One of the most important jobs when owning a pool is testing the water regularly. There are 4 main tests to be performed:
- pH
- chlorine,
- total alkalinity
- calcium hardness
While it is unrealistic to think that most people will test their pool on a daily basis, it is recommended that you do so 1-2 times a week. This will help to ensure clean, healthy water for your pool.
A common concern for many pool owners is the accuracy of their water testing. There are many different types of testing kits available, so it is important to examine the accuracy of these kits before choosing the right one for you.
TEST STRIPS
Test strips are certainly the cheapest, easiest, and quickest way to test your pool water. For these tests, you simply dip the test strip into the pool and swirl it around for about 30 seconds. You will then compare the colors on the test strip to the colors on the bottle. While these are definitely easy to use, they also tend to be the least accurate.
REAGENT TEST KITS
Another type of test kit is with the use of Reagent test kits. For these kits, you drop reagents into the water sample. These kits rely on the eye of the tester to make accurate color comparisons.
DIGITAL TEST KITS
For the most accurate results, there are also digital testing kits available as well. These kits are easy to use and popular among health departments and municipal pools. While these are more expensive to purchase, they are the most accurate kits for testing your pool water.
Water testing is one of the most important things you can do for your pool, so you want to make sure you are accurate. Accurate water tests will tell you exactly how much product you need to put in your pool in order to maintain proper water balance. This will ensure that the water you are swimming in is clean and healthy.
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