Taylor Test Kit

[Gomboman]

I was wondering what Taylor Test Kit I should purchase? There are about 200 different models available on the Taylor website.  I would like to test for Alkalinity, PH, Calcium, and Chlorine.  I tend to go overboard with this kind of stuff.  Is the K-2005 good enough for me?  Here is the link:

http://www.taylortechnologies.com/products_kitinfo.asp?&MarketID=1&KitID=2227

[Haynes]

I use that kit. I have been able to maintain perfect water since I started using the kit.

[Anoroc]

Haynes- is the kit easy to use and does it take alot longer to test your water.?

I have been using test strips and most recently purchased something called blue devil 4-1 test strips and they were worthless.

Thanks

[Soakin]

...is the kit easy to use and does it take alot longer to test your water?...

The Taylor kit is easy to use.  You just fill two small tubes with water, add a few drops of reagent and get a reading.  It is a little more cumbersome and time-consuming than dipping a test strip, but it is easier to read, (not as much guessing when matching colors) and cheaper per use in the long run.  The kit also comes with a good reference book that explains water management principles.

That said, I still preferred the test strips over the Taylor kit at first (until I forced myself to use it and develop a routine to test Cl and pH regularly). I still use test strips from time to time, for convenience or as a correlation.  The Taylor kit readings are for a limited range (probably what makes the gradients easier to distinguish), and you can only test two things at a time, vs the 3-6 readings on a test strip.  You can dilute or concentrate to get extended readings, but that requires more thought than I care to give the process, so I will use test strips to cross-check when a reading is at the high or low end, or I want a quick idea of whether I need to Taylor test TA/Hardness/CYA, etc.  When I am actually adjusting water, I use Taylor.

If you have more than one size kit available, I personally would go for the smallest one that tests the chemicals you are concerned with.  Mine (K2005) has  14 reagents.  I only use 3 of them regularly.  The others are used at fill, and a few perhaps once a month after that.

I believe other posters (??Wmccall and Vinny, perhaps???) have identified cheaper and more limited test kit alternatives available from home supply stores or the like.

[drober30]

I was wondering what Taylor Test Kit I should purchase? There are about 200 different models available on the Taylor website.  I would like to test for Alkalinity, PH, Calcium, and Chlorine.  I tend to go overboard with this kind of stuff.  Is the K-2005 good enough for me?  Here is the link:

http://www.taylortechnologies.com/products_kitinfo.asp?&MarketID=1&KitID=2227

Short answer = Yes, K-2005 is what you want and you won't be sorry!

[tony]

Short answer = Yes, K-2005 is what you want and you won't be sorry!

Thats the one I use.

[orlandoguy]

I just started to use that kit as the ph always was bleeding in the strips.  I like it a bunch.

[Anoroc]

How long does it last?  Approximate guess.

[Soakin]

Other than the tests you do frequently (more than once/week) the reagents will outdate before you use them up.  I think the expiration date is 1 year, perhaps two.

[Gomboman]

I will keep that in mind Soakin.

Other than the tests you do frequently (more than once/week) the reagents will outdate before you use them up.  I think the expiration date is 1 year, perhaps two.

[Snowbird]

As long as I own my tub, I will be tesing the pH.  Knowing that, why would I continue to use disposable test strips or kits that require chemical replenishment?  It is a necessity so why not get a more accurate reuseable electronic tester and be done with it?

I am considering one of these testers on eBay.  At $10 per 50 test strips and 1 strip per day I should break even in about a year.  This seems like a no-brainer to me.  Am I missing something?



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7575725707&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4429544581&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

[upinya]

 Electronic meters are good as long as they are calibrated properly. They need to be calibrated periodically and you must buy calibration fluid in order to calibrate the meter.

[Bosmani]

The K2005 is the business........I need to get the regents sent from the USA but it is worth it.....

[NE-Phil]

I am considering one of these testers on eBay.  At $10 per 50 test strips and 1 strip per day I should break even in about a year.  This seems like a no-brainer to me.  Am I missing something?

Snowbird,
Yeah, I got one of those Hanna ph meters but I didn't find it that reliable. And how do you know when it needs to be recalibrated? They include one packet of solution to recalibrate it but then you have to buy more packets so you're still having to buy something extra every few months.
I'm better off with the Taylor kit.

Phil

[Bonibelle]

I have a question about the ph meters, do they take into conisderation the temperature of the water? Does the temperature make a difference?