Total Disolved Solids

[Gomboman]

My water is four months old. We use the spa about five nights per week. About a week ago, my water started to get a little cloudy. I'm on the HS Freshwater system and my water is normally crystal clear. I can tell when the water doesn't respond like it normally does when it's fresh. The bubbles from my HS CD ozinator become very small any fizzy--not sure why. This is the time I normally dump the water.

Anyway, I wanted to know what my TDS readings were when this happens. Steve suggests dumping the water at 1,500 ppm. I've never checked my readings before.

I went to my local HS dealer but they don't perform any water testing. I went to Leslies but thier meter was broken.   I ended up going to another pool store and the kid behind the counter looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him if he could check my TDS levels.  He brought out the manager and he used test strips for the test. My water came back at 1,500 ppm. He said that my water should be good until 3,000 ppm.

I know test strip are not totally accurate but Steve was very close on the mark here. Not sure if there's any point to this thread except that I know to dump the water at 1,500 ppm. Thanks Steve....


http://www.rhtubs.com/TDS.htm

[Pathfinder]

3,000 would be fine if you were on a sodium bromide generator system

[Vinny]

Gomboman,

As I mentioned in another thread, TDS is a measurement that can't be taken unless a high level machine is used. Even then I can't be 100% sure.

TDS = all the stuff in the water including dead bacteria, dead skin, dirt, stray chlorine molecules, the metals from a N2 or frog or freshwater cartridge and whatever else goes in the water.

 A TDS meter only measures the stuff that is ionized as it works by alternating current between 2 probes that gets put into the water at a fixed distance and figures the TDS based on how quickly it measures the current from one probe to another.

The reason it's not acurate is that everything is not ionized in this world. Dead bacteria would not be measured but if you have a chlorine residue in the tub it will. Even if there's ozone in the tub you will get a false reading.

An ion is a charged particle that can either be repelled or attracted to a current generator depending on it's charge and the current.  Some electrostatic air cleaners use this technology as does the car industry to get a tight bond on cars as they paint them.

I wouldn't waste your time unless it's just for "need to know" and I certainly can understand that reason. Other than that the easiest way is just dump and refill!

Vinny

[tony]

I understood that you should change your water when it absorbed 1500 ppm TDS, but to find this level you would need to know what your TDS start level was.  For instance your water may start with a reading of 500 TDS, the maximum absorbtion level would be 2000 with an increase of 1500.  TDS seems to be a difficult and not very exact thing to measure.

[Gomboman]

I understood that you should change your water when it absorbed 1500 ppm TDS, but to find this level you would need to know what your TDS start level was.  For instance your water may start with a reading of 500 TDS, the maximum absorbtion level would be 2000 with an increase of 1500.  TDS seems to be a difficult and not very exact thing to measure.

Yes, I checked my water out of the tap and it was 250 ppm. I'll probably never test my water again for TDS. I'll just dump it.

I was just curious what the levels are when my water goes south. It usually happens after three or four months of heavy use. I wish somebody in my area had a TDS meter though. Thanks for the input.