How to test salt level in a pool
Put salt in recently? Pentair's guide says the pump has to circulate at least 24 hours before anything else. Once that's done, check the water using a strip, drop kit or meter. Your chlorinator display shouldn't be your only source. Pentair puts its IntelliChlor sensor accuracy at +/- 500 ppm (parts per million, the number a salt test shows).
When is testing okay?
Hold off on checking the water if you just poured salt bags into the deep end. Pentair's guide says the pump has to run for 24 hours minimum once you add salt, so it mixes in.
Skip the salt for now if the plaster is new. Per Hayward's manual, new plaster pools need 10 to 14 days for the surface to cure.
After the pump has circulated, scoop pool water into a clean cup.
Test strips
Salt test strips let you check the water fast, right at the poolside. Dunk the strip into your cup, then lift it straight out.
Let the color pad or white bar fully develop, then compare it against the bottle label. Wet fingers don't belong inside the bottle.
Drop kits plus meters
Using a drop kit involves a few extra steps. Fill up the tube, then squeeze in drops from the first bottle.
Next comes the second bottle, added 1 drop at a time. Give it a swirl and count the drops until the color shifts. That count becomes your salt reading through the kit's chart.
Set up your digital meter first by following its manual. Lower the sensor tip into your cup and look at the figure on the screen.
What the chlorinator tells you?
Look at the panel's salt figure as only a ballpark estimate. Pentair's guide puts the IntelliChlor sensor within +/- 500 ppm.
That's why you should check the water on your own. Confirm the salinity with an independent test every time before more salt goes into the pool.
Questions people bring to the counter
How can I check my pool's salt level?
Run the pool pump to stir the water, then collect a sample in a clean cup. Try a salt test strip, a silver nitrate drop test or a calibrated digital salinity meter. Just poured in salt? Give the pump 24 hours of run time before checking.
How can I tell if my pool is low on salt?
Using strips, a liquid drop kit or a digital handheld meter, test some pool water in a cup. The chlorinator light alone isn't enough to go on. Match what your test shows against the figure your chlorinator manual calls for.
Which test kit works best for a saltwater pool?
You'll get a reading from strips, a drop kit or a meter alike. Go with whichever one you actually plan to use. No matter which tester you choose, the salt cell sensor alone isn't enough to trust.
Which tester gives the most accurate pool salinity reading?
Pentair puts its IntelliChlor sensor's accuracy at +/- 500 ppm. So confirm the panel figure using a strip, drop kit or meter before adding any salt.