Shocking Pool with High FC / Run out of Taylor 0871

[sbelgrave]

Is it just me or does anyone else out there (who use the Taylor test kit) run out of R-0871 when initially shocking your pool. I mean, if the idea is to keep your FC at some level of 10+ for a several hours than even if you run the test with 10mL of water, you're using at least 20+ drops per test to find out the FC level during that time. How quickly that goes. Are there easier ways of measuring the FC for this initial shock than using up all your R-0871 , or does everyone here just buy large quantities of it for the initial shock?

-S

 

[JasonLion]

The standard Taylor K-2006 kit comes with 3/4 oz of each of the reagents, which isn't nearly enough for some of them. The Taylor K-2006C comes with 2 oz of each, which is more appropriate though still not well balanced as you need much more of some and less of others. You can get 2 oz, or larger, refills so you won't be nearly as likely to run out again.

The TF Test Kit comes with different amounts of various reagents so that things are more balanced to typical usage. They also sell refills, though there is an order minimum.

 

[duraleigh]

sbelgrave,

That's a good observation and one that has not escaped my attention. It is tempting to adjust the kit quantities but there is a trade-off.........the kit price goes up pretty quickly.

R-0870 and R-0871 (the two needed for the FAS/DPD test) are, by far, the two most expensive components of the kit. To double the quantities on those would put the kit cost up around $80.00 or so and I'm very aware I'm competing with the Taylor kit at a then lower price.

Secondly, there are many folks (I'm not one of them ) who keep their darn pools so pristine they never need the high levels of chlorine that I do to shock my pool. Therefore, they'd pay for something they really don't need.

A goal for this season is to analyze the refill sales and see where we can make some volume adjustments to make the kit better. I can tell you that CYA reagent (R-0013) and R-0870 are the first to go BUT they are the first to go in what is almost always a green pool situation so it's hard to cover every variable.

It is safe to say that there will be SOME changes to the quantities in the kit but I am undecided as to exactly what they'll be.

PS - I calculate roughly 20 drops of reagent for every 1ml so a 30ml bottle of R-0871 is 600 drops. That could be 75 tests for a guy who keeps an even 4ppm in his pool year-round or it could be FOUR tests if, like I've seen posted on here recently, you're running your FC up to 85-90ppm. Holy Moly!! I don't think I can count that many drops without dozing off!

 

[chem geek]

If you are only interested in a very rough estimate, you can dilute your sample with distilled or filtered water. You could dilute with tap water, but need to account for the FC (chlorine) or CC (monochloramine) that will be in the tap water, though typically that will be 1 ppm or less. So as an example for testing a very high FC level, you would take your 10 ml sample, dilute it to 50 ml and mix, then remove all but 10 ml and test. Then multiply your test results by 5.

Richard

 

[vincent]

Dave,

Or you could put in an option for those who need more of the 870 and 871 (or any other reagent) to have them shipped as additional add on to the TF100. Unless the add on are substaintial, there should be additional cost to packaging and freight. This should be another "plus" factor of having "in-house" test kit.

Vincent

 

[subslug]

Or do as I do, buy 0870 and 0871 in 1/4lb and qt sizes respectively and refill your kits.

A quart of R0871 costs me about $38. You can also find it in pint sizes too.