What test kit to get in Toronto Canada area

[hancop]

Hi everyone. This is a great forum, and I have learned a lot already. I would like to get Ben's test kit, but unfortunately he does not ship to Canada. So my question is what would be the next best kits to get and does anyone know where I can get them in the Toronto area ? I would like to be able to test for everything Ben's kit's test for.

Thanks

[tenax]

i think the bigger taylor kit has almost if not everything..i too would like to get recommendations on the best alternative..there's a good store in chicago by the way for stuff..intheswim.com that has all kinds of taylor kits.

(no i'm not affiliated..have just had great service from them..they ship anything up to 150 lb for only 8.99 by fedex..and i didn't get charged anything for brokerage or duties when i bought a reel, solar cover etc from them a few weeks ago..it was great and excellent customer service responses, too)

[hancop]

Thanks Tenax. Only problem is you can't have chemicals shipped over the border ): Therefore I need to find a place in Canada that has the test kits.

Thanks

[tenax]

have you tried to do so? just curious..i mean..the pool shops are getting chemical stuff across the border all the time..of course, realizing they are a licensed business.

[waterbear]

I believe the Taylor website has info on getting their kits in Canada. If you get a K-2006 and a K-1000 you will have the same functionality as Ben's kit. (you will also get the pretty useless acid and base demand tests....you don't need them and they can cause more problems then solutions if they are used improperly)

[giroup01]

Thanks Tenax. Only problem is you can't have chemicals shipped over the border ): Therefore I need to find a place in Canada that has the test kits.
Thanks

The exclusive distributor in Canada is Lowry and Associates in New Market, Ontario. If you're from Canada you cannot access the "shopping" section of Taylor's website, but if you use an online proxy service you can, and from there you notice that we pay CDN $25 for 10 grams of R-0870 powder whereas the US people pay $8. And it's CDN $35 for the FAS titrating drops in 0.75 ounce size.

This being said a couple of weeks ago I thought I had died and gone to Taylor Heaven, a small pool store in Ottawa, Benson Pools at 613-733-0332 have everything Taylor, including the big tub of FAS powder and the 1 liter refill of R-0871. They will send what you need by mail.

If you need stuff quicker I can pick up stuff here in Montreal and drop 'em off at Whitby when we're there this weekend. Contact me privately if you want to go that route.

[Denis54]

Where can I get a Taylor kit in Montreal?

[giroup01]

Aqua Solutions in Boisbriand and Benson Pools if ever you're in Ottawa. Lowry and Associates in New Market, Ontario is the official 'importer' and they may point you to other sources. While you have Michael on the line ask him why the stuff is so expensive here.

There's a very considerable difference in prices between getting stuff from US as opposed to Canada. Examples

R-0013 2oz, 11.65CDN vs 7.19US
DPD powder 10g, 24.95CDN vs 11.49US
DPD/FAS drops, 0.75 oz, 31.95CDN vs 18.99US (!)

Full disclosure: As soon as the paperwork is filed and processed and it's official I'll be carrying the Taylor line. I'm a bit north of Laval. I'll update my board signature here too not to worry.

Don't bother looking at Club Piscine, Trevi and the others, the staff there don't even know what a 'DPD' chlorine test is. They think it's a brand name.

Best thing to do though if you're not in a hurry is get it through the 'net. Some companies will ship to Canada (intheswim.com is one). Avoid getting refills on eBay.

[hancop]

Update: Got mine through inTheSwim. It arrived 4 days after I ordered it !!!

[tenax]

aha...so you can get it into canada...i think i'll be doing the same in that case!

[GHM]

So.. If they can easily ship into Canada, why can't Ben ship his kits ? :confused:

[giroup01]

I think some reagents are considered 'dangerous materials' and cannot be mailed. I had some sellers call their refills 'water quality products' or something vague enough so Customs won't raise an eyebrow. Some sellers wrote 'Taylor R-0011 Refill' on the form and that went through no problem. Calling R-0011 'Trietahnolamine' however would probably make the Customs guy reach for his Little Black Book. (I once shipped a radar detector from Quebec to the States calling it a 'radio' which technically, it is ;))

At one point I asked FedEx if they would ship some refills from US to Canada. Oh dear, what a story... I argued with the lady saying they're pool test kit refills NOT uranium. She wouldn't budge, I had to be registered as an importer and allowed to handle these 'dangerous goods'. They wanted CAS numbers, the whole bit. For about $20 of refills. Forget FedEx.

Bottom line I guess some sellers don't want to risk anything.

To hancop: What did InTheSwim declare on the customs form, and how did they ship it, UPS, USPS ?

[tenax]

intheswim.com ships by fedex (3 packages from them and they all came by fedex) and yes, i would be curious what they called it..maybe simply 'taylor test kit" or taylor pool kit"?