Best Way to Test the Water?

[hawkman]

I use Soft Soak and the strips that came with it dont seem to test the PH and Akalinity correctly. Do I need to keep taking the water to the spa place to have them test it or what?

What does everyone think about Soft Soak? So far I have been pleased with it. Great looking water and no smell. The only problem is when you throw in the shock and the Waterline Control it doesn't play well with each other and has a reaction causing some orangish looking crud that goes away after I end up wiping it from the rim.

[windsurfdog]

hawk,
I prefer the dichlor routine.....easy, cheap and it works.  As for testing, the Taylor Test Kit cannot be beat, IMHO.  The information booklet that accompanies it is worth the price of admission alone.
Good luck!

[UnderTheStars]

Don't know anything about soft soak, but ditto on what WSD said about test kits.  I use the cheapo Walmart version rather than the Taylor. . they are both a lot more accurate than test strips.  (FYI, it's a seasonal item for Walmart in "cold country." So if ya live in the cold they won't have it again until pool season.)

[tony]

I also prefer dichlor.  Soft Soak is a biguanide, like Baqua Spa.  I believe you can use any test strips or a test kit for pH and TA, but need special strips for sanitizer.  There are a lot of posts on Baqua if you search.

[stuart]

Hawk,
I like the SoftSoak but it requires a bit more watching then I allow.

I have several customers using it and most of them love it! In fact I'm amazed that several of these customers couldn't seem to get the chlorine program down and yet they do great on the SoftSoak.

I'm terrible with my spa and go way to long before testing and adjusting to be good with a biguanide system.

[LtDan]

Are all of the test methods done by matching color? I don't see colors very well and get tired of my son teasing me every time I get him to translate the strip colors.

I am hoping maybe the Taylor kit is, at least, easier to differentiate the color levels than the dip strips I have been using.

[newtotubbing]

The strips were driving me crazy.  Hey, let's design these test strips so all of the colors all like alike.  Yeah, that'll keep them buying more of them because they won't be able to figure out what they are looking at!

The Taylor kit is great, I am getting the hang of it finally.

Jonathan

[stuart]

Are all of the test methods done by matching color? I don't see colors very well and get tired of my son teasing me every time I get him to translate the strip colors.

I am hoping maybe the Taylor kit is, at least, easier to differentiate the color levels than the dip strips I have been using.

I personally find the test kit a bit harder to differentiate color on than test strips but I will tell you that looking at it in natural light is better.....

[Vinny]

I have read that Taylor also makes a test kit (2006 ?) that uses some kind of powder for testing chlorine. I believe that it doesn't have a range of colors - it changes from 1 color to another color. Sorry I don't know much more about it.

[aaahhh]

First time owner of a Spa a Marquis Euphira. I have used Soft Soak from the get go. Yes, I screwed up my first water fill. I have gotten much better with help from my dealer. I bring in my water sample every couple of weeks when I know I will be passing them on the road. The test strips just got me in trouble.

I am satisfied bring in my water sample from time to time, and staying very regular with my weekly.
4o/z Shock, 1oz Water Line Control, and 1o/z Stain & Scale Control. Sometme I need to add some Calcium Hardness Increaser or some Ph Decreaser. Per my dealers suggestion. I have a great relationship with my dealer and see nothing negative on the horizon.

I am 100% happy with my Dealer, Marquis, & Soft Soak.