Checking my CH

[257WbyMag]

How blue should it be?

No doubt, this question has been posed upon the forum from time to time. After adding about 40 drops of R-0012-A, the sample loses the pink color and appears crystal clear. I wouldn't call it blue but there is certainly no hint of red at all. I continued to 55 drops and it still remained essentially colorless. Do I call it good when the pink is gone or do I keep adding until I see some blue? Viewing it with hot lamp doesn't help, nor does viewing it against a white background in the direct sunlight.

Craig

 

[Guest]

The color change is distinct from pink to blue. If it looks colorless I suspect you are not putting enough of the indicator in. You are using 5 drops of indicator for a 25 ml sample, right?
I have never seen it turn colorless in all the years I have tested calcium in either a pool or a salt water aquarium!

 

[257WbyMag]

The color change is distinct from pink to blue. If it looks colorless I suspect you are not putting enough of the indicator in. You are using 5 drops of indicator for a 25 ml sample, right?
I have never seen it turn colorless in all the years I have tested calcium in either a pool or a salt water aquarium!

Yes, I have been following the directions to a tee.

 

[duraleigh]

257,

Well, I'm stumped, too. Like Waterbear, I have never seen it go colorless...the change to blue is pretty distinct. I have high hopes this is not a TF-100 test kit but let me know if it is.

 

[257WbyMag]

It's a Taylor K-1770 and I purchased it less than a month ago directly from Taylor Technologies. You can view the kit here.

http://www.taylortechnologies.com/produ ... KitID=2196

I have done it both ways; the 10 ml sample method if you suspect a high CH and the standard 25 ml sample regimen.

I think that I have mentioned this before but I found out about the TF-100 after the fact, that is, after purchasing a new Taylor kit to replace the one that the previous owner had with expired reagents. Actually, it seems as though it should make little difference as you stock your kits with Taylor reagents if I am not mistaken. Perhaps the reagents are bad?

 

[257WbyMag]

Okay, I borrowed some CH reagents from the only neighbor who doesn't use a pool service. I got 425 ppm by the 10 ml test and 420 ppm by the 25 ml test and this is with his reagents. Must be the reagents that I have. Strange...coming direct from the manufacturer, you would think that what you were getting would be A-OK. I do suspect that they were probably compromised in transit (hot or cold environment exposure) by the shipper. I would SERIOUSLY doubt that Taylor Technologies would have such a lapse in quality control. After all, this is the same company who provides testing materials to municipalities to monitor the quality of their water supplies. I'll get some new reagents and hopefully, that will prevent me from coming across as a numbskull on the forum again.

By the way, the color change was still somewhat difficult to see. At drop 41, it went from pale pink to violet and after drop 42, it went from violet to a very pale bluish hue. But, it was blue nonetheless so I took that as the value. I couldn't describe the color change as dramatic by any stretch.

Thanks guys!

Craig

 

[duraleigh]

Perhaps the reagents are bad?

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. You're right....the TF-100 is made up of Taylor Reagents but repackaged so the quantities make more sense to the average residential pool owner.

I would say it is VERY, VERY unusual for Taylor to ship bad reagents but that may be the case....glad you got it sorted out.

 

[Guest]

Contact Taylor with the lot number on the reagents you have. They will probably replace them for free!

 

[Guest]

It's a Taylor K-1770 and I purchased it less than a month ago directly from Taylor Technologies. You can view the kit here.

http://www.taylortechnologies.com/produ ... KitID=2196

I have done it both ways; the 10 ml sample method if you suspect a high CH and the standard 25 ml sample regimen.

I think that I have mentioned this before but I found out about the TF-100 after the fact, that is, after purchasing a new Taylor kit to replace the one that the previous owner had with expired reagents. Actually, it seems as though it should make little difference as you stock your kits with Taylor reagents if I am not mistaken. Perhaps the reagents are bad?

This kit is only the calcium hardness test. What are you using for testing your other water parameters? If you already had a full Taylor kit then all you really needed was to replace the reagents.

Here is a page from the Taylor websitethat shows the color change for the calcium hardness test and discusses some of the other tests as well.

This linkshows the CYA test and this onethe FAS-DPD chlorine titration test.

 

[257WbyMag]

I began with a Taylor K-1004, then I purchased the calcium hardness and the K-1721 and the K-1770 separately to give myself all of the tests I needed to independently run my pool. All together, I more or less have ended up with a piecemeal K-2006.

Craig