Digital pool chemistry measuring - color blind

[westflpool]

We just moved into a new house (waited 2 years for it to be built - trades issue) it is a built in gunite Pebel Teck pool. Our previous house had a pool and I relied on my pool maintenance company to keep me up on the chemistry.

I’m a bit color blind so the drop testing methodology doesn’t work for me hence have to rely on others. I'm a retired Information Technology professional so I like technology and keeping track of data and trends.…. I would like to be able to do my pool chemistry and from what I can see there are a few options that must work or the companies wouldn’t be in business, but opinions vary. They may or may not be as accurate as drop testing and I have checked out data available within TFP and some seems to be dated……

The 3 digital options available that I found that test, give results on iPhone and retain history are; Sutro, Water Guru Sense S2 and AccuBlue Home. I’m sure they all have strengths and weaknesses (as everything in life does) is there 1 you would pick over another? With my last pool I did bring samples into Lesslies for testing and their results were similar to my pool companies.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Newdude]

I’m a bit color blind so the drop testing methodology doesn’t work for me

The only color match test is PH. The others are all color *change*, such as hot pink to clear.

there are a few options that must work or the companies wouldn’t be in business

We've yet to see one that remained consistent. YMMV.

 

[Bperry]

We just moved into a new house (waited 2 years for it to be built - trades issue) it is a built in gunite Pebel Teck pool. Our previous house had a pool and I relied on my pool maintenance company to keep me up on the chemistry.

I’m a bit color blind so the drop testing methodology doesn’t work for me hence have to rely on others. I'm a retired Information Technology professional so I like technology and keeping track of data and trends.…. I would like to be able to do my pool chemistry and from what I can see there are a few options that must work or the companies wouldn’t be in business, but opinions vary. They may or may not be as accurate as drop testing and I have checked out data available within TFP and some seems to be dated……

The 3 digital options available that I found that test, give results on iPhone and retain history are; Sutro, Water Guru Sense S2 and AccuBlue Home. I’m sure they all have strengths and weaknesses (as everything in life does) is there 1 you would pick over another? With my last pool I did bring samples into Lesslies for testing and their results were similar to my pool companies.

Thank you in advance.

Welcome! Like mentioned above, the test kit recommend by TFP doesn’t use color matching except for the pH test. But you can fix that with a digital pH meter, though calibrating them can be fussy.

All of those digital options have lots of weaknesses, not many strengths compared with Taylor drop testing.

 

[larryfortune]

We just moved into a new house (waited 2 years for it to be built - trades issue) it is a built in gunite Pebel Teck pool. Our previous house had a pool and I relied on my pool maintenance company to keep me up on the chemistry.

I’m a bit color blind so the drop testing methodology doesn’t work for me hence have to rely on others. I'm a retired Information Technology professional so I like technology and keeping track of data and trends.…. I would like to be able to do my pool chemistry and from what I can see there are a few options that must work or the companies wouldn’t be in business, but opinions vary. They may or may not be as accurate as drop testing and I have checked out data available within TFP and some seems to be dated……

The 3 digital options available that I found that test, give results on iPhone and retain history are; Sutro, Water Guru Sense S2 and AccuBlue Home. I’m sure they all have strengths and weaknesses (as everything in life does) is there 1 you would pick over another? With my last pool I did bring samples into Lesslies for testing and their results were similar to my pool companies.

Thank you in advance.

I have been using Taylor for years and running to Leslie once in a while to check cya (I am not good with that black dot). This past summer I got the accublue home and once I got use to using it I got very good results. The secret is filling the cartridge (has to be just right which makes me wonder in the pool store how good the checkers actually do at filling). I have a salt water fiberglass pool and spa and never focused much on alk or ch but using the accublue this year I was able to balance those items. I can do Taylor faster than accublue for FC and ph but I get a broader view with accublue. Yes accublue does not take into account the cya/fc thing and it is poor at salt but my swg tells me the salt. I sent back the accublue at the end of the season and have been thinking about Sense 2....Sutro doesn't do cya from what I can see. Next season I will probably use sense 2 with accublue for my weekly checks. I can work the accublue plan to where it doesn't cost much as I do not buy chemicals from Leslie and I think Sense 2 I can use the C2 cartridge for most months. Does anyone see a problem with this approach?

 

[ajw22]

One of the issues with digital testers or photometers is they cannot accurately read high chlorine levels. Their accuracy is often limited to 5 to 10 ppm of FC. That is okay for normal pool care.

If you ever lose control of your water chemistry and have an algae outbreak that needs the SLAM Process you challenges using your test kit.

So understand the limitations of any test system you get and decide how you will handle higher FC levels if necessary.

 

[duraleigh]

the drop testing methodology doesn’t work for me

Then I would find a work around. Time and Time again, the Taylor and TFTestkits drop based kits are accurate, dependable and cost effective. If you plan to manage your pool with our methods, the drop based kits are virtually mandatory. As an added bonus, you can get one for around $150 bucks.

Everything else will either be undependable or inaccurate or probably both.

 

[Newdude]

The secret is filling the cartridge

The secret to accurate Accublue testing is to avoid it. By their own say so, it may be off by 50% (+/- 25%) when in range.



Take salt for example. If the level is 3200, anything from 2400 to 4000, a 1600 ppm range, is acceptable. You'd be adding salt (or CYA which is also +/- 25%) on the low side, and draining water on the high side.

If you have to keep close tabs on it with the Taylor tests anyway, why spend $50 (?) a week on cartridges ?

Iron is my favorite above. At the accepted likely threshold for staining, .3, it may be off by .3. Soooooooooooooo.

 

[DavidLast]

One of the issues with digital testers or photometers is they cannot accurately read high chlorine levels. Their accuracy is often limited to 5 to 10 ppm of FC. That is okay for normal pool care.

The approach to this using photometers is to dilute the water with distilled or deionized and test again with the diluted sample.

Photometers that are approved in our area are:
Palintest
Lovibond

These two photometers follow Standard Methods and generally give repeatable results. Taylor kits also follow these methods as I understand it. Unfortunately, a lot of photometers do not.

These are not retail products.

 

[larryfortune]

The secret to accurate Accublue testing is to avoid it. By their own say so, it may be off by 50% (+/- 25%) when in range.

View attachment 544090

Take salt for example. If the level is 3200, anything from 2400 to 4000, a 1600 ppm range, is acceptable. You'd be adding salt (or CYA which is also +/- 25%) on the low side, and draining water on the high side.

If you have to keep close tabs on it with the Taylor tests anyway, why spend $50 (?) a week on cartridges ?

Iron is my favorite above. At the accepted likely threshold for staining, .3, it may be off by .3. Soooooooooooooo.

$50 A MONTH....with $50 credit at the store back to buy cartridges or any chemicals

 

[Newdude]

$50 A MONTH....with $50 credit at the store back to buy cartridges or any chemicals

Ok, but evenso. The credit is wiped out by the designer chemicals. Not all stores have reasonable bleach prices, but all stores highway rob you for the rest of the chemicals.

 

[H-12 1/2 Mike]

I also wanted to test my water digitally. I figured if it was good enough for industry it would be good enough for my pool. Well, first I tried the WaterGuru and after replacing the Sense unit a couple of times over the period of one year I gave up on it. Then I purchased an xAct iDip photometer and it worked well for two years and then the electronics in the unit failed and could not be repaired. I called the manufacturer and the said the life of the unit was about two to three years. So, I returned to using my Taylor test kit. Sometimes the KISS principle is the right way to go. Then last week my Apera PC60 failed after using it twice a week for 3 years. I was no longer able to calibrate it. The tech said it could not be repaired and offered a discount on a new unit.

 

[duraleigh]

Your experience is not uncommon. There is some logic that digital testing should be superior but it never is.

 

[Bperry]

$50 A MONTH....with $50 credit at the store back to buy cartridges or any chemicals

$50 is a lot of money per month to be spending on a pool.

 

[Newdude]

$50 is a lot of money per month to be spending on a pool.

At 4ppm peak loss a day, I'd go through 42 gallons of bleach a month which would be over $250 at Walmart jug prices.

I have the SWG, but could you imagine ?

 

[Bperry]

At 4ppm peak loss a day, I'd go through 42 gallons of bleach a month which would be over $250 at Walmart jug prices.

I have the SWG, but could you imagine ?

I suppose yes, that would also be very expensive. But I’m guessing $50/month doesn’t cover chlorine for a whole month? Pucks are pricy nowadays as well.

 

[peterl1365]

I had the same problem when I first got my pool ~17 years ago. I purchased an AquaChek TruTest meter.
It's pretty basic in that it only measures FC, PH, and TA. However, I find that those three are sufficient for basic day-to-day pool maintenance. I go to the pool store about once a month or so to get an idea of the other parameters. Accuracy may not be great, but I figure it's better than my eyes. Over the years, I've contemplated getting a TFPool test kit, but the TruTest has generally been good enough for my needs. I find that I generally just need to target a range, rather than specific values. I basically just let my SWG keep FC within that range and add acid as needed every week or so.

It's relatively cheap ($70 at amazon) compared to the other options, and the consumable test strips are reasonable at around $14/50 pack. These days, I only use 2-3 strips a week, so the cost is on par with the color-based test strips.

 

[duraleigh]

Seems like your system is working for you..........that's good. TFP teaches a much more precise method of pool water management, but if yout system works for you, don't change.