My CYA test equip.

[Kpr]

Hello from socal. New pool owner and new to website .
I just bought a lamotte color q test kit ($180).
I mainly got it to test me CYA. But seems nice to give exact reading on everything else.

Prob is Everytime I use it I double check my reading using same water sample at pool store and my cya us always quite different. My test kit always shows my cya alot lower than the pool store test. Yesterday I had 29 pool store had 43. Any advice is appreciated
Thanks in advance

 

[mknauss]

Pool Test Kits - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

That test kit has its limitations. And is not accurate for CH testing and FC testing above 10 ppm. Overall, it is a poor value compared to the two drop test kits TFP recommends.

 

[Donldson]

But seems nice to give exact reading on everything else.

Just because a piece of testing equipment spits out a number does not mean that piece of equipment is actually capable of that level of precision. A $180 multi-test meter is not capable of actually reading to within a single ppm of CYA. It's nothing more than a marketing ploy, a way to sell it as more accurate than liquid tests without actually making false statements. This is true of all of the tests it does, the last digit shown is as useful as a random number generator.

As far as why it doesn't jive with the pool store? Well, you're comparing one less-than-reliable source of testing with a completely unreliable one. I'd trust the Color-Q over the pool store, but I don't particularly trust the Color-Q either.

 

[Kpr]

Ok that's all great info. Remember I said I'm new to this. So basically my pool contractors told me go to Leslie's pool store. Someone I met in the store that was a independent cleaner told me to get the lamotte. I get what you said of unreliability sources That's obviously because everyone's numbers are all over the place with the same sample of water.

What is the actual recommend test kit for someone at home? Is it this Taylor I'm reading about on the sight? I'm just trying to do the right thing here.

 

[mknauss]

What is the actual recommend test kit for someone at home?

The article I linked above --- read it. The Taylor K2006C-Salt or the TF100 or TFPro Salt from TFTestkits.net are the recommended test kits for your pool water.

 

[AK-]

Taylor reagents are gold standard around here. You can get either a Taylor K-2006C or a TF-100/TF-Pro. The later two use Taylor reagents and are the best value.

 

[Kpr]

Will do thanks again gentlemen. You are pros