How to fix Taylor SampleSizer causing low FC results

[generessler]

Recently treated myself to a Taylor SampleSizer upon getting a small bonus at work. It really is a super-quick way to get 10 and 25ml samples.

I've tried it three times on three different days now, following the instructions to rinse it in pool water before use.

Every time I expected FC of 4-5 and got way below that: 1.5 or less. Each time I cleaned the test tube completely and retried with no SampleSizer and got an expected reading. For a sanity check, I tried test strips that I know to consistently give the same result as Taylor within less than a ppm. These agreed with the "no sample-sizer" test as usual.

I thought maybe there was some kind of chorine-absorbing residue on the surface from manufacturing. So I soaked it in the pool for a full day.

Just tried again and same problem. Can anyone say what's happening? How can I get normal FC results with the samplesizer?

 

[Mdragger88]

Maybe try cleaning the sample sizer with alcohol
Hopefully others will be along soon w/ more ideas

 

[jseyfert3]

Odd. Did you ever figure this out? I bought one and loved it. I didn't notice any abnormally low FC readings though.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Something is wrong here, but it is not the sample sizer.

I have no idea what, but the OP's results make no sense to me.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Pzzl]

What size sample are you using for FC test? 10 or 25 ml?

Are you multiplying drops by the appropriate number? For 10ml it’s 0.5 in the Taylor.

 

[generessler]

Something is wrong here, but it is not the sample sizer.

I have no idea what, but the OP's results make no sense to me.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks for the reply. 10ml. I'm using the Taylor tube. Put in more than 10ml of water. Push the sizer in. Then remove it. Check the water level against the divisions on the tube just as when I measure manually. They're the same within the width of the mark.

Anyway this is an old post. I scrubbed the sizer multiple times with soap and water and a brush. The readings got closer together after each scrubbing. At this point they're the same. The sizer is coated metal (I think aluminum). My guess is that there was something left over from the coating process that was messing up the test.

This leads me to recommend that anyone buying the sample sizer do the same comparisons before trusting FC results.