Testing Kits

[Warkovision]

I did a search of this forum and found that some people believe the test strips to be not as good as something like the Taylor Professional set. Is that the consensus here? My dealer says that the strips are fine for consumer use and that the Taylor set up is overkill.

[tony]

I think strips are fine to check chlorine, but I cannot read the correct pH or TA.  The Taylor test kit is much more accurate.

Anyone try the titration drop kits for measuring chlorine?  Now that looks accurate.  

[CalicoskiesNC]

I've used both the LT strips and a test kit and I no longer use the strips, they were just too unreliable for me.  The pH and ALK would measure way way off on the strips.  The chlorine might have been ok, but I just dont use them anymore.  I bought an AquaChem test kit at Walmart for $15, its working fine.  

[Oskar]

I just came over to ask the same question.
The reason I wanted to ask it is that when I opened a new container of test strips the colour on the container seemed different, when I compared it to the old one, same brand, the colours on the new ones were much brighter in fact about one test colour off of the old one, on the new  package. I set my ph and ak to the new colour and have no problems.
My concern is could I have been running with to low a ph and ak with the old strips or would they also been ok.
Also the colour on the front of the new one was brighter.

So are test strips ok? Is the Taylor Test Kit the only one worth getting, or is the Wal Mart one ok to buy?

[wmccall]

I think strips are fine to check chlorine, but I cannot read the correct pH or TA.  The Taylor test kit is much more accurate.

Anyone try the titration drop kits for measuring chlorine?  Now that looks accurate.  

I agree with Tony. However, I have purchased a pool testing kit from Walmart for $14 and the testing method is the same as the Taylor, but doesn't include as many tests, but does a great job making PH and TA reading easy.

[UnderTheStars]

I took CalicoskiesNC's advice and bought the Walmart kit.  Looks like my Walmart carried a dif. brand - HTH brand and tests:  chlorine, bromine, ph, alkalinity, total hardness, & cyanuric acid.

After Calico & Dr. Spa gave me some pointers I'm sold on the test kit over strips.  (secret is hold a sheet of white paper behind the test vial w/sun at your back - easy!)  The strips vs. test kit gave slightly dif. readings so I checked them both with distilled water.  The test kit is more accurate than the strips (distilled water has zero chlorine/bromine and is dead neutral on PH.)

I'm using the kit to do all my maintenance.  I still use the strips if I want a "quick ballpark" - for example, the teens bring over a few friends and I want to slightly elevate the chlorine before they get in.  A paper strip or two tells me I've got sanitizer right where I want it to be.

[Nhbeacon]

  Oh man, that would mean I would have to go to Walmart......the one store I hate. I will check out the strips when the tub is up and running. But after using strips for 18 years doing urinalysis ( now it is automated and I'm no longer a Medical Technologist..) I do know that timing and dripping is an issue. Holding the strip so that the water drips off side and not on the other pads. It really is a test for gross differences, not for minute differences. Plus the clean up is quicker than tubes.
Jan

[UnderTheStars]

Jan's right about the clean up.  So I came up w/a no mess method:  I bought a plastic squeeze bottle w/a squirt top.  I keep distilled water in it and carry it out with the test kit.

When I'm done, I just dump the vials on the ground & give each a couple squirt/rinses with the distilled water.  Put the vials back in the plastic test kit case w/out the caps on & it's done.

I found the squirt bottle at a beauty supply store (it's next to our walmart.)  It's sized/shaped like the plastic ketchup/mustard bottles you see at diners. . .works great...FYI, FWIW

[huh?]

 But after using strips for 18 years doing urinalysis ( now it is automated and I'm no longer a Medical Technologist..) I do know that timing and dripping is an issue.

I hope you mean the strips  

[Nhbeacon]

I hope you mean the strips not stips....

::)And here I was pleased to spell urinanalysis right...lol.

[Warkovision]

Thanks everybody. I'll get myself a kit tomorrow.

[Drifter]

I'd still like to get my hands on one of those scanners my dealer has. He Dips a strip in the water and then puts it into a machine that "reads" the strip. Then he has one of those computer programs that tells you exactly what and how much to add. I've seen the computer programs for sale on the internet but you have to manually add the testing results! The machine that reads the strips doesn't look like it could cost more than 200-300 dollars! Oh where, oh where could I get one of those!!!!