testing for high chlorine

Until I can buy a new test kit I am using my kit that only tests up to 5 ppm of chlorine. I know I have read on here before about using that test somehow to test higher levels. Can someone fill me in? I have a CYA level of 110 so I think I need to test around 9-15--right?? I'd love to lower that CYA level by draining and adding water but water is so EXPENSIVE here. I'm hoping that switching to bleach only (I've been using bleach and an auto Trichlor feeder up til now) will eventually lower that CYA level.

Sorry to have to ask for old info--I sure miss all those old threads!

LYN

It's called the "shotglass method". You take a shotglass of pool water and a shotglass of distilled water (any two equal measures of water will work) and mix them then test and multiply your test reading by 2. If you need to test even higher you can take 2 parts distilled water to one part pool water and then multiply by three. Realize that the more you dilute your sample the more inaccurate your test result is but it will give you a ballpark figure. It is not a good idea to dilute more than 2:1 because your result will become more inaccurate the more you dilute. In your case you can get a good idea of Cl levels up to about 15 ppm.

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Originally Posted by armywife57

Until I can buy a new test kit I am using my kit that only tests up to 5 ppm of chlorine. I know I have read on here before about using that test somehow to test higher levels. Can someone fill me in? I have a CYA level of 110 so I think I need to test around 9-15--right?? I'd love to lower that CYA level by draining and adding water but water is so EXPENSIVE here. I'm hoping that switching to bleach only (I've been using bleach and an auto Trichlor feeder up til now) will eventually lower that CYA level.

Sorry to have to ask for old info--I sure miss all those old threads!

LYN

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Switching to bleach will help--as long as you keep using the tabs, your CYA is going to continue to climb. However, backwashing and refilling with rain, etc. will eventually lower it. (It's gonna take awhile, though! )

Janet

Waterbear described The CarlD Shotglass Method perfectly! Thanks!

You will need to keep FC in the 9-15 range for your CYA.

If there's a Leslie's around, they sometimes have the Taylor FAS-DPD kit (sometimes with another test built in). I found one for $20 but it was the local store's last. It's pretty much the same as the FAS-DPD test Ben includes and will allow testing of FC up to 50ppm.

That's it on the left:
http://home.earthlink.net/~dashmanc/pool/snap0009.jpg
and
http://home.earthlink.net/~dashmanc/pool/snap0008.jpg

Leslie's test kits are all re-badged Taylor kits. These two together do a fairly good alternative to Ben's kit--especially if they are in stock and you are waiting on the PS-234. Ben's is better organized, easier to use, and better documented.

I have both--plus a bunch of others--I like to see how well they work.

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Originally Posted by CarlD

Waterbear described The CarlD Shotglass Method perfectly! Thanks!

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CarlD, I admit getting the "shotglass" part from you but I have kept aquariums for most of my life (over 45 years now) and it's pretty much a standard procedure to get a greater test range at a sacrifice of some accuracy. Taylor even documents how to do it for some of their tests such as the DPD test in the K-2005 kit :) I guess I should have included the trademark sign ;)
(I hope you have a sense of humor like I do...just kidding with you!)

Ah! It's the using of the SHOTGLASS that is patented!:rolleyes: