Taylor k-2006 - Problem Testing Chlorine

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SunDevil1

0
Apr 2, 2016
22
Phoenix, AZ
Hello all,

First, I want to thank everyone for this great resource of a site. I bought a home with a pool a few months ago and am trying my best to get it all figured out. This website has been incredibly useful so far, but now I need some specific advise for my situation.

I bought a Taylor K-2006 test kit on Amazon last week and am getting comfortable with all of the tests, but the Chlorine test is simply not working for me. Below are the levels I am getting using this test kit:

FC: ?
CC: ?
Ph: 7.4
Alk: 180
CYA: 20-30
Calcium Hardness: 170

(This is a manually chlorinated pool, no SWG)

After I add the powder to the test water, it turns nice and pink. When I go to add the reagent, it never turns clear. I added upwards of 70-80 drops, and it never turned clear. There is no way I have 35-40 ppm. I have one of the cheaper test-kits, and can confirm there is chlorine in the water (when I add 5 drops of "Solution one", it turns very yellow).

Out of curiosity, I had my water tested by at Leslie's Pools (I know you all recommend not trusting pool store tests, but I am simply looking for some confirmation of my testing). Below is their readings:

FC: 3
CC: 0
Ph: 7.4
Alk: 130
CYA: 20
Calcium Hardness: 100

Any advise on what is going on here? Anyone ever have this happen? All of the reagents I am using are well within their expiration range, but could they be defective?

Also - any comments on my current chemical levels would be appreciated. Thanks
 
Hi! I am glad to see you found us AND bought a good test kit! You are on the right track to caring for your pool.

For the FC test here is a video:

Taylor K2006 FAS-DPD FC combined chlorine) swimming pool water test - YouTube

One thing I want to double check.......are you sure you are using the correct regent after the powder? (ask me how I know this can happen :( yeppers I did it). I got the two liquid bottles mixed up.

Let me know if the video helps and what regent you are using to turn the pink clear.

Kim
 
Sundevil, since you have the K-2006, are you following the original Taylor instructions that state to fill tube to 25 ml and multiply by .2? If so, try this way: Only fill-up to the 5ml sample, then multiply the drop count by 1. This is not a precise, but can be used to save on reagent. Use the same amount of power (1 heaping scoop). Curious to know if you get an FC reading and how high.

Also, can you tell us how (and how much) you have been chlorinating your pool? Very curious to know what may be happening. Thx!
 
Also, check to see if the dropper bottle has a lot number on it OR an expiration date. If it has just a lot number on the bottle then that is an older style reagent bottle which could possibly mean you were sold an old test kit.

The FAS titrating reagent can go bad from heat and light exposure. If it turns out the bottle is old (you can call Taylor with the lot number and they can tell you the date of manufacture), the FAS may have gone bad.

Either way, since you purchased it on Amazon, you should be able to get a refund for a bad purchase.
 
Thank you all for your replies!

I had been doing the 10 mL, 1 drop = .5 method. I tried Texas Splash's method of 5 mL, 1 drop = 1; but got up to 50 drops with still no change in color. I did the dropping immediately after mixing in the powder, so I don't believe waiting too long was the problem.

My bottle of R-0871 has a lot number and expiration date (B1067; EXP 05/17). Anyone know how long the initial shelf life of this product is?

Regarding my chlorination method: I did a few things before discovering this website that I likely would have done differently. 1) I did a complete drain of the pool, and 2) I bought a 35 lb bucket of pucks. When the pool water was refilled, the guy who did it added some CYA, which is why I'm at 20. Since I already purchased the pucks, and my CYA is low, I plan to use the rest of the pucks and supplement it with liquid chlorine. I'm in the Phoenix desert and my pool gets non-stop sun throughout the day, so I'd like my CYA to be in the 40-50 range (unless someone else has a better target CYA for my scenario?).

Long story short, there's no way my FC is greater than 50. I have 3 pucks sitting in the floater, and i added a gallon of 8.3% bleach to the pool 2 days ago. Prior to that, I've been using a few pucks in the floater a week. The water was replaced one month ago. I have an OTO chlorine test kit, and it's giving me a vibrant yellow. My guess is i'm in the 5-10 range, but I'm not sure.

Perhaps the reagents are bad... anyone experience this before? Or any other ideas for what's going on here?
 

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It has to be a bad batch of R-0871.

If your FC was really that high the OTO test would probably be brown. From my personal observations, blinding tweety-bird yellow is about 10. School bus (Caterpillar equipment) yellow is about 12-13. Hunter orange is around 18, up around 25 it starts to look pumpkin orange. Beyond that you start seeing shades of brown.

Since I have the OTO test I always use it and compare it to the FAS-DPD results so I can improve my ability to recognize shades of yellow. My best results come from holding the color block at arm's length with a white background and either squinting or removing my glasses so it gets fuzzy. Then the shades are easier to differentiate. After several years of practice, I can actually see when I'm between 3 and 5! That trick also makes the pink pH shades easier to differentiate, too.
 
The only things that would cause positive interferences are other oxidizer chemicals like bromine (sometimes found in algaecides like Yellow-Out) or manganese ions (from contaminated well water). Potassium Monopersulfate (MPS, sold as "non chlorine shock") can cause errors in testing as well, but usually as false CC reading.

I realize it's a far-fetched scenario, but are you sure none of those interferences are present?

If not, then it just sounds like you have a bad bottle of reagent. You can call Taylor directly at 1-800-TEST-KIT (837-8548) and give them the lot number. I bet they'd be willing to replace the reagent if you ask.
 
Countpyro1 said:
Well this is possible bad news. I ordered this same kit from Amazon last week and should be here Monday as it was backordered. I'm thinking about just ordering the tf-100 and a stirrer and calling it a day....
Click to expand...

I have owned a Taylor K-2006, ordered from Amazon, for over 4 years now. Every refill reagent I have ordered as well as additional test kits (K-1766, K-1001 & K-1106) has been ordered through Amazon. I have never once gotten a bad bottle of reagent. As well, TFTestKits gets all of their reagents, in bulk, from Taylor.

If this reagent is bad, it's a very one-off fluke. You should have nothing to worry about.
 
You can order it if you like BUT I would wait until your Taylor kit gets there and see what happens. We will help you understand what is what. I am HOPING it was just one bad bottle. Make sure to check you stamps to these here on this thread for us.

Kim
 

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