POOLNerd vs. pool retailer - who's test is more accurate?
- Thread starter P00LNerd
- Start date
Hardness for house water is measured as CaCO3, as it often contains as much or more total hardness from Magnesium as from Calcium. TF Test Kits does not have this.
I just went ahead and ordered everything from Amazon. I'll have a LaMotte total hardness drop kit tomorrow afternoon, along with the Speedstir. The K-2006 kit from Amazon was half the price of the TF-Pro, and even cheaper than just CYA + FC/CC drop test direct from Taylor. Go figure. Should have that before Monday.
Maybe the reagents from Amazon are slightly less fresh than going direct from the manufacturer, I'm not sure if that's even true. But I really don't care, as long as their expiration date is after Sept. 2024. If they come in earlier than that, I can always return, Amazon makes that super easy.
It has 2.7X less reagents. You'll blow through it quickly. I listed it way above in my comparisons.
The k2006*C* compares to the TFPro.
But it'll get you started, so there is that.
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,807
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I use my TF kit for my house water hardness. You can convert ppm to grains by dividing by 17.1
Certainly close enough to set my water softener correctly.
Chances are you will run out of pH reagent before you replace you entire kit reagents if you test daily or every other day.
TFTestkits has all of the reagents needed for those tests.
If you had order the TF-Pro this morning, it would already be in the mail - and most likely deliver either Saturday or Monday to PA.
CreedenceTapes
Gold Supporter
As stated, it will be easier with the stirrer. You don't have to stress though. If there's not a noticeable color change, don't count the drop. When in doubt, the drop didn't count.
drsipe
Gold Supporter
- Jul 24, 2020
- 412
- Pool Size
- 24500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
I've been taught that there is no such thing as fool proof, because fools are ingenious.
CreedenceTapes
Gold Supporter
Magnesium doesn't really cause the scaling issues in pools that calcium does, if that's your concern. Magnesium carbonate is way more water soluble than calcium carbonate.
It’s actually for debugging a water softener issue in our house. Like proavia said, measuring CH alone might be close enough in regions where Mg is low, but I just don’t know enough to comfortably wing it. Would rather just run the test that leaves me no doubt, anything that captures CaCO3.
Whatever it is, our water hardness causes major problems with faucets, appliances, even scale build up in pipes, if the water softener is left in non-working state for any period of time. We don’t run that water in our pool, other than topping up an inch here and there.
Lesson learned for next season: just order the TF Pro.
CreedenceTapes
Gold Supporter
Same here. Well, moderate problems anyway. I can tell very quickly when there's an issue with the water softener. Soap goes from taking forever to rinse off to taking forever to lather and rinsing off instantly.
Last edited:
Saturn94
Bronze Supporter
- Mar 11, 2015
- 1,864
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Multiple times I’ve received reagents from Amazon that were expired; in some instances more than a year past the expiration date! Anytime I requested a replacement, the replacement would have the same expiration date. Frankly, I don’t like never knowing what I’m going to get each time, so I only go to Amazon as an absolute last resort for reagents.
I hope your experience is better than mine.
Done! Let's see how it shows up after this post.
Also snapped a quick pic for an avatar, although I really should get one with the cover off the pool, umbrellas up, and patio cleaned up a bit better.
Totally agreed, but due to a bad choice to place an initial order with Taylor, this has become one of those last resort scenarios.
reggiehammond
Gold Supporter
- Oct 4, 2020
- 2,253
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Saturn94
Bronze Supporter
- Mar 11, 2015
- 1,864
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,807
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Looks great!Done! Let's see how it shows up after this post.
Also snapped a quick pic for an avatar, although I really should get one with the cover off the pool, umbrellas up, and patio cleaned up a bit better.
Sig and pic
CreedenceTapes
Gold Supporter
I had good luck with a K-2006C order fulfilled by SDR Supply. They dragged their feet getting it out, but it came with good reagents.
Since then, though, I've ordered anything I need from TF, if they carry it. I know I can trust their reagent freshness, and they ship nearly instantaneously. I have fallen into the instant-gratification trap, and 3rd-party sellers on Amazon are getting worse and worse about sitting on orders before they ship.
reggiehammond
Gold Supporter
- Oct 4, 2020
- 2,253
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
No - just whatever is in Prime and fulfilled by Amazon directly. If it were to arrive expired, which for me has never happened, Amazon would easily take it back.
CreedenceTapes
Gold Supporter
Thanks! House is 290 years old as of this year, but I think that flagstone patio was probably added during the 1775 or 1890's additions. The colored concrete patio, walls, gazebo and fireplace were added in the 1990's, and then the pool with a smaller separate patio in 2023.I dig that flagstone.
Just realized I don't have any photo of the finished project. I'm great at taking photos of the mess in-process, but real bad about taking any of the finished result.
Oh... hardness test and SpeedStir just arrived around 2pm. Reagents are all late 2025 or 2026 expiration.
Should've added, seller was Amazon.com (not marketplace), and brand was LaMotte. I'm not sure how this would compare to pool test kits from LaMotte, or other brands from Amazon.com, per @Saturn94 and @reggiehammond.