Salt cells lie. The salinity reading built into your AquaRite, AquaPure, or any other salt chlorine generator is approximate at best, drifts over time, and is often 200–500 ppm different from the actual salt concentration in your pool. The only way to know what’s really there is a separate test. Here’s how to do it.
Why the cell readout drifts
Most salt cells measure salinity indirectly by sensing the electrical conductivity of the water. Conductivity changes with temperature, calcium hardness, and other dissolved solids — not just salt. Over time the sensor also fouls with scale, drifting further. A 2,800 ppm salt pool can show “3,200 ppm” on the cell readout. A 3,400 ppm pool can show “2,900 ppm.” Neither is the truth.
Three reliable test methods
Method 1: Test strips (cheapest, least precise)
Aquachek Salt strips and similar give a ±200 ppm result in 10 seconds. Good for spot checks. Not precise enough for fine-tuning a new cell or troubleshooting low chlorine output.
Method 2: Liquid drop test (most accurate residential method)
Taylor K-1766 or the K-2005-Salt complete kit uses a titration test — add drops of silver nitrate until the color changes. Each drop equals 200 ppm. Accurate to within ±100 ppm. Right tool for any pool owner serious about salt-system chemistry.
Method 3: Digital salt meter
Calibrated electronic conductivity meter (Hanna, LaMotte). Accurate to ±50 ppm. Costs $80–$200 and requires calibration every 6 months. Overkill for residential unless you maintain multiple salt pools.
How to test (drop kit method)
Hold the test vial upside down, push it underwater to elbow depth, then right it. This avoids surface contaminants and gives a representative sample. Take the sample at least 12 feet from the return jet.
Most Taylor cells use 23 mL of sample. Use the markings on the cell.
Add the specified number of drops of indicator reagent (usually 5 drops of #3 reagent and 1 drop of #2 reagent in Taylor kits). The water turns yellow.
Add the salt titrant drop by drop, swirling between drops, until the yellow turns to a permanent reddish-brown. Count every drop. The drop count multiplied by 200 = salt concentration in ppm.
Most cells target 3,000–3,400 ppm. Below 2,700, the cell will display low-salt warnings. Above 4,500, you risk corrosion to coping and ladders.
What to do with the result
- Too low? Add salt per our add-salt tutorial.
- Too high? Partial drain and refill. Salt only comes out via dilution — there’s no chemical that removes it.
- In range but cell readout disagrees? The cell sensor needs cleaning or calibration. See your AquaRite manual for sensor calibration; consider replacing the cell cord if the sensor wiring is corroded.
Tools at PST
Taylor K-2005 Salt Complete Kit
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Hayward T-CELL-9
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Durachlor Chlorine Stabilizer
Shop NowIf your cell shows full output but free chlorine reads zero, the issue is usually stabilizer or pH, not salt. See our salt cell troubleshooting guide.