Fine Tuning Testing Precedure w/ Taylor 2006

[Gracy101]

I received my Taylor K2006 test kit Thursday night and have been using it to test my water since. I've got the instructions down - actually pretty straight forward if a bit more time consuming (drop-swirl-drop-swirl, etc.) However, . I'm somewhat color obsessed (or color-challenged)....

1) The alkalinity test says the water should turn red, mine actually turns a more pink hue (unless my eyes are deceiving me). Is that ok?

2) When adding the drops, there is a distinct moment when the water "turns" form green to this pink hue. Do I stop counting there - if I add one or two more drops the color deepens becoming less transluscent? Hope I'm explaining this clearly...

3) For Ph test, should you hold the tube up against a white background to compare?

4) When adding the titrating reagent in the Cl test, do you add drops until it is completely colorless? Is a one or two drop difference negligible at that point?

5) I read a post, which I now can't find, which spoke to the accuracy of using 10 ml v. 25 ml sample w/this kit. As I have CH of 350 and with a CYA of 50, I should maintain FC on the high end, I would like to use the 10 ml sample for testing on a regular basis. Is that Ok - when I've done both there's been slight differences each time

What do you advise....

[CarlD]

I received my Taylor K2006 test kit Thursday night and have been using it to test my water since. I've got the instructions down - actually pretty straight forward if a bit more time consuming (drop-swirl-drop-swirl, etc.) However, . I'm somewhat color obsessed (or color-challenged)....

1) The alkalinity test says the water should turn red, mine actually turns a more pink hue (unless my eyes are deceiving me). Is that ok?

Yes.

2) When adding the drops, there is a distinct moment when the water "turns" form green to this pink hue. Do I stop counting there - if I add one or two more drops the color deepens becoming less transluscent? Hope I'm explaining this clearly...

If the water goes green again, you aren't there. It it's purpley, well, I add ONE more drop and it goes red...Then I record that number--but always do it the same way.

3) For Ph test, should you hold the tube up against a white background to compare?

Yup.

4) When adding the titrating reagent in the Cl test, do you add drops until it is completely colorless? Is a one or two drop difference negligible at that point?

Yes. I put it on white paper to look for a pink tinge and if THAT goes, I know I'm done.

5) I read a post, which I now can't find, which spoke to the accuracy of using 10 ml v. 25 ml sample w/this kit. As I have CH of 350 and with a CYA of 50, I should maintain FC on the high end, I would like to use the 10 ml sample for testing on a regular basis. Is that Ok - when I've done both there's been slight differences each time

Yes. The only reason to use the 25 ML is to get .2 increments instead of .5. You MAY want to do this if you cannot tell if your CC level is .5 or less.

What do you advise....

Hope I helped.

[Gracy101]

Carl - as always, very helpful.

With respect to #4, do you hold the container on a piece of white paper and look through? Or do you put a drop of water on white paper? Shouldn't have even a tinge of pink then?

BTW, I do love my new test kit...

[waterbear]

another way to determine the correct endpoint of titrations (CH, TA, FC and CC) is to add the drops until NO MORE COLOR CHANGE occurs, then don't count the last drop added that didn't produce further color change. This will give you the endpoint with no confusion. Soon you will learn the endpoint colors and that last drop wont be needed.

[CarlD]

Evan put it well.

I just put the container on a white paper, like the log on the lid and look for a tinge of pink.