Switched to a new bottle of R-0871 and drops are too small and drip out uncontrollably

[Klutz14159]

My previous bottle of R-0871 has a rounded neck. After running out, I switched to another R-0871 I got from TFTestKits that has a sharp cyclindrical shape. With the new bottle, I find it very hard to control the drops - they start dripping out without even squeezing the bottle and the drop sizes seem much smaller than with the old bottle, and I get ridiculously high chlorine readings (50-100% higher than expected). I pulled out another R-0871 bottle with the rounded neck and got great control over drops, nice big round drops, and readings that match OTO and Leslies store readings.

I'm also having a lot of difficulty with a new R-0012 bottle (purchased last year from TFTK) also giving much smaller drops and 50% higher Calcium readings that expected.

Any known issues with the different bottle types?

 

[ajw22]

Can you post pics of the two different bottles?

@Sarah and Nate

 

[Klutz14159]

 

[Klutz14159]

Wow, my phone's camera sucks.

 

[ajw22]

Have you tried swapping the tips on the bottles to see if the problem is with the bottle shape or the tip?

I know that when I get a new full bottle the drops come out rapidly until some of it is used.

 

[Klutz14159]

How do you swap the tips? Are they screwed in? or just have to yank on them hard with a pair of pliers?

 

[ajw22]

They just pull out if you wiggle them up and then they snap in.

At least on the smaller bottles. Never pulled a tip out of the big one.

 

[ngsm13]

Hrmmm. I've had the one on the left, last year and this year's refill order also. It does seem to come out without squeezing.

 

[HermanTX]

How do you swap the tips? Are they screwed in? or just have to yank on them hard with a pair of pliers?

Don’t use a pliers. Just use your thumb and press to one side and it will unsnap. They just press in.

 

[Sarah and Nate]

My previous bottle of R-0871 has a rounded neck. After running out, I switched to another R-0871 I got from TFTestKits that has a sharp cyclindrical shape. With the new bottle, I find it very hard to control the drops - they start dripping out without even squeezing the bottle and the drop sizes seem much smaller than with the old bottle, and I get ridiculously high chlorine readings (50-100% higher than expected). I pulled out another R-0871 bottle with the rounded neck and got great control over drops, nice big round drops, and readings that match OTO and Leslies store readings.

I'm also having a lot of difficulty with a new R-0012 bottle (purchased last year from TFTK) also giving much smaller drops and 50% higher Calcium readings that expected.

Any known issues with the different bottle types?

Hi Klutz,
Sorry to see that you are having issues with a couple of our bottles. Let me know if swapping the tips works. All the bottles in question use the same tip, so they are all swappable. Tip defects are exceedingly rare but they can happen. Perhaps there is a non-obvious defect in the bottle affecting the seal of the tip. If so, we will be happy to replace the reagent.

In general, proper dropper technique is to completely invert the bottle and allow the drops to form and fall naturally from the tip, without squeezing. The dropper tips are calibrated such that every drop is the same size and staying consistent will allow you to control for any drop size variation that you may be creating.

Please feel free to follow up with me via email at [email protected].
Best,
Nate @ TFT

 

[JamesW]

I know that when I get a new full bottle the drops come out rapidly until some of it is used.

Give the bottle a slight squeeze and hold before inverting.

This reduces the pressure in the bottle and helps produce more uniform drops.