The Green Pool

[jlaar007]

If you have a K2005 kit, you can pick up the add on kit (K1515) that will give you the one test (FAS-DPD) that the K2006 kit has that your kit does not. That test gives you the ability to test chlorine levels higher than 5ppm which is the limit on your kit. You can get the K1515 (or 1515C) through this link:> http://pool9.net/tk/

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Not to get picky, but the K2005 chlorine(TC,FC) test goes to 10----so diluted it would go to 20.

[PoolDoc]

Not to get picky, but the K2005 chlorine(TC,FC) test goes to 10----so diluted it would go to 20.

It goes to 10, nominally. But 9 of 10 people cannot distinguish a 5 ppm FC level from a 10 ppm FC level, using that kit. Diluted, you're adding additional error, so now you can't distinguish 7 ppm from 25 ppm!

Additionally, if the FC = ~15 - 20, you'll read maybe 2 - 5 ppm. If the FC > 25 ppm, you'll read FC=0. Very *experienced* pool operators can recognize those errors . . . but then we don't deal with very experienced pool operators. Put plainly, DPD color match testing is INFERIOR in accuracy, and VERY INFERIOR in reliablity, to OTO tests.

Many of the criticisms of OTO testing seem to have originated as a sales ploy by Palintest, back in the day when the DPD test was still patented and very profitable.

Pool owners with K2005 kits need to buy (a) a cheap OTO kit (quick & bomb proof -- if not very accurate -- chlorine testing to 50 ppm) and (b) a K1515 DPD-FAS add-on (accurate FC testing to 50 ppm).

[BigDave]

Once you buy and use the FAS-DPD, you kick yourself for not doing it sooner - it's easy to read the test and it's accurate.

[CarlD]

Once you buy and use the FAS-DPD, you kick yourself for not doing it sooner - it's easy to read the test and it's accurate.

Exactly!

[Mustang3944]

Looks like my posts are still needing moderator approval how much longer is this going to be going on? I understand the need/want to avoid spammers but this seems to be a bit much.

[Watermom]

Regarding moderation --- you have to supply verifiable information when you register to not require posts to go through moderation. Another avenue is to become a subscriber. Subscriber posts do not go through moderation and we also have a separate section of the forum for our subscribers to post their questions in so that they will get priority attention.

About the OTO and DPD-FAS kits ----- the OTO is very reliable but not super accurate. It will only read chlorine levels up to 5ppm. The FAS-DPD kit allows you to read chlorine readings up to around 50ppm which becomes important if you need to shock the pool or if you have a high CYA pool which requires you to run higher than normal chlorine readings.

Hope this clarifies these things for you.

[Mustang3944]

Regarding moderation --- you have to supply verifiable information when you register to not require posts to go through moderation. Another avenue is to become a subscriber. Subscriber posts do not go through moderation and we also have a separate section of the forum for our subscribers to post their questions in so that they will get priority attention.

I updated my profile.

About the OTO and DPD-FAS kits ----- the OTO is very reliable but not super accurate. It will only read chlorine levels up to 5ppm. The FAS-DPD kit allows you to read chlorine readings up to around 50ppm which becomes important if you need to shock the pool or if you have a high CYA pool which requires you to run higher than normal chlorine readings.

Hope this clarifies these things for you.

Reliable but not accurate not sure how it can be both. My question was why would you need both? Seems the FAS-DPD kit is the way to go.

[Mustang3944]

It goes to 10, nominally. But 9 of 10 people cannot distinguish a 5 ppm FC level from a 10 ppm FC level, using that kit. Diluted, you're adding additional error, so now you can't distinguish 7 ppm from 25 ppm!

Additionally, if the FC = ~15 - 20, you'll read maybe 2 - 5 ppm. If the FC > 25 ppm, you'll read FC=0. Very *experienced* pool operators can recognize those errors . . . but then we don't deal with very experienced pool operators. Put plainly, DPD color match testing is INFERIOR in accuracy, and VERY INFERIOR in reliablity, to OTO tests.

Many of the criticisms of OTO testing seem to have originated as a sales ploy by Palintest, back in the day when the DPD test was still patented and very profitable.

Pool owners with K2005 kits need to buy (a) a cheap OTO kit (quick & bomb proof -- if not very accurate -- chlorine testing to 50 ppm) and (b) a K1515 DPD-FAS add-on (accurate FC testing to 50 ppm).

May be I the 1 in 10 but I can tell the difference and the only time I have gotten a reading in the last of 0 was before I added anything to the water. Diluted the max reading you can get is 20 at least according to instructions on the box cover. With the amount of bleach I used to clear up my swamp I pretty sure I was way over that and never bleached out. I am assuming by bleach out you mean it goes clear which would be a reading of 0 ppm. I only say this because my results over the week seem to contradict what your saying. Either I am screwing up the test pretty bad or something has changed with their kit.

On a side note I have been keeping reef tanks for almost 20 years so I am pretty good with test kits as we had to test same things with the exception of CYA and Chlorine and a few things we are not concerned with in a pool.

Why do you recommend both an OTO and a DPD-FAS test kit for chlorine seems redundant if they both test the something or am I missing something.

[jlaar007]

May be I the 1 in 10 but I can tell the difference and the only time I have gotten a reading in the last of 0 was before I added anything to the water. Diluted the max reading you can get is 20 at least according to instructions on the box cover. With the amount of bleach I used to clear up my swamp I pretty sure I was way over that and never bleached out. I am assuming by bleach out you mean it goes clear which would be a reading of 0 ppm. I only say this because my results over the week seem to contradict what your saying. Either I am screwing up the test pretty bad or something has changed with their kit.

On a side note I have been keeping reef tanks for almost 20 years so I am pretty good with test kits as we had to test same things with the exception of CYA and Chlorine and a few things we are not concerned with in a pool.

Why do you recommend both an OTO and a DPD-FAS test kit for chlorine seems redundant if they both test the something or am I missing something.

Make that 2 out of ten.
I used to keep Cichlids, or to put it more accurately, they ran my life.
I am much happier not dealing with sumps, UV sterilizers, heaters, and vacuuming out vast amounts of fish poop compared to maintaining a pool.
I`m guessing if you kept an aquarium successfully for any period of time, the swing into pool chemistry isn`t as much a jump as, say if you kept a hamster.=:-)
I`m sure the K2006 is a superior kit in all respects, it`s just that the K2005 is what I have and seems to be doing the job.
Believe me, no disrespect intended or meant.

[PoolDoc]

If you keep your CYA levels below 50 ppm, a K2005 is adequate.