Re: Fine Tuning a Salt Water Pool
Hi Polyvue, I think my tester is even older and cheaper than that. It only goes to 3.0 and says that 1.0 - 1.5 is "IDEAL". The 5.0 readings come from the BTDG's best guess or the Pool store. I have been looking for a new tester but haven't found anything in the pool stores that go over 5.0, Which makes me wonder how some of these members are measuring readings like 7.0 etc. I am convinced as you stated in your previous post that FC levels between salt water systems and traditional chlorine systems are apples and oranges.
I went for a swim last night with a FC reading of 1.5 - 2.0 and had no eye irritation for the first time in probably 3 seasons. The bottom of the pool did feel slippery, which rather surprised me. I had turned my SWCG settings to 5 hours at 50% and was seeing 2.5 - 3.0 FC, so as an experiment I tried 5 hours at 40% which is what I swam in last night. Sooooo, assuming that the slippery bottom was a result of too low of a reading, I turned the setting back to 50% and will see what happens tonight.
I am not sure how to test for CC's, however the TC and the FC have had the same reading since I re-filled the pool on May 7th.
Re: Fine Tuning a Salt Water Pool
Hey, Son!
Do yourself a big favor and order a Taylor K-2006 or 2006C. That way you will be able to test higher cl levels and CC. Can pick one up for under $50 at:
http://www.amatoind.com/taylor-k2006-test-p-555.html
Other places have it, too, of course, but this seems to be the best price anybody has found this spring that I have heard of so far.
Mom
Re: Fine Tuning a Salt Water Pool
Listen to Mom.
You don't want to have to lay down by your dog bowl again, now do you? :eek:
- - -
I've purchased various chlorine/pH tests over the years but Taylor's K-2006 is, IMO, the very, very best. Its FAS-DPD chlorine test is idiot-proof, accurate and can test ridiculously high levels of chlorine. The others tests are great, as well. If you're like me (a bonafide testing fanatic) consider the 2 oz. reagent size of the K-2006C. Otherwise, the K-2006A will work just fine. Pool stores sell what sells the most -- and most of their customers have no idea what's important so just shop on the basis of price alone. That must be why so few (none in my area) stock the K-2006. Get it on-line, cheap, and be worry-free.......
Re: Fine Tuning a Salt Water Pool
Quote:
Originally Posted by
polyvue
l. If you're like me (a bonafide testing fanatic) consider the 2 oz. reagent size of the K-2006C. .
If you find yourself short on some of the reagents, you can always buy the ones you use most in bigger amounts....that's why I like spspools-spas website.
Janet
Re: Fine Tuning a Salt Water Pool
Heads up on the Taylor 2006 kit from Amato; I ordered mine on Monday and they sent me an email today saying they are out and should be getting some in the next day or so... :( I'm not sure on the 2006C, they might have that in stock. I'm bummed because it will take a week to get to me once they get it, so I'm stuck with the OTO until then...
Re: Fine Tuning a Salt Water Pool
Quote:
Originally Posted by
polyvue
Listen to Mom.
You don't want to have to lay down by your dog bowl again, now do you? :eek:
NOOOOOO not the "Go lay by your dish" thing! LOL. I'll be a good dog.
I did a little reading in my faded out instruction sheet in the test kit. The test kit instructions refers back and forth between Total Chlorine and Combined Chlorine as being the same thing.
I have one of those Testers that says to fill with water and drop a tablet marked #1 into the tester, shake well and read the scale. Then drop one tablet marked #3 into the same solution and compare the readings.
Well, doing this, I determined that there is no difference.
Re: Fine Tuning a Salt Water Pool
Total chlorine and Combined chlorine are not the same thing. TC is the sum of the FC plus the CC. FC is the chlorine that is available to sanitize the water. CC is the chlorine that has already been "used up" sanitizing something in the water. TC is the total chlorine. You want CC to be 0, BTW and therefore, you want your FC to be equal to your TC. (That is kind of a simplified version of each.)
Kind of funny that that online pool store ran out of kits. (Not funny if you are someone waiting for yours, however. :() What do you bet that Pool Forum had something to do with that lack of available kits! Somebody should tell them they have us to thank for their good business and how about a donation to PF! :p:p
Re: Fine Tuning a Salt Water Pool
O.K. Mom, to the best of my knowledge, every test I had done whether it was my own feable attempt at pool wizardry or tests performed the pool store said that my Total Chlorine and my Free chlorine were the same reading. I don't know if the pool store ever did a CC test. I assume that the Test Kit you recommend will have a CC test.
I was a little confused by the instructions in my own kit. If I do the first part of the test using tablet #1, the sample turns a pinkish color and is read on the scale next to the water sample. Here is where I am confused. If I am reading it correctly, it says to put a tablet marked #3 into the pink solution and compare the first reading with the new reading, which will only be readible if the sample got darker. Now, I would have thought that you would start with a fresh sample of water THEN drop tablet #3 into it to compare the reading.
Now you know how I got my name. Sorry Mom
Re: Fine Tuning a Salt Water Pool
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BigTallDumbGuy
I did a little reading in my faded out instruction sheet in the test kit. The test kit instructions refers back and forth between Total Chlorine and Combined Chlorine as being the same thing.
You WANT FC and TC to be the same and in a well maintained pool, they typically are because that would mean that your CC would be 0. But, that is not what you wrote in your post above which I quoted. In that one, you wrote that TC and CC as being the same. Big difference. If your TC and CC are the same, it would mean that your FC was 0 and that would be a BAD thing!
Make sense??
BTW -- the test kit will give you the ability to get FC, CC and TC readings with none of the little tablets. It will be a lot easier to use and read.
Mom
Re: Fine Tuning a Salt Water Pool
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Watermom
You WANT FC and TC to be the same and in a well maintained pool, they typically are because that would mean that your CC would be 0. But, that is not what you wrote in your post above which I quoted. In that one, you wrote that TC and CC as being the same. Big difference. If your TC and CC are the same, it would mean that your FC was 0 and that would be a BAD thing!
Make sense??
BTW -- the test kit will give you the ability to get FC, CC and TC readings with none of the little tablets. It will be a lot easier to use and read.
Mom
Nothing makes sense to the BTDG when it comes to swimming pools. Sorry for the confusion. However, the instructions in the lid of the test kit do infact refer to Total Chlorine and Combined Chlorine back and forth as the same thing.
