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TDS test strips.... good enough ?

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swilly1000:
I put my tub into service October 1st and am aiming to get 6 months between water changes.  So far so good on water balance, if a few hiccups along the way.  I've taken samples in for testing on three occasions but otherwise use the test strips.

bachman:

--- Quote from: swilly1000 on February 07, 2019, 05:36:10 am ---I put my tub into service October 1st and am aiming to get 6 months between water changes.  So far so good on water balance, if a few hiccups along the way.  I've taken samples in for testing on three occasions but otherwise use the test strips.

--- End quote ---

Good for you, that's encouraging news and along the lines of what I want to do. Thanks for posting.

Our bather load is so low, I know it should prove to be a positive factor all else being equal. Just want to have a few more ways to test and verify so I'll report back with how useful or accurate these strips seem to be.
We filled and started things up Oct 28th and the water seems very healthy testing with the drop kit and appearance. Nothing chemical -wise has been out of whack by any big margins (yet) …. Beginners luck I guess.
No big margins as I rate = Safe to tub ranges for ph and sanitizer, clarity/appearance or water, fresh or clean odor.

I'll be pleased just getting 4 -5 months so I'm out of winter and not wasting water neeedlessly. It can't hurt that with normal evap, I'd say the tub has 30 to 40 gallons of fresh add since the orginal fill.

bachman:
One "A few" new questions and I'll keep here under test strips since it's a tub parameter issue anyways.... Soaking versus ph

As I've read, tub ph level can bump up just by running the jets / pumps for a while and I've tested that to find the result holds true. I've had many times when the ph seems to have dropped off a bit and the tub hadn't been used in a few days. Before running to the cupboard to add 'stuff', I'd run the pumps for a while with the cover off and see the change. 
Related to this and also from reading posts and shared experiences, many of us like to soak rather than multiple run times/hours of the pumps/jets aerating.

Q Since my ph fades off a bit and we haven't been using the tub or the pumps a lot lately, does it hold true that we 'soakers' are more often going to see this as a natural result versus those that run the pumps regularly ?


Q Do we save some chemical use by utilizing the pumps/jets rather then adding the ph UP or is it just a temporary boost when we'll need to correct it with additive anyway within a day or few ?

I ask because I'm a bit shy of tossing in chemicals when I can get away with less, not-so-much due to being cheap but rather a want for keeping the residuals needed without over-kill or causing big variations.
I'd have thought three months in, I'd know a little something by now but the questions keep coming ,,, lol

Opinions, thoughts or experiences welcome.  :)

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