Test strips can also test for things that reagent or photometer testers cant test for like the salt level and borate levels. I looked up the specs of a medium quality meter (~$300) which has a resolution of 0.01 pH units and a published accuracy from the manufacturer of +/- 0.02 pH units @ 25degC. If you have a salt water pool the Taylor Salt Test Strips would be a good way to verify the salt level in your pool. If you add a borate product to your pool the Borate Test Strips are a great way to see if you are at the recommended 30 ppm of borate in your pool or spa. Pool and Hot Tub Depot and the Pool and Hot Tub Depot logo are registered trademarks. Salt Test Strips 10 foiled wrapped strips (S-1341): Service Pro Test Strips 100 count test for (S-1351): Free Chlorine, Total Chlorine/Bromine, pH, Alkalinity. I also went back and read several more pages in the test instruction thread. Test strips are a great way to get a snap shot of your pool or spa chemistry levels. Test strips can also test for things that reagent or photometer testers cant test for like the salt level and borate levels. So that is why you see such a large delta between colors. I think the ease of use really sets test strips apart from reagent testers and digital testers. The Taylor titrating bottle fitments are supposed to be designed to yield 40 uL/drop (25 drops = 1mL). I have a tube of the Insta-Test Borate test strips that I've been using for a year. The base demand drops have the following equivalence - 1 drop of R-0006 is equivalent to adding 5.13 oz (by weight) of soda ash to 10,000 gallons of water. The test pads have a pH indicator dye and a prescribed amount of dry acid and buffering chemicals in them. 
Testing the water in your pool or hot tub regularly with a Taylor test kit or AquaChek 4 in 1 test strips gives you the information needed to keep and or adjust the the Alkalinity, pH and sanitizer levels to maintain clean sparkling clear water. It sounds like with any titration test, you want enough drops to avoid drop to drop variation and not so many drops that you add other errors. of your pool or spa chemistry levels. The levels indicated by color are pretty hard to determine and fairly widely spaced: 0 15, 30, 50 and 80. One thing I could do in that regard is to use 6 drops in a 75 ml sample. This the color change. If you read through the entire thread, I think Richard outlines other volumes you can use. In other words if I measure before and after over & over, I get the same results and the same difference. And I will have a look at your mannitol procedure. It is being practiced by thousands of pool owners just like you.
Then dip the strip in the water sample for the time indicated on the bottle and hold it flat without shaking the excess water off.
They're shipping another but I had a glass container about the same size and got a 50 ml sample by using the Taylor test kit and measuring 50 ml twice. Borate isn't mission critical so I suppose it's not super important to know it precisely. If you have a. pool the Taylor Salt Test Strips would be a good way to verify the salt level in your pool. I wondered if it would be better than trying to remember the color. The problem with the test strips is that the reaction is not that strong and color change is hard to detect. And its mainly the difference between the two readings that matters. the test strip will be enough in determining the range of the chemistry in the pool or spa but again you will not be able to tell if it a pH of 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 or 7.4. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Also note that when using test strips in general the color matching will not be exact at every reading.
Your method won't work for several reasons -, Your numbers are a bit off. Aqua-Flo, Flo-Master, Circ-Master Pump parts, Spa Frog Test Strips for Chlorine or Bro, AquaChek Salt Test Strips (Sodium Chlor, AquaChek High Range Chlorine Test Strip, AquaChek Sodium Bromide Test Strips (fo. You will know it is between 7.0 and 7.4 which is fine if you are adjusting the pH up or down in your pool or spa. By quickly making two measurements, close in value (about 0.2 apart) my results of the difference between the two readings seem to be stable to +/- 0.1 or better. All articles and videos by David Van Brunt. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Wont work because the addition of MA is decreasing the carbonate portion of the TA. View cart for details. You are using an out of date browser. Your pH probe could improve on that slightly but the changes you see are more dependent on the base demand reagent concentration than the precision of your pH meter. You will not be getting an exact reading with test strips but a range. Here is a breakdown of the different test strips Taylor now carries. We are a registered 501(c)3 non-profit that is funded by user donations. So, if you need an exact reading of a test factor you can use a digital tester or a photometer tester. So, if you need an exact reading of a test factor you can use a digital tester or a photometer tester. If you want to verify the test strip reading a reagent test kit would be a good investment. Thanks for all the added explanation. When using the Taylor test strips it is highly recommended that you use a water sample bottle and get the sample 18 inches down in the water away from a return jet to get the most accurate reading. Please consider. Here's what I get. In most cases the test strip will be enough in determining the range of the chemistry in the pool or spa but again you will not be able to tell if it a pH of 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 or 7.4. You must log in or register to reply here. By selecting whether I use 1, 2 or 3 drops I can control the size of the difference1 drop gives the smallest delta. You could always give it a try and see what you come up with. Im having a laugh at myself. Then wait the recommended time indicated on the bottle and match the color with the color chart on the back.
2014-2022 SwimmingPoolLearning.com, All right Reserved. Pool Test Strips 50 count test for (S-1331): Spa Test Strips 50 count test for (S-1332): Chlorine/Bromine, pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, Free Chlorine, Total Chlorine/Bromine, pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, CYA w/ mobile app. The reason is simple: TFPC (Trouble Free Pool Care) is a methodology, not a product that you must purchase. Let me put it to you another way - youre just doing what your test strips are doing. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. Typically you want to achieve a slow drop rate of about 1 droplet per sec where the droplet forms on the tip and falls off under the forces of gravity (not you wiggling it). As I said, I've got all the chemicals on order for a better test. This means that there. If borates are present, the buffer/indicator reaction is slightly changed as is the ultimate pH reached. Thanks for continuing the dialog with me. *Beyond zones, Northern Territories and the USA do not qualify for free shipping. I just use 50mL because the math is easy. Something went wrong. If you add a borate product to your pool the Borate Test Strips are a great way to see if you are at the recommended 30 ppm of borate in your pool or spa. Taylor now makes a whole new family of test strips for your pool and spa and for service use. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You dont need any experience to read the results of the test strip and if you follow the usage steps correctly you will get a good idea of the chemistry levels in your pool. The 50 ml beaker is another matter, it has been shipped twice by Amazon and arrived crushed both times. Youre right about the accuracy of my inexpensive, handheld pH meter but its repeatability (short term stability) seems okay. Failure to follow the proper steps will result in an inaccurate reading. I finally received the BTB, and Mannitol. In a zero borate water sample, the indicator dye on the test pad will achieve a certain color. I'm not sure what pH meter your using but I've always thought the accuracy of the second decimal place was a bit questionable. *Beyond zones, Northern Territories and the USA do not qualify for free shipping. deals news & more, Get the latest updates on new products and upcoming sales. Excessive droplets counts can lead to long term systematic errors in volume. This means that there is some variations of shades and the user will need to decide which color matches closest. Taylor S-1342 Borate Test Strips S1342 - Bottke of 25, - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new window or tab, - for PayPal Credit, opens in a new window or tab, Learn more about earning points with eBay Mastercard, - eBay Return policy - opens in a new tab or window, - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new tab or window. Copyright 2022 Pool and Hot Tub Depot. Thanks very much. Leslie's Pool Supplies a division of Leslie's Poolmart, Inc. pays a fee to have their banner ads displayed on this site. Fluid viscosity, finger pressure, back-pressure inside the bottle, static electricity, etc, can all affect the droplet volume. {"modules":["unloadOptimization","bandwidthDetection"],"unloadOptimization":{"browsers":{"Firefox":true,"Chrome":true}},"bandwidthDetection":{"url":"https://ir.ebaystatic.com/cr/v/c1/thirtysevens.jpg","maxViews":4,"imgSize":37,"expiry":300000,"timeout":250}}. You will know it is between 7.0 and 7.4 which is fine if you are adjusting the pH up or down in your pool or spa.