PS233 for Salt?

[stever13]

I bought the PS233 kit last fall for my brand new pool that was filled in January this year. The kit works great. I noticed the new PS234 kit will have a "salt - PPM" option. Will this be available for us PS233 users? Or do I really need it and just trust the 3200 PPM reading on my Aqualogic panel? Thanks.

Today's test:

FC 2.0
CC 0
PH 7.6
ALK 120
CAL 270
CYA 42
Temp 70

[waterbear]

If Ben does not start offering a salt test kit separately you can get one from Taylor. They have 2 different chloride test kits in the pool and spa section. the one with the 2 oz bottles of reagents uses the same reagents as Ben's kit. It's a bit pricy. You can upgrade to the PS234S and use your reagents from the 233 with it also and the upgrade is only about $20 more than the chloride test kit from Taylor (if I remember the prices correctly, might be wrong but I am not off by that much).
At least, that is the route I would take--ordering the ps234s and using the 233 reagents with it. they are all compatible if I am not mistaken.

[PoolDoc]

I bought the PS233 kit last fall for my brand new pool that was filled in January this year. The kit works great. I noticed the new PS234 kit will have a "salt - PPM" option. Will this be available for us PS233 users? Or do I really need it and just trust the 3200 PPM reading on my Aqualogic panel?
There are several questions here, that I'm sure others have, so I'll try to answer them.

+ Purchasing a PS234 does not mean you have to toss* the reagents in the PS233. The reagents themselves have not changed between the PS233 and the PS234; I've just changed labels and quantities. There's already a cross-over chart that lets you tell how to match up Taylor numbers with the new PS234 numbers.

* Exception: the DPD powder (Taylor: R-0870; PS234: CHL #1) should probably be replaced annually, regardless. But, if it's still light gray and powder -- you may have to shake it up -- it's probably OK.

+ I don't know how relable the electronic sensors supplies with various SWG's are -- but my experience with many different sensors makes me suspicious and untrusting. Also, I'm pretty sure that those sensors do not actually measure salt; rather they measure conductivity. Conductivity levels result from the combination of ALL conductive ions in the water, and not just from sodium chloride. As a result, unless a field tech uses a chloride test to initially calibrate the sensors to YOUR pool AFTER it's filled . . . it's likely that there may be significant errors. This is especially true out west where some areas have high levels of ions present in drinking water.

It will be interesting to see, after a number of people have PS234s kits, how dependable the SWG sensors really are.

+ Eventually, I'll probably offer a standalone salt kit. But not before we're caught up on everything. Judging from past experience, that's unlikely to happen before mid-July.


Hope this helps;

Ben
PoolDoc / PoolSolutions.com / PoolForum.com

[Rockman59]

I have been using the salt testing strips made by AquaCheck. The strips always read higher than my digital meter on my salt water generator. I have also had the water tested at pool supply stores where they use a hand held guage. All three readings are different. What's the reason for this???

[The Pool Newbie]

I have been using the salt testing strips made by AquaCheck. The strips always read higher than my digital meter on my salt water generator. I have also had the water tested at pool supply stores where they use a hand held guage. All three readings are different. What's the reason for this???

Are you completely sure that the calibration isn't off on the SWG? I screwed with the installer menu of my autopilot and "somehow" reset the calibration to think my pool was at 3000PPM when it was really only at about 1800PPM... So of course I added a few more bags of salt and the pool pilot said I was good, but my check cell light kept on blinking away!!! I added another 300lbs (as suggested by the autopilot manual) and the light of course went away... Now my cell amps are slightly low... So I think I am still a we little low on salt... I just ordered the Aquacheck Salt testers because none of my local stores have the salt readers... Once I do a couple checks I will reset my calibration to match and hope to be insync from that point on... Sounds like it could be calibration issues betwen the poool testing equipment the readings on the SWG and the strips...

Good luck!

scott

[pedsrn]

I added salt last year and loved it, too. I ordered the ps234, but didn't order the salt kit..oops. I'm curious..what would be the harm in adding too much salt?

[Theusla]

When I test my salt level it reads about 500 ppm higher than what the SWG panel reads. I acid washed the cell but that did not make a difference. The book does not tell how to calibrate the unit. (AquaRite) I am going to call the tech line and see what they tell me.