Test For Combined Chloride??

[dsegel]

Hi everyone,

I finally got around to ordering a water test kit.  I was ordering some SpaGuard pH decreaser on line as the brand our local dealer sells is twice as much $ and you need to use about a half a bottle at a time.  

Anyhoo, as long as I was doing that, thought I'd go ahead and get a test kit--it's NOT Taylor (they didn't have that brand), it's BioGuard.  The description said it tested for free chlorine/total chlorine, ph and total alkalinity.  I THOUGHT the "total" chlorine meant combined chlorine.  

The kit came today and I can't figure out how to do the combined chlorine.   :-/  It has four tests:  chlorine residual (using DPD free chlorine tabs), pH, acid demand, alkali demand and total alkalinity (there are 5 bottles of liquid for those tests).  My test strips already do these tests!

Did I get the wrong kind of kit    or am I missing something here?  

[anne]

I had exactly the same confusion as you when I got my tub. There is free chlorine- working hard to sanitze your tub. Then there is combined chlorine- it is "combined" with the nasties, therefore has already done its job and is done. Free chlorine + combined chlorine = total chloorine. I would have preferred it if whoever came up with this terminology had called combined chlorine "bound" chlorine instead.  

At least with my Taylor kit, you measure free chlorine and total chlorine, and the difference between the two is combined.

[dsegel]

What is the procedure to test for total chlorine?

[Vinny]

With the Taylor, it uses DPD drops.

Typically, you add 5 drops of R-001 & 5 drops of R-002 - this gives you free chlorine (FC).

Then you would add R-003 and this gives you total chlorine (TC) ... but this is the procedure for Taylor.

With yours, the tabs might be the R-001 & R-002 combined but there still needs to be another reagent to add to the water to get TC. I find it easier wait until the FC goes to 0 before looking for combined chlorine (CC) ... as long as there is a color then I know that there is some CC, if it's above the 0.5 PPM reading I hit the tub with MPS.

[dsegel]

Then you would add R-003 and this gives you total chlorine (TC) ... but this is the procedure for Taylor.

How much R-003?

[Vinny]

For the Taylor it's 5 drops.

There should be some directions with the test kit ... the wrong amount of reagent will give you the wrong results.

[svspa]

dsegel,

I checked bioguard's website and didn't see anywhere it says their kit tests for total chlorine, only free chlorine.

You might want to send it back and get the Taylor kit, it's pretty well proven around here as the kit to use.

You can get it from Doc's site here:

[link]http://www.rhtubs.com/store/test-kits.htm[/link]

BTW, nothing but good things to say about ordering spa stuff from Doc's site (www.rhtubs.com) and Doc (Dr. Spa) frequents this forum.

Steve

[dsegel]

dsegel,

I checked bioguard's website and didn't see anywhere it says their kit tests for total chlorine, only free chlorine.

Here's the product info:

Commercial/Public/Residential Use
BioGuard® Multi-Test Deluxe Test Kit
Tests for: Free Chlorine, Total Chlorine /Bromine (DPD method), pH, Total Alkalinity .  Also great for the homeowner who enjoys keeping a close tab on their pool.
Includes FREE Pool Care Guide, $5.00 Value!
List Price $47.99  Our Web Price $39.99

dsegel,

You might want to send it back and get the Taylor kit, it's pretty well proven around here as the kit to use.

I sent them an email and asked the producedure.  I told them if it did not perform that test, I'd like to return it.  If they let me, I'll definitely get from Doc's site.

BTW, I didn't get that "free" pool care guide either!  

Thanks