Question about CH Test Coloration

[jmarcum]

Here's another quick test I did with a 6 way test strip. I know these are not as accurate as the Taylor but still this doesn't indicate anywhere near the 0 that the pool store reported.

[CarlD]

If both your K2006 test kit and the guess strips match, ignore the pool store.
I bet it was some kid using strips. Sorry I suggested it. I have never heard of anyone getting a 0 FC reading and a positive CC reading. if TC is 1.8 and FC is 0, then C must be 1.8. I don't believe their numbers.

BTW, the "Alkalinity Plus" is very, very, very, expensive baking soda. Sodium bicarb, but they use an alternate name, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate, which is the same thing, just an elaborate attempt to fool you.

Before you waste money on calcium and risk going 'way over 400, invest in new reagents first.

[jmarcum]

Yea I agree, I think either their machine just doesn't read as high as my FC is or it was broken. My CC according to K2006 is ~.25 or less. It's almost undetectable. Oh and it was an adult and they do use some sort of machine for the testing.

I've been reading these forums enough to know not to buy any of the chemicals from the pool store. They do sell reagents though and I may grab some from them next week.

[CarlD]

Yeah, Some of them stock Taylor reagents. Leslies only stocks Taylor which is good. But they rarely have everything you need, which isn't so good. On Line is more reliable.

[jmarcum]

I went to a Leslie's this am and had them do a water test. The results are nearly identical to mine and apple to oranges from the little local pool store nearby. Now I see the importance of what you guys teach here! Had I listened to that pool store I'd wasted a bunch of money and had my pool all out of whack.

[CarlD]

Numbers look really, really good.

I wouldn't mess with them--and the T/A is TECHNICALLY high, but if you don't see clouding or scaling and your pH doesn't trend up, it's too close to mess with.
TDS and Pho numbers are BS. If you had a salt water chlorine generator, the salt alone puts TDS at 3000--where it is SUPPOSED to be!

We recommend you generally do not worry about phosphates unless you have a bad algae bloom you cannot resolve and your phosphate level is very, very high (I think 3000 again is the number). But if you're NOT having algae problems you cannot control, it's irrelevant.

The Leslie Brand test kits are made by Taylor and other than costing a bit more, are the same. So their FAS-DPD Chlorine Service Test Kit is really a re-badged K-2006. Their own OTO/pH test kit is, again, the Taylor-Made OTO kit, my preferred one.