Is this how my Calcium Hardness test is supposed to look? Floating red things?

[Skenn81]

Took a closer look at the calcium hardness test this morning, when it switches from red to blue. There are a bunch of floating red things in the tube.



If that's how it's supposed to look, fine, but I want to make sure something isn't going wrong with my chemicals.

Is that considered the blue" the test is calling for when it says the sample should change from red to blue?

 

[Texas Splash]

The red specs in the sample are quite common. It's probably magnesium coming out of solution. It does not interfere with the test and you will notice it more in some waters compared to others. It's still the color change to baby blue you are most concerned with, and yours appears to be a light blue.

As for those particles, if you aren't using a speedstir, getting one can help. Some of the following tricks might also help:
- Next time try adding five drops of R-0012 before adding any R-0010 or R-0011L. Remember to count the initial five drops in the total.
- Try increasing the indicator 0011L from 5 drops to 8 drops.
- If it still happens, try mixing pool water with an equal quantity of distilled water, test that, and then multiply the result by two.

Calcium Hardness

A drop-based test that measures the hardness in your water. Once measured, it is used … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Skenn81]

Whats a speedstir?

 

[TampaKathy]

Whats a speedstir?

Amazon.com : speedstir

Just press a button and it does the stirring for you.

 

[Newdude]

Hands down the best $30 you can spend on your pool.

I stopped recommending them as it was too cliche with everything else we are fans of. Now I just suggest that they go try and take somebody else’s away, and they should be prepared to fight dirty. The experience will REALLY hammer the point home.

 

[Skenn81]

So that's neat. And this would replace the plastic tube in the main test kit and the one in the salt kit? It will have all the markings of 10, 25 and 50 and such for all of the tests outside of the CYA one?

 

[Newdude]

Yup. It comes with its own vial, properly marked. If you can find the older speed stir the vials are the same. Always nice to have spares but you really don’t need more than one.