Borate test kits in Australia?

[tomfrh]

What are the options for testing borates in australia? What products are available?

 

[PoolStored]

I'll bite 'cause this one is out there and you might not get a response for a while. Not sure if test strips are available in Australia. Someone may know.

Borates aren't strictly necessary for a pool. Given the number of posts you have, I'm assuming you are beyond that. However, depending on what test kit you have, it may be north of $250 AUD to put this test together. Unfortunately.

I'm giving you the test and solution I think you are looking for...with one caveat. You REALLY need a speed stir for this test...and I understand they are hard to source in Australia. If you don't have one, or can't get one, I would steer you away from trying to use this test. Given my experience, I wouldn't recommend without a speed stir.

For a home rolled test, which is very accurate, you can use this test:

New borate drop test at piscines-apollo vs. test strip

Thanks, SunnyBlues. You have been reading and learning a LONG time to remember all those experts. Thanks for your testimonial.

www.troublefreepool.com

However, you would need this kit for the chemicals to do the test. Only place I know to get it in Australia

Total Pool Water Testing Kit, Fresh Water – Clear Choice Labs

You would also need to source the Mannitol Powder (easy) and the Bromothymol Blue (Need to get the right concentration seems .1 and .4% are available in Australia) AND I believe you do NOT want the pH indicator, you want the Bromothymol Blue Solution. Both are fairly expensive (30-40 AUD each) AND @JoyfulNoise will have to chime in on the concentration and if you can use the indicator vs. solution...before you spend the money

The chemicals to use from the clear choice labs test to be equivalent to the taylor:
TA Alkalinity Buffer = Taylor R-0007 - Chlorine neutralizer reagent
TA Detecting Reagent = Taylor R-0009 - Sulfuric acid reagent
CH Calcium Buffer = Taylor R-0010 - Sodium hydroxide calcium buffer reagent

Mannitol Powder:

Mannitol Powder - The Melbourne Food Depot, Melbourne Australia

Mannitol Powder 30g - France

www.melbournefooddepot.com

Bromothymol Blue Solution .01%:

Bromothymol Blue 0.1% Solution - LR - 100ml

Bromothymol Blue - LR, 100ml. Bromothymol blue 0.1% solution, pH indicator, clear blue solution, in 50:50 ethanol/water. Soluble in water

www.teaching.com.au

 

[mgtfp]

Mannitol can be easily found on eBay.

BTB indicator is available at Bunnings in the pond section (not the pool section):

AQUAPRO 50ml Pond pH Test Kit

Find AQUAPRO 50ml Pond pH Test Kit at Bunnings. Visit your local store for the widest range of products.

www.bunnings.com.au

Together with the Taylor reagents that Poolstored listed or their Clear Choice Labs equivalents and above linked instructions you are good to go.

 

[Brad_C]

The chemicals to use from the clear choice labs test to be equivalent to the taylor:
TA Alkalinity Buffer = Taylor R-0007 - Chlorine neutralizer reagent
TA Detecting Reagent = Taylor R-0009 - Sulfuric acid reagent
CH Calcium Buffer = Taylor R-0010 - Sodium hydroxide calcium buffer reagent

Spot on. Concentration of indicator isn't an issue. I can use 10 drops or 50 drops of BTB and still get the same result, you are just looking for the end point to be the same colour/shade as the start point. Any pet store that does fish sells BTB, and as mentioned it's available at Bunnings. Mine is left over from a fish tank we had years ago.

Using the CCL chemicals and with a 50ml pool water sample, each drop of CH buffer is 4ppm of borate. I validated that against some 50 & 100ppm boric acid standards I knocked up.

I can't imagine doing the test without a mag stirrer. I made one from a cut down 80mm computer fan with an old hard drive actuator magnet glued to the top and stuffed inside a PVC pipe cap.

 

[tomfrh]

Thanks for thee replies. I have most of that stuff already, except mannitol, the indicator, and speed stir.

Why do you need a speedstir? Why is it so useful for this test compared to other titration testing.

 

[mgtfp]

Thanks for thee replies. I have most of that stuff already, except mannitol, the indicator, and speed stir.

Why do you need a speedstir? Why is it so useful for this test compared to other titration testing.

Speedstir is always useful, but particularly here. It's a larger sample size that's hard to swirl manually without making a mess in a smallish test tube. And it's quite a number of steps in that test, a lot of swirling. And there is a powder to dissolve.

 

[Brad_C]

Thanks for thee replies. I have most of that stuff already, except mannitol, the indicator, and speed stir.

Why do you need a speedstir? Why is it so useful for this test compared to other titration testing.

I don't have a "speedstir" as such. I have a home made magnetic stir plate, and a home made variable speed magnetic stir hot plate. The latter doesn't get used for pool tests though.

I use them for all sorts of stuff, but it makes these tests so much quicker. Being able to just drop and observe without having to swirl the flask makes for a more consistent test process, and it speeds up all of the color change reactions.

I do the borate test in a 100ml Erlenmeyer flask, so no fear of spills but just so much easier knowing its thoroughly stirred.

I got the mannitol on E-bay. I think I bought 100g a couple of years ago and I'm not half way through that.