I called Taylor a while ago and asked them how they defined their standard and the best way to view the tube. That's when they told me that standing outside with your back to the sun and the tube held in front of you shaded by your body so that you look straight down into the tube with strong indirect light is the best.rcy said:
Extended Test Kit Directions
- Thread starter JasonLion
- Start date
- Status
This test continues to kick my butt. No matter how I hold the tube, or where, I get a reflection that makes reading it really tough. I have posted elsewhere that if I do multiple tests with the same sample I get a far wider range in ppm than my 8 year old daughter, so she tells me when the spot disappears and I note the reading.
I have problems with the reflection too. My solution is to read the test indoors in front of a full length west facing window. I read the test in the afternoon, so there is very strong indirect light coming through the window so I feel I get an accurate reading. But being indoors completely eliminates the glare on the surface of the sample water.Peter_S said:
YMMV
What do you do when you get particulates in the CH test water?
I've tried adding 5 drops of reagent R-0012 first but I still got the particulates. I get them after the very first drop. If I keep going the water eventually changes from pale pink to pale purple/blue.
So I just ignore the particulates and, when I get the max color change plus 1 drop, that's the number I take as my CH level.
Is this OK?
I've tried adding 5 drops of reagent R-0012 first but I still got the particulates. I get them after the very first drop. If I keep going the water eventually changes from pale pink to pale purple/blue.
So I just ignore the particulates and, when I get the max color change plus 1 drop, that's the number I take as my CH level.
Is this OK?
Yup...it's the main color change you're after and make sure you are swirling at least 15 seconds between drops. A speedstir helps thing out tremendously for this test.
I tested my CH again last night and went super, super slow. I let the water sit for a couple minutes after I added the 5 drops of r012 and swirled for 30+ seconds. Then I added the r010 and swirled and let it rest. When I started adding r012 again I didn't get the floaters for the first time ever.
That's great but I'm still not sure I am getting the right reading.
My water starts out pale pink - not what I would call red at all.
When I add the r012 the color slowly shifts to a pale bluish-purple. I have been stopping when it seems that 1 or 2 drops have produced no color shift but the changes are so subtle that it's hard to tell when I've reached that point for sure. The color never gets dark or a definite blue like the pictures on the Taylor website that show the color shifts for this test.
Last night I went ahead and kept adding drops just to make sure I wasn't going to get a clear shift into blue at a higher reading. All I got (I stopped at CH 1000) was a gradual change to a bluer color until by 800+ the color seemed closer to blue than it did at 250ish.
The change was so gradual that I could not tell any difference from one drop to the next.
How do I interpret this?
That's great but I'm still not sure I am getting the right reading.
My water starts out pale pink - not what I would call red at all.
When I add the r012 the color slowly shifts to a pale bluish-purple. I have been stopping when it seems that 1 or 2 drops have produced no color shift but the changes are so subtle that it's hard to tell when I've reached that point for sure. The color never gets dark or a definite blue like the pictures on the Taylor website that show the color shifts for this test.
Last night I went ahead and kept adding drops just to make sure I wasn't going to get a clear shift into blue at a higher reading. All I got (I stopped at CH 1000) was a gradual change to a bluer color until by 800+ the color seemed closer to blue than it did at 250ish.
The change was so gradual that I could not tell any difference from one drop to the next.
How do I interpret this?
The CH test does seem to be troublesome. I have the same "fading endpoint" problem where the water changes to a purple color, and then gradually shifts to blue, so it is hard to call which drop is the final drop.rlsnights said:
That's been my experience as well. I found that the speedstir is a great help with it. When I get near where it ought to be, based on prior tests, I'll add a drop then let it run a minute or so then another, and so on. When in doubt, I'll cycle it again. More mixing tends to make lavendar into sky blue.jparr said:
JasonLion said:
I've never done this, I've always stopped at the 1st shade of red. Wonder how off I've been?
If what you write is true, then it should be in the TF 100 kit instuctions, no?
Ditto for the CH test instructions
Ditto for the 70 degrees/room temperature tip on the CYA test, many people test for CYA when the water temp is below 70F is my guess.
Johnny, you probably aren't that far off. For most people it's only a drop or two between just turning and complete.
The biggest item I've found to help, with the CH test especially, is the speedstir. I can't state emphatically enough how much better that one item has helped testing. It's the next best thing to the TF test kit!
The biggest item I've found to help, with the CH test especially, is the speedstir. I can't state emphatically enough how much better that one item has helped testing. It's the next best thing to the TF test kit!
I find I get better results when I hold the test block at arms length, with a white background of some sort. Up close it often appears I have a perfect match, but at a distance, I can see a different shade.JasonLion said:
Somewhere there's a noob who can use this tip.
Richard320, thanks for the suggestion. I added a quick mention to the notes section.
There are two issues. First, a few of the test reagents are carcinogenic, though not anything in the FAS-DPD test. Second, some of the reagents have unusual reactions with each other that could throw off your test results if the concentration ever got high enough.
Diver
0
Forgive my ignorance, but what is the major difference between FAS-DPD vs DPD tests for CC and TC? it seems like FAS-DPD is more precise and allow for greater range of the measurement.
with FAS-DPD test kits both tests could be performed. when would i do one and when would i do another?
OTO test only measures TC - does that have much value at all if FAS-DPD and DPD tests are available? would it save reagents and one would use FAS-DPD or DPD when OTO test results are not in bulk park?
with FAS-DPD test kits both tests could be performed. when would i do one and when would i do another?
OTO test only measures TC - does that have much value at all if FAS-DPD and DPD tests are available? would it save reagents and one would use FAS-DPD or DPD when OTO test results are not in bulk park?
You've got this right. FAS-DPD has more accuracy, resolution and range compared to DPD. With FAS-DPD, you can get a resolution and accuracy of 0.2 ppm if you use a 25 ml sample size or a resolution and accuracy of 0.5 ppm when using a 10 ml sample size by "counting the drops" until the sample turns clear and one can measure up to 50 ppm if one adds more initial powder when they see a pink flash when adding it (i.e. if it does not stay pink/red).
With DPD, it starts to bleach out above 5 ppm, pretty much is completely bleached out above 10 ppm, and is hard to get better than 0.5 to 1.0 ppm accuracy from the visual "compare the color" test (though measuring instruments can do better).
OTO only tests for TC, but it doesn't bleach out so is a very definitive test of whether you actually have chlorine, even at high levels.
The above is why we recommend FAS-DPD chlorine tests, though having OTO as a backup for very high chlorine levels (just to be sure there is chlorine) can be useful.
Once one gets to know one's pool and has a fairly regular and stable chlorine demand, then one can use a less accurate chlorine test on a regular basis, but should probably double check with FAS-DPD at least once a week. That would save on reagents.
With DPD, it starts to bleach out above 5 ppm, pretty much is completely bleached out above 10 ppm, and is hard to get better than 0.5 to 1.0 ppm accuracy from the visual "compare the color" test (though measuring instruments can do better).
OTO only tests for TC, but it doesn't bleach out so is a very definitive test of whether you actually have chlorine, even at high levels.
The above is why we recommend FAS-DPD chlorine tests, though having OTO as a backup for very high chlorine levels (just to be sure there is chlorine) can be useful.
Once one gets to know one's pool and has a fairly regular and stable chlorine demand, then one can use a less accurate chlorine test on a regular basis, but should probably double check with FAS-DPD at least once a week. That would save on reagents.
Diver
0
I have a Taylor k 2005 test kit. When dropping R-0001 in a sample and it turns cloudy, does this mean that there is high CYA levels in the pool?
- Status