Has anyone tried the ePool digital chlorine, pH, and temp device?

I don't need to try it to know it's a huge waste of money. Just the latest "fad" or "gimmick" in pool testing. $249 and it only tests PH and chlorine. Spending that kind of money and relying on that system because "its that easy" is just asking for trouble for your pool.

Here at TFP we advocate Trouble-Free pools.

I have a co-worker that has one and raves about it. I am wondering how it stays calibrated for the pH without having to test it to a standard. I also am wondering how it tests the chlorine. He is pretty tech savy and is going to have a conference call with the developer. A connection to Wi-Fi and graphing software would be really cool.

It really is not hard to test these, but it would be nice if it is reliable over the long run. It really doesn't take too many seasons of high end test reagents to make up for the cost.


Bobby

I guess I don't agree. Forgive the following rant because I am a total cynic when it comes to pool stores and their latest gadgets.


My test kit was less than $70 and I can test everything except metals, and I'm on my second season with the kit and I fully expect to last through the end of this season. It takes me 5 minutes to test my pool, it's really that easy! LOL

Your coworker raves about it but he doesn't know how it works? Is that why he's calling the developer?

How does your coworker test for CC? TA? CH? CYA? Does the ePool differentiate between FC, CC and TC? How does the ePool tell you to add more chlorine if it isn't testing CYA? Will the ePool say "add more chlorine" if it isn't holding, or will it know when you need to "shock" your pool-how does it tell the difference? Does the ePool explain the CYA relationship and why so many pools turn green?

If the ePool tells you the PH is high does it tell you how to prevent that from happening or why it's happening in the first place? If the ePool doesn't test TA and TA is an integral part of the PH relationship, what's the point? To tell you you need to add acid? I guess I just don't get why it's so great, especially at $249. The basic Taylor test that does the same thing is less than $10.

I guess what I'm trying to say is no amounts of fancy gadgets can replace the kind of knowledge and understanding of what's going on with our pools, the kind we all learned on this forum.

My complete test kit paid for itself in the first month, by making sure I didn't have to set foot in the pool store.

OK, end rant.

I, too, am skeptical. Most of the electronic testers I've experienced require calibration, and have difficult readings, and are not terribly reliable. I like "manual" testing, such as endorsed in this place! The best "other" systems for homeowners might be found at LaMotte's homepages.

It is easy to measure temperature. Measuring PH is trickier, but can be done. Sensors in that price range tend to drift and can become wildly inaccurate if not calibrated frequently. Measuring chlorine levels is extremely difficult. There is one sensor on the market that can actually measure chlorine levels but it is around $2,500. There are systems that measure ORP and use that to infer the chlorine level. The ORP sensors in that price range tend to fail rapidly. Even the more expensive ORP sensors have problems because a number of things other than the chlorine level will affect the ORP reading, so they must be recalibrated frequently.

It is a cool toy, but you can't depend on it for adjusting your water balance. The one part that actually works reliably, the temperature sensor, can be gotten far less expensively.

I just saw this in a pool flyer today. Got me interested enough to check here for reviews. Obviously it's too early, however I for one hope it works, and reliably. I suppose it probably will not, but it would be most convenient and worth the money to me to have a device that does what this device advertises. But I will wait for the early adopters to weigh in.

A free chlorine sensor costs about $2,500. I just priced one for a job I am doing.

I purchased one three weeks ago from Leslie and ended up taking it back. Let me tell you why. I set my unit up according to directions and placed in pool overnight. (salt water). It told me via the attention light I need to take action. It's first comment was to take a water sample to Leslie Pool. (just what I wanted to do was to drive 50 miles round trip). Via the third menu it told me my chlorine was < 1ppm and my ph was 7.4 and to add 28 oz of soda ash as my alkalinity was too high. It never said jack about the chlorine level and to do anything. I tried calling the manuf. game something or other and left a message that no one ever returned. Undaunted I reset the receiver ( waited while it calculated data) and this time it said again my Alkalinity was too high and again to add soda ash! Several times it keep saying to take a water sample to Leslies'. My own manual process said my chlorine was 3.xx and the ph was really 7.2ish, TA was 80ish and cyanuric was also fine. So I took it back to the dealer with a water sample who confirmed my manual settings. He called his manager who told me I had to talk to the manuf as the unit had to be calibrated. The manual says fire up the unit. Is it Salt or Chlorine pool and how many gallons and do you want F or C or gal or liters? Wow it was calibrated. He kept it two weeks saying that the manuf never called him back either (not sure I believe him but they didn't call me either). The bottom line was maybe I got a bum unit? I had plenty of chlorine and my ph and TA were just fine thank you. It kept telling me to take a sample to Leslie pool. The $250 was pricey and a toy for me but had it just monitored my Chlorine and acid level I would have been happy as that seems to be the most variable items for me and I would have loved for it to tell me to add 18 oz of muriatic acid or 44 oz of this or that rather then to have to do my own manual calculations and trimming. If it had of worked I would have kept it as a useful add-on tool. Bottom line I might wait til next year if the sw becomes stable and accurate. Bummer and a no star review for me. BTW Leslie refunded my purchase with no questions asked. No stars to the manfacturer 800 tech service either for not calling my cell.

This is just my opinion and you can decide for yourselves.
Mike

Oh By the Way the PH sensor according to the user manual has to be replaced yearly as does the battery. I saw no pricing anywhere on those. The sensor must be kept wet at all times even over the winter ( there is a sponge and a door to help). Hope its not like buying a ten dollar camera and then paying 20 dollars for a battery. Forgot to add that in my previous post.

Mike

Thanks for sharing your firsthand account! Welcome to TFP by the way.

I am returning my SECOND one today. First one lasted 2 days, then sensor failure. 2nd one lasted 3 days, now sensor failure again. I don't think it's ready for prime time.

I know a lot of people say manual testing is easy, but try being color blind (that would be me) and doing it

I am going to try that small electronic device that they sell that "reads" the test dip strips. It is only $60 and if it can tell me the proper readings on a numeric scale rather than trying to discern minute shades of colors on the strips, perhaps it will work for me.

Most people have had less than stellar results with the Aqua-Chem Tru-Test reader. You will be better off using a colorimeter. Ther are several on the market with the LaMotte ColorQ being the least expensive.

If you can't read the standard PH test, the ColorQ is your best bet. It has some quirks, problems with high FC levels and high CH levels, and the CYA test is both difficult to do correctly and amazingly imprecise. But if you are aware of those issues it is quite usable.

I would stay away from the Aqua-Chem Tru-Test.

I bit the bullet and am trying my second unit in hopes the first was a fluke. The PH on this one is now correct as is the chlorine level. Temp is 80. If this doesnt work then I will go back to manual. Its just nice to remotely see the changes ( assuming they are consistent if not correct I can compensate). Once burned twice learned - we shall see.

Mike

The company that makes this is Game! They are most famous for their inflatable pool toys and their cheap, led floating disco pool lights (that don't light up anything) and their cheap pool fountains (with led lights that don't light up anything)! Operative word here is cheap. I have sold a lot of Game stuff and I cannot say that any of it was quality!

I am on day 5 of my ePool experiment. Day 1 it told me to add 3" tablets (done), Day 2 it told me to add Muratic Acid (done), Day 3 and Day 4 all was well... I took a sample of the water to Leslie's to get it checked and it was almost exactly the same as the ePool readings. Impressive. Day 5, it just rained and now the ePool is all jacked up. The sensor said it needed cleaning (done), then the sensor said it needed replacing... Time to take the ePool back to the store. Leslie's doesn't even carry the sensors locally.

I think I am going to resort to the old school method for a while.

Sounds to me like these gagets are a big thumbs down. I guess we will stick with the most reliable sensor/testing unit - me.

I checked with GAME the company who make the ePool and the PH sensor and battery pack will be sold together next year and will be around $100-$125. Half the cost of the unit. I'm glad I did not take mine out of the box it's going back to Lesile today.

I have been using the epool for about 2 months now. I find that I am testing manually because I do not trust the machine. It constantly displays a message to add acid or to take my water to Leslie's for a test. When I take it in, they say it is fine. I bought the machine because I do not want to take the water in for testing or test is myself. This is my first summer with the pool and I am still figuring out how to do test and keep the water in balance. Last week I went to Leslie's and there was a sign on the epool display the said "Leslie's does not recommend the epool for salt water pools. I have a salt water pool. I am going to attempt to return the epool.