Tale of two Pool water tests

[Tonedeaf]

So I have a day off today, first weekday in ages. Went to try out another pool store in the area to get the water tested. I aso took water to the regular pool store that I have been going to the past 3 weeks for a test to compare.

Store 1 & Store 2
pH (1) 7.4 (2) 7.8
FC (1) 3.0 (2) 5.5
TA (1) 180 (2) 148
CH (1) 250 (2) 190
Salt (1) 3800 (2) 3200
CYA (1) 30 (2) 0

Store 2 is the one I have been going to but all of the numbers are off by quite a bit in my opinion. Store 1 was a strip based test and a manual look at the color compared to the chart on the test strip bottle. Store 2 was a computerized test using a strip that was fed into a machine.

Which test in your opinion is more accurate??

 

[Guest]

Neither! Both stores are using strips so I would not put much faith in either. A lot depends on how new the strips are, whether they have been exposed to moisture, the brand of the strip (there are WIDE variances here, especially on the CYA test!), and how long the strip sat before it was read (some of the tests continue to change color with time and if read too soon or too late will give inaccurate results.) Get yourself a good test kit and test your own water!!!!

 

[duraleigh]

Which test in your opinion is more accurate

Just to reinforce what waterbear said. the answer is "Neither!"

Do your own testing........you will save gas and your tests will be accurate and your pool will be manageable.