Don't be surprised if something suddenly goes awry or things seem a bit off even though the strips say it's ok. We used strips for the first pool years (easy set type, blow up ring) and H was out there every day doing this, or that... Very pool boy like behavior.
The metal frame Intex pool came into being last year, and was set up w/strips and bottle/mainstream chemistry advice. It wasn't right. A week later we found this site, abandoned all prior knowledge, put the chems in storage and drained half the pool we'd just filled.
Borrowed dad's K-2005 and inherited an OLD reagent heavy K-2005 copy kit that I still use the CYA and R-0003 reagent from today (I have new, I'm just using the old stuff up cuz there's lots. Finally we had a real idea what was going on, and the strips have NEVER equaled the results of the kits. We haven't had to shock, and set the CYA at 25-30ppm to be able to keep FC on the low side. Plus the monster kit's test block actually tests up to 10ppm even if the range went from 5-10 for the last two color blocks. Still, testing for CC wasn't so easy although the lack of CC likely was the most confusing part. Our choice for verifying that was to let the FC drop to just below 2.5ppm and use the Hanna meter (meter designed for municipal drinking water systems, thus it won't test FC above 2.5ppm and TC above 3.5ppm). Still no CC to speak of.
After a while dad needed his kit back. That's fine, everything's in check and I have the old kit. H picks up an HTH 6-way from walmart at the end of the season that I didn't open till this year.
So, fast fwd to this year, after a winter leaving the pool up and no problems other than the cover falling in regularly I start up the pool w/test strips and miscalculate CYA. Oops... added enough to get to 45ppm. Way more than the 25-30 I intended it to be but in my rush I assumed more had left the pool over the winter with rain and the ports leaking like faucets all winter. I was in a serious rush as well with my kids plus neighbor kids helping/skimming/brushing and asking to get in after the last day of school, first sun day... My kit was not out yet but strips were handy. I did manage to get it ready in less than 3 hours but the CYA fail I'm still kicking myself over. Strips said 0 CYA, so I added 20ppm and overshot it by 10-15ppm. They still don't show the true value and look more like 0-10ppm than 40ppm.
Then I go and upgrade my kit w/reagents from a local pool/spa company. They actually had what I needed on the shelf. $60 later, a new Taylor test block, DPD powder, R-0871 reagent, and a 2oz bottle of phenol red... I spill the whole bottle of DPD powder while pulling the scooper off the top. OMG! $16 bux down the drain... or rather all over my patio and down my shirt. @#%$^%$&$^!!!!!
Fine, bite the bullet and order TWO DPD powders from
www.tftestkits.net for less than I paid for the ONE container locally. Now I'm good. I finally have everything I need even if it is a *******, pieced together kit. I also have about ten years worth of reagents for the Hanna meter but it doesn't test for TA. I still feel a tad test kit rich. Too rich... lol
I guess I tell you all this because in retrospect... less money, time, energy, and gas would have been wasted had I just got myself the proper kit in the first place. Sure, I got by and had everything I needed (only because I didn't have to shock) and didn't have to pay for some of the reagents I am still using. But I have still spent as much, plus around $30 more by now than if I'd just ordered the kit.
And I don't have that cool box or the record chart.
Seasonal or not... pool water must be properly maintained and knowing the actual results is so much better than ranges even when everything seems to be just fine according to the strips.
BTW... the strips show my fill water to be 100ppm CH. Sooooo wrong. More like 2ppm.