Test Kit

Frequently asked questions

AC-12 or AC-24 chlorinator?

The AC-12 holds twelve trichlor tablets and suits residential pools up to about 50 m³. The AC-24 holds twenty-four and suits villa pools above 50 m³, hotel and club pools. Both are plumbed as a bypass on the return line after the filter and heater, with a control valve that sets how much water flows over the tablets.

What readings should the water show?

Free chlorine 1–3 mg/l and pH 7.2–7.6. Inside that pH window chlorine sanitises efficiently and neither bathers nor equipment are affected. The TK-1 kit measures both with OTO and phenol red reagents: take the sample at elbow depth away from the inlets and read the comparator in daylight.

How often should I test?

Daily in season on hotel and club pools, and two or three times a week on a residential pool — always before adjusting the chlorinator dial. Log the readings; a trend tells you more than a single figure.

Can the chlorinator be used with a heater?

Yes, provided it sits downstream of the heater on the return line and a check valve is fitted between them, so chlorinated water cannot flow back into the heater when the pump stops.

Does Waterstar sell pool chlorine?

No. Waterstar manufactures the equipment for treating and testing pool water — the AC-12 and AC-24 automatic tablet chlorinators, the TK-1 test kit and the T-10 thermometer — but does not sell chlorine or any other pool chemical. Buy chlorine from a licensed chemical supplier in your country, use the tablets the chlorinator is designed for (trichlor tablets in the AC-12 and AC-24) and follow the product label.

How much chlorine does a pool need?

Aim for free chlorine of 1–3 mg/l with pH 7.2–7.6. The US CDC recommends at least 1 ppm (1 mg/l) of free chlorine in pools, at least 2 ppm where the water contains cyanuric acid — the stabiliser in trichlor tablets — and at least 3 ppm in hot tubs. To work out a dose: raising free chlorine by 1 mg/l takes 1 g of available chlorine per m³ of water, divided by the available-chlorine percentage on the label. A product labelled 65 % needs about 1.5 g per m³, so a 60 m³ pool needs about 92 g of it for a 1 mg/l rise. Always follow the label directions.

How do I test chlorine and handle it safely?

Test chlorine and pH before and after every adjustment. The TK-1 kit measures both; the CDC notes that DPD test kits give the most accurate chlorine readings and that above 10 ppm a test can bleach out and read falsely low or zero. For safety the CDC advises: read and follow the label, wear goggles and a mask as directed, never mix different pool chemicals — especially chlorine products with acid — add chemicals to water and never water to chemicals, and store them secured away from children and animals.