TFT-100 - Difficulties after reagent refill

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YesRushGen

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Apr 8, 2008
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Good Evening!

I just received a complete replacement set of reagents for my TFT-100 Test Kit and something is wrong... I have used this test kit for 10+ years now, and have never experienced any difficulty. Until now...

For both the TA test and the CH test, the reagent bottle that causes the color change (R-0009 and R-0012, respectively) seems defective. When I turn the bottle over, it immediately starts dripping despite applying no pressure. The drops are NOT the size they should be. When I count the drops until the color change, which is a challenge, I get an impossibly high reading for TA and CH. It's almost as if the "drip hole" of the bottle is defective - it's producing smaller drops, and they're dropping frequently - without applying pressure.

I have repeated both of these tests and am consistently receiving impossible values for both. For example, TA is reading 180 while my old reagents was reading 80. There is nothing I have done that would raise TA in this fashion. Similarly, CH is reading 300+. I didn't test CH with my old reagents, but I expected it to be 120-160 based on last year's value.

Again, I am not a newbie with this test kit - I've been using it for a long time and know what I'm doing.

Any advice? Can the folks at TFTestKits replace my defective reagents?

Thanks,
Kelly
 
New TA and CH bottles sometimes has a static electricity problem. The notes in Total Alkalinity - Trouble Free Pool say:

  • Sometimes a static electric charge can build up on the R-0009 dropper bottle tip, causing the drops to be smaller than usual and making the test read higher than actual. You can prevent this by wipping the tip of the dropper bottle with a damp cloth or tissue before you start and after each drop.
  • Hold the dropper bottles vertically and squeeze gently, so that drops come out slowly and seem to hang on the tip of the dropper bottle for a moment before falling.
Try wiping the tip between drops and be patient and let each drop form and fall off the tip. If you still have a problem contact Rebecca and I am sure she will take care of you.

@OTPirate
 
Probably the simplest so you can test now is to exchange the bottles and tips. The tips bend right off and it is pretty easy to carefully pour the fluids out. They are harmless but do it on a towel in case you spill.

If you can wait over the weekend, I am sure TFTestkits will send you all new bottles but you have to contact them and give them the message.

Be VERY aware of the static in the R-0009......when the reagents are very fresh, they "jump" off the tip. Wipe the tip per instructions.

That phenomenon only occurs with the R-0009 and has no affect on your CH test.
 
YesRushGen said:
Ok, thanks everyone..

By wiping the tip with a damp cloth between drips, I'm finally getting a sensible reading for my TA.

Appreciate the help! I suppose luck has granted me a sense of complacency, having never had this happen before!!!

Thanks again,
Kelly
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