does anyone know if the electronic pool kits are better and if yes which one would you recommend
thank you
thank you
electronic test kit
- Thread starter Doubleagent
- Start date
The way I understand it, the affordable ones are junk, a good one is VERY expensive and they need to be calibrated regularly to provide accurate readings.
EXACTLY right! Actually, for some of the tests such as TA and CH the titration tests are better no matter how expensive the meter is because of limitations in the chemistry of the tests.
I'm starting to do my service for my pool instead of my pool guy, so I'm kind of new to this.
since I was told that the electronic testers don't really work which non electric tester would any one recommend remember i have a salt water system
thank you
since I was told that the electronic testers don't really work which non electric tester would any one recommend remember i have a salt water system
thank you
I would recommend you get the TF100 from TFTestkits.net, along with the Aquachek salt test strips. The link is on our homepage. The alternative is the K-2006 and salt test strips from Taylor Technologies website.
These are drop-based test kits, very accurate and simple to use.
There is an article in Pool School that compares the two kits.
P.S. I deleted your double post.
These are drop-based test kits, very accurate and simple to use.
There is an article in Pool School that compares the two kits.
P.S. I deleted your double post.
There's no specific recommendation, you have to decide what works for you. Making sure you have enough run time to turn your water over at least once, preferably more, imho. Personally I think pumps should run during the day to provide adequate circulation to avoid FC 'dead spots' which can allow algae to take hold in areas that don't get good circulation - the sun can zap the FC from those areas and you can get spots of algae. By running the pump, the FC in those areas is replenished. Some folk choose nitetime to save on elec if their utility offers lower nite time rates. You can use a timer and do 4 hrs at nite, 4 hrs day, or something like that. I think it's good to run the pump while there are swimmers stirring up all the 'gunk' that might be in there, helps to filter better (this assumes proper pool bonding of course). If you use a solar cover to protect against FC loss during the day when the pool is not in use, then sure you could run at nite more if you choose. Anyway, as I said, gotta figure out what works for your pool cause every situation can be unique.
Re: WATER BALANCE FOR SWGS
IN THE ARTICLE ON WATER BALANCE FOR SWGS ITS ASKING TO ADD BORATES TO THE POOL, BUT THE POOL SUPPLY STORES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD
DONT CARRY ANY TEST STRIPS IS THAT BECAUSE ITS NOT RECOMMENDED ?
IN THE ARTICLE ON WATER BALANCE FOR SWGS ITS ASKING TO ADD BORATES TO THE POOL, BUT THE POOL SUPPLY STORES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD
DONT CARRY ANY TEST STRIPS IS THAT BECAUSE ITS NOT RECOMMENDED ?
Unless a pool store is selling a borate product like Bioguard Optimizer or Proteam Supreme they probably won't sell borate test strips.
IF you live in CA then borate products might not be available in pool stores, everywhere else they are.
I guarantee that a Bioguard dealer will have the strips.
IF you live in CA then borate products might not be available in pool stores, everywhere else they are.
I guarantee that a Bioguard dealer will have the strips.
Borate
I do live in California , should I keep searching for test strips or I don't need them in California
I do live in California , should I keep searching for test strips or I don't need them in California
Borates are completely optional. There is an article in Pool School "Further Reading" section - if you want to learn more.
Borates in pools are outlawed in CA. However I think you can still get 20 mule team borax and order the strips via the internet.
borate
since Borate is outlaw in Ca is it worth it going to all that trouble to get the strips on the internet and will it make that much of a difference having it
since Borate is outlaw in Ca is it worth it going to all that trouble to get the strips on the internet and will it make that much of a difference having it
I don't think that borates are banned for pools in California, per se, but rather that there are tighter regulations for transporation of potentially hazardous chemicals (it's classified as hazardous waste) and in concentrated form borates crossed that threshold (Borax ingested orally is around 640 mg/kg for lowest lethal dose with LD50 around 3000 mg/kg) so would require extra paperwork, precautions, possibly liability insurance, etc. so the pool chemical manufacturers didn't bother. The quote from most MSDS forms is as follows:waterbear said:
California Hazardous Waste Designation: California identifies substances with acute LD50's less than 5000 mg/kg as "hazardous wastes". Boric Acid is therefore a "hazardous waste" if spilled in California, and should be handled in accordance with applicable state regulations. Refer to Regulatory Information for additional information.
Obviously, 20 Mule Team Borax made by Dial (a Henkel company) overcame the above regulatory burden since it is available in stores. Also, I was able to order boric acid from The Chemistry Store and they didn't have any problem shipping it into California.
By the way, I did find this EPA report that limits the dosage limits for pool use due to high doses above 360 ppm Boron exceeding the factor of 100 Margin Of Exposure (MOE) beyond the Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level (LOAEL) of 8.8 mg/kg/day presumed for 7-10 year old swimmers. So uses at 50 ppm Boron that we recommend are well below this level. The assumption for incidental oral exposure works out to 2 ml per day figuring that non-competitive child swimmers don't swallow much pool water. To get to the MOE of 100 at 50 ppm Boron, a child needs to drink around 14 ml per day and with no margin it would be 1400 or 1.5 quarts per day. If your child drinks pool water like a dog, you might reconsider the use of borates in the pool.
Richard
My understanding (and I could be wrong since it did come from a pool care seminar for professionals) is that they are not permitted for pool use because of possible contamination of groundwater from waste effluent (draining the pool) and was in the same vein that some areas in CA have outlawed the use of water softeners.chem geek said:
It's certainly possible, but I can't find anything in California codes/regulations specifically talking about borax/borates/boron. I couldn't find anything at the local level either, but that's not always online. I know that in our own area there are discharge rules that require going to the sewer instead of the storm drain since the latter flows directly to the Bay. I think the salt and water softener bans or regulations are at a more local (county or city) level.
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