Is there another type of PH test - drop test?

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C

cherylt327

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Aug 12, 2015
52
Teutpolis, IL
So I have a really hard time distinguishing the reds on the pH test. Hoping there is some other type of test out there I could do? Have a hard time with the yellow shadings on the chlorine test to and usually end up doing drop test unless in hurry then just look to see if tube fairly yellow or not.

PH on the other hand there is no other test for it in the TF-100 test kit. I am always debating that our ph is 7.2 or 7.5 and hubby thinks it looks like 7.5 and 7.8 to him.

I know color is so dependent on a person's eyes and what someone sees is different than the next so how do I know which is our correct number? At least with the chlorine drop test I am pretty confident when it has to go from red to clear. Is there a non color shading PH test somewhere that is accurate?
 
Not that I'm aware of Cheryl,

I've always used digital meters for pH in my job, so it's been exceedingly hard to force myself to use this test. That said, I have gotten comfortable with it over time, and would encourage you to keep on with it. Decent meters can be had but IMO, the most dependable ones come in around $100 starting price. Some people have luck with the less expensive ones, but the results can be inconsistent meter to meter/brand to brand. With any meter, they need a fair amount of care and attention to keep them calibrated and accurate. Sorry I don't have a better answer for you.
 
There is no other color pH test. You have a couple of options -

1. Do the test in outdoor lighting with your back to the sun. Hold the test vial waist-high in the shade of your body and put a white piece of paper or a white paper plate on the ground. View the test vial with the plate as your background.

Lighting and background color makes a huge difference to color perception.

2. Try experimenting with one less drop (4 drops) or one extra drop (6 drops) of the R-0004. The test works as the number of drops determine the intensity or saturation of the color you see not the color itself. Some people find that using 4 drops works better.

3. Get some R-0005/R-0006 acid/base demand reagents. These drops are normally used to determine how much acid or base you need to change the pH. They can be helpful in shifting the color of the sample by 0.2 units to help you confirm a pH value. They normally come as part of the Taylor K-2006 kit but are not included in the TF-100.

4. Get a cheap pH meter and use that instead. They require manual care so that's something you have to factor in.

Hope that helps,
Matt
 
I have better luck with the pH test if I hold it at arm's length and either squint or take off my glasses so it gets fuzzy. For some reason the shades are easier to differentiate when I can't see all the writing. If I'm between colors, usually I can tell if it's closer to 7.2 than 7.5, which means I can tell 7.3 from 7.4. I do the test outside, and use a white background, usually the cheap resin chair across the table from me.
 
Thanks so much for the info. I always hold it to a white piece of paper I keep in my kit. I will try one drop more or one less. I am trying to look at color and not intensity but I can't seem to match. I can see the difference on the match part but then once I have my water colored I can't tell what it matches. Might try a cheap meter and try to compare it to my drop reading and between the too hopefully keep the pool in check.
 
If you do get a cheaper pH meter, make sure to read the calibration and storage instructions, you must always store it with the tip kept wet in storage solution and calibrate with calibration solution, either single or 2 point varieties.
 
+1 on the acid/base demand reagents. I have the same problem with the reds. If I am high and up in the reds, I don't worry about what the exact pH is. I just add a drop of acid demand reagent. If it is then in the desired range, I know exactly how much acid to dose the pool with--it's a calculation you only need to do once. I have a container with a line marking the volume. If it takes two drops to get into normal color, then two doses. If one drop takes it to below normal range, then half a dose. Easy as pie. I've been doing it this way for over ten years.
 

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grottoguy said:
Just to clarify. Can we use the r0005 acid demand test for the PH test that comes in the TF 100?
Click to expand...

As long as the pH drops are R-0004 reagent AND the water sample size used in the test is 44mL, then the acid demand reagent will work with the Acid Demand chart.
 
OK, I see the problem here. The TF-100 comes with the Taylor K-1000 basic kit that has the 9781 midget comparator block and the R-0014 phenol red reagent.

So, the acid demand drops that work with the R-0014 phenol red reagent are the R-0015 Acid demand and R-0016 Base demand reagents. You can NOT use the R-0005 acid demand drops with the R-0014 phenol red pH reagent.
 
Thanks joyful noise, I ordered the regent online cause tft didn't seem to carry that one. Can you point me to a chart that shows how to read the regent when used with my TFT ph test kit?
 
grottoguy said:
Thanks joyful noise, I ordered the regent online cause tft didn't seem to carry that one. Can you point me to a chart that shows how to read the regent when used with my TFT ph test kit?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the tables are printed in a booklet created and sold by Taylor Technologies called "Pool & Spa Water Chemistry" (HERE) which they sell for $7 (you can get one on Amazon). Because this is copyright material, it would be illegal for me to reprint the tables in any form and post them online. This is why Pool Math is designed with some advanced mathematical algorithms on the back-end so that you don't need acid-demand drops; you just enter all of your current water parameters in and it tells you how much acid to add to achieve a desired pH level while simultaneously taking into account your TA, borates, salt, etc.

Anyone that buys a K-2006 gets the booklet and Taylor Watergram Dial (a nomogram for calculating SI) as part of the kit.
 
Thanks. I'm getting the acid demand drops as a backup to reading the ph color. If I'm not sure what color my ph is at I am hoping that by adding acid demand I will be at a color I can see more easily and then back into what my original PH was
 
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