The K2006 Decision

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Purchasing the K2006 is not a casual decision for those of us with limited funds. The cost forces us to make a significant, long-term commitment to the BBB method.

I have been following the “Need advice on cloudy Intex Pool (with added ...and I don’t want a K2006) thread. http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...-a-K2006/page2

I think it IS time that the moderators figure out how to deal with this issue. In perusing the forum, even I get frustrated by how often you try to help people who then ignore advice about the K2006.

I have noticed that people are often told to purchase the HTH 6-way test kit until they can order and receive the K2006. Just how critical is a several day delivery delay in most cases? I can understand EllenF’s reluctance to purchase both and I have a feeling that this happens fairly often or that people may get the impression that the 6-way is good enough. Perhaps this issue should be included in your discussion.

Good luck and best wishes.

Thanks.

We're debating this right now. I've realized we've spent a lot of time this summer, trying to help people uselessly because we don't have enough info to give good advice.

The ugly fact is, being sympathetic to someone's pool problems doesn't mean we can actually help them.

At the risk of sounding harsh, if you can't afford to spend $50 on a good test kit, a must have tool for a pool owner IMO, then you can't afford a pool.

Frankly, I'm confused by the posts that say they can't afford, or don't want to spend the money on the K2006, but will waste much more than that buying whatever the pool store says they need and doesn't work or makes things worse.

I wish I had known about this site when I became a new pool owner. If I had bought the k2006 to start with instead of relying on store testing, and followed the advice here I would have saved a ton of money. Better late than never I guess.

The good folks here spend a great deal of time trying to help us pool owners (for FREE, unless you subscribe...not a requirement). I completely understand their frustration when the advice they give is ignored or mixed with advice from pool stores, then the poster complains that it's not working as expected.

I think a lot of the problem comes when people buy clearance pools -- like an 18' Intex Ultra I saw this weekend for $289 -- somewhat impulsively, and don't have ANY idea what the OTHER expenses are that come with pools.

I probably need to do a sticky on basic pool operating costs, too.

I WAS an Intex owner...and have no regrets, having graduated to a bigger pool 12seasons ago. The K-2006 equivalent ( the old PS-232) was my life saver. Instead of wasting $20 on ammonia algaecide, $15 on clarifier, $15 on flocculent, $30 on a useless DPD test kit, and $10 on the useless "How To Tame The Pool Monster", plus bags of over-priced "shock", pH Up! (washing soda),Total Alkalinity Raiser(baking soda), and calcium, I could have bought the PS-232 or K-2006 sooner several times over!

BTW, building a level base for my Intex cost as much as the pool...and they were more expensive then!

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I hear you. I wasted many thousands of dollars over the years following pool store advice and I am SO grateful that I found this forum and all the kind and generous folk here. Saints all, even when frustration peeks through.

My initial reason for starting this thread was to query the frequent recommendation of the HTH 6-way. However, JimK's comment about being "confused" brought out another thought or two.

I remember my intense trepidation at the thought of purchasing the K2006 and using the BBB method. I was in the midst of a severe pool crisis which had me emotionally and economically exhausted. I was terrified of relying on a test kit that I had no idea how to use and cost $95 (bad timing on the price). The thought of trying one more thing was almost too much.

Also, as a new member, I read many posts with unresolved issues (I was not knowledgeable enough at the time to understand why...) and I was not convinced the forum would provide the support I knew I would need. How many new members have felt the same way?

In my case, patience prevailed on the forum, Ben and Richard mostly, assuring me that I was in good hands. I bought my freedom, the K2006.

The reason for the recommendation of the HTH 6-way drop kit is that it is usually immediately and inexpensively available, and has a good pH, TA, CH and CYA test, as well as an OTO test that goes to 5 ppm instead if the usual 3. With steam-distilled water for dilution you can measure total chlorine levels fairly accurately up to 20-25 ppm. Using color descriptions you can measure/estimate higher levels. But you cannot get an FC or CC reading from it.

You can use any hammer to drive a nail. But if you plan on driving a lot of nails you'll want the best hammer you can find to hold up down the years. The K-2006 is the best "hammer".

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Originally Posted by FormerBromineUser

My initial reason for starting this thread was to query the frequent recommendation of the HTH 6-way.

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I think the main reason we suggest the HTH 6-Way drops kit is because it has a CYA test in it. Many people come on the forum and have algae and want help to get it fixed NOW. But, unless we know what their CYA reading is, we have no idea how high they are going to need to take their chlorine to be effective. Without that critical piece of information, we can't give good advice. We either tell them a shock level that is too low to do anything or tell them a shock level that is too high which puts their liner at danger of being bleached out.

So, though Carl is right that the kit also contains other useful tests, it is the fact that it can give us a CYA level to work with that is the main reason we ask people to buy it.

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Originally Posted by Watermom

it is the fact that it can give us a CYA level to work with that is the main reason we ask people to buy it.

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I would say there are 4 reasons:

1. Unlike the K2006, the HTH 6-way is available IMMEDIATELY (if it's available at all). This allows users to get started solving things immediately.

2. As WM said, it contains a fairly accurate CYA test. CYA values are (a) critical and (b) almost always BADLY measured by strips.

3. It contains an OTO kit, which allows rough estimates of chlorine levels above 10 ppm. This contrasts with DPD color match tests (max 5 ppm) or strips (max 10 ppm). If someone has algae, this is REALLY important since, as WM noted, we want to avoid bleaching liners if possible, but we have to get to FC = 20% of CYA or higher to kill algae!

4. When users don't have complicated problems, the HTH 6-way may be sufficient . . . and it's about 1/3 the cost of a K2006.

I think cost isn't the only resistance out there with the k-2006. For many, there's a bit of intimidating learning curve to overcome. What appeals to the secret mad scientists in some, doesn't for others.

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Originally Posted by CarlD

I WAS an Intex owner...and have no regrets, having graduated to a bigger pool 12seasons ago. The K-2006 equivalent ( the old PS-232) was my life saver. Instead of wasting $20 on ammonia algaecide, $15 on clarifier, $15 on flocculent, $30 on a useless DPD test kit, and $10 on the useless "How To Tame The Pool Monster", plus bags of over-priced "shock", pH Up! (washing soda),Total Alkalinity Raiser(baking soda), and calcium, I could have bought the PS-232 or K-2006 sooner several times over!

BTW, building a level base for my Intex cost as much as the pool...and they were more expensive then!

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Having no prior pool experience, I also spent a lot on unnecessary chemicals and ended up buying test kits piecemeal at a much higher cost than the k2006 kit as I slowly learned what I should be doing (over time I realized the pool store method wasn't working and I needed to learn how to test/maintain my pool myself......that's when I discovered this site). For example, I spent over $60 for the k1515 alone from the pool store (this is what they used to test CL) after being frustrated with trying to color match to get a CL reading (my red/green colorblindness is a handicap here).

I cannot over emphasize how important it is to buy a good test kit and learn how to use it. IMO, buying a pool without a good test kit is like buying a car without a steering wheel.

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Originally Posted by Big Splash

I think cost isn't the only resistance out there with the k-2006. For many, there's a bit of intimidating learning curve to overcome. What appeals to the secret mad scientists in some, doesn't for others.

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I was in this category when I first bought a pool. However, over time it became apparent that blindly following the pool store's advice just wasn't working. Learning how to test and take charge of pool maintenance myself armed with info from this site was the best thing I did as a pool owner. Not only am I saving a ton of money, but pool care is much easier. Now I spend much more time enjoying my pool rather than fighting it.

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Originally Posted by Big Splash

I think cost isn't the only resistance out there with the k-2006. For many, there's a bit of intimidating learning curve to overcome. What appeals to the secret mad scientists in some, doesn't for others.

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Yeah, the instructions are more intimidating than they need to be. Most of the tests are really simple, just Taylor's instructions are tough. Plus, very few if us bother with the acid demand and base demand tests at all!

I'm STILL an Intex owner. This is the third season. First year, we got the pool late in the season and still had to drain and refill more than once. Second year, water restrictions were imposed so no more drain and refill. We spent literally Hundreds of dollars on chemicals and countless hours FIGHTING with the pool ALL summer long. This year, we upgraded to a sand filter for about $150, found PoolSolutions.com, and started really CARING for our pool, instead of WORRYING about it. The K2006 has made it possible for us to get, and keep the pool sparkling all summer, and we started with a pool so green you couldn't see 12 inches into it. The cost of the kit has been recouped SEVERAL times in saved chemical expenses. The hours it has saved us are countless. I've spent less TIME on the pool so far this year than was spent the first month last summer. The advice here has been invaluable, and I'm extremely thankful for all the help, but I don't think I'd have been able to follow the advice I got without the proper tool - the Taylor K2006 Test Kit.

Once again, I'd like to offer a heartfelt "Thank You" to PoolDoc, WaterMom, and all the others who have helped us enjoy our pool this year.

Pappy

Testing is like your pool GPS. It works because it first figures out where you are and then tells how far it is to get where you wanna be. The challenge is getting folks to see the value in that. Anyone can buy a map. Few people can figure where they are on it. Less people can create their own route. Still fewer will want to so on their own.

When someone asks for help, they are not just asking for what they need, they're asking for why they need it. All of our replies should start with this mind.

Steps off soapbox...

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Originally Posted by Big Splash

When someone asks for help, they are not just asking for what they need, they're asking for why they need it.

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Excellent point!

You are correct, of course.

I'm not sure how to help that, except by making and posting some better videos.

But the bottom line remains: without accurate info, we often can't give genuinely useful advice.