I need to take a look at the manual of my AquaPlus system. I was just looking in the Diagnostics menu, and for the sWG where it shows voltage, amps, temp, it shows a salt reading that I think is "instant" and it was only 2800. I wonder if the setting I see in the Default display, the values that cycle, is an average or something.

 

[jblizzle]

There is no calibration. You can override the average salt reading with the instant one, but that is only temporary.

 

[steveg_nh]

Yeah, now that I understand how 'average' and instant work, it makes more sense. Instant is more in line with what I'm reading with my drop test, and given that I have not recently added, it seems ok. Since average is just that, an average, with lows and highs, it makes sense that it would be off...

 

[Red]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I've been having issues with my SWG. Hayward/Goldline tech support wanted me to get additional salt readings. I found in some threads here about the Taylor K-1766 test (and appreciate someone's suggestions to just buy the chemicals...it's cheaper). It does seem to be pretty consistent, and with the SpeedStir, it's quite obvious when the change occurs.

Some of the Hayward techs have implied I can recalibrate the salt level, but each time I call I get someone different, and they all have different stories. From what I've read here, and according to the last tech I spoke to, my cell is going bad and that's why the test and the SWG show such different levels. At least it's still generating chlorine, so there's no need to change it yet. The tech told me to put in a little more salt and test the SWG when the pump is on high, as the readings can be off when the pump is on low. I put in more salt and we'll see if the SWG is any happier. It warns of low salt (2600), but hasn't shut off yet. My reading with the test is now 3600.