Hot Tub Forum

Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: drprwnap on November 08, 2005, 10:00:37 am

Title: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: drprwnap on November 08, 2005, 10:00:37 am
Test strips?
Taylor test kit?
pH meter?

Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: East_TX_Spa on November 08, 2005, 10:01:48 am
Test Strips

Terminator
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: ssbraun on November 08, 2005, 10:08:53 am
Test strips for TA, total chlorine, free chlorine, hardness;
phenol red indicator for ph...tried 3 brands of strips and still haven't found a ph indication I'm confident in (kind of "bleeds" and I'm never sure what the reading is, so I use the phenol red indicator to be sure).  Mind you, I've been having ph issues, so I'm watching it like a hawk ::)

Steve
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: NE-Phil on November 08, 2005, 10:23:25 am
Mostly I use the test strips. The ph indicator does bleed and the color never really matches up well.

I see in another thread stl-rex uses a ph meter. I'm hoping he'll chime in and let us know what exactly he uses, the cost and how well it works for him.

I also use the taylor kit every week or two but find it less convenient even though it might be more accurate. Too much thumbing through the booklet trying to figure out, "What do I do now?"

Phil
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: drewstar on November 08, 2005, 10:27:25 am
Yea, I use a gas fired chromatology field pack unit, .002 micron imaging and laser array.with on board  digital print out, and full specturm analsis and self diagnosis.

Ok. Test strips. Works pretty good.  
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: NE-Phil on November 08, 2005, 11:15:56 am
Quote
Yea, I use a gas fired chromatology field pack unit, .002 micron imaging and laser array.with on board  digital print out, and full specturm analsis and self diagnosis.

...and you got it on ebay, too. LOL ;)

Phil
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: svspa on November 08, 2005, 11:33:18 am
Routine - test strips
Occasionally double check with taylor kit

Steve
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: drewstar on November 08, 2005, 11:33:36 am
Quote
...and you got it on ebay, too. LOL ;)

Phil



NAMCO.  
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: hymbaw on November 08, 2005, 11:50:21 am
BioGaurd 1200v test kit--a little more accurate than test strips.
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: tony on November 08, 2005, 12:52:11 pm
Taylor test kit.  Strips sometimes for free chlorine only.  I find test strips for everything else totally unreliable.
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: water@104 on November 08, 2005, 02:54:17 pm
Test strips and our local Bemisters
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: Haynes on November 08, 2005, 05:04:00 pm
Quote
Taylor test kit.  Strips sometimes for free chlorine only.  I find test strips for everything else totally unreliable.


I agree with Tony.
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: Mr._Bubbles on November 08, 2005, 05:50:19 pm
Test strips
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: bobhol on November 08, 2005, 05:58:45 pm
TEST STRIPS AND MONTHLY DEALER CHECKS
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: marks on November 08, 2005, 06:03:20 pm
Taylor test kit.  The test strips seem to arbitrary matching the color.
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: wmccall on November 08, 2005, 06:15:44 pm
I use multiple choice, I think it is more fair for the water than fill in the blank.  

HTH Test kit, $15 at Walmart
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: tonyp on November 08, 2005, 07:41:19 pm
My water finds multiple choice too hard.  So I soften it up with a True/False test and occasionally shock it with a pop quiz ;D

Strips and HTM from WalMart
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: stl-rex on November 08, 2005, 08:30:48 pm
Checkit pH Meter.  Strips for everything else.  I hate picking among the colors on the strips for pH.  Everything else is usually a pretty clear cut indication.
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: drober30 on November 08, 2005, 08:35:04 pm
Taylor test kit.  Strips for free chlorine only.  I find test strips for everything else totally unreliable too!
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: nicker on November 09, 2005, 08:17:27 am
test strips here for my quick tests and once a week I use my taylor kit.

For those that use the test stips that also test hardness...what brand are they?  And do you find them easy to read?  I have separete strips for hardness and they are hard to read.  Id like to get the stips that test, Clorine, Alk, PH and hardness all in one.
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: drewstar on November 09, 2005, 09:22:33 am
Quote
My water finds multiple choice too hard.  So I soften it up with a True/False test and occasionally shock it with a pop quiz ;D

Strips and HTM from WalMart


I picked up a spa test kit the other day, and wow, I mean
what is this stuff?

Alexander the Great is to Persians as Dichlor is to _______?


I'm going back to the regular  old dopey  test strips.   ???


Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: grahamtasia on November 09, 2005, 12:06:02 pm
Test Strips work well
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: Bodyaches on November 09, 2005, 12:09:14 pm
Old fashioned way.

Double tube test for clorine and PH.

SemperFi   Dick
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: ssbraun on November 09, 2005, 12:15:13 pm
Quote
Old fashioned way.

Double tube test for clorine and PH.

SemperFi   Dick


Unless I'm mistaken, this method gives a total chlorine result rather than free chlorine (as in the kind that can do the killin')  Please correct me if I'm wrong!
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: drprwnap on November 09, 2005, 12:20:23 pm
Thanks for all the replies.  I'm finding the test strips hard to read.  Thinking about getting something different but haven't decided yet. Might try a pH meter....

drprwnap  8)
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: drewstar on November 09, 2005, 12:23:20 pm
Quote

Unless I'm mistaken, this method gives a total chlorine result rather than free chlorine (as in the kind that can do the killin')  Please correct me if I'm wrong!



The older test kits (OTO) would check only TC, however it's my understanding that the newer kits that use DPD, check for Free chlorine.
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: Backpains on November 10, 2005, 04:20:40 pm
Test strips..check once a day usually in the am when hubby and I go out for our first soak at 5:am (btw...this is the most COLDEST darn winter I think I've ever felt around these parts!!!! Who was the one who talked me into skinny dipping????? Who was the IDIOT who said "au Natural" is best????)
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: TattedVenus on November 10, 2005, 06:17:04 pm
Bioguard 1200V Test Kit, and test Calcium at the store once a month
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: TrikkeAddict on November 10, 2005, 06:39:35 pm
Taylor test kit
Title: Re: Poll: How do you test your water?
Post by: Daveflave on November 10, 2005, 06:50:15 pm
Didn't like the test strips so I bought a Cool Pooltester.  It's basically a colorimeter and costs about $100.  Very accurate.