Test strip reader (Aquachek) vs. liquid test kit?

[Romans5.8]

Hey folks!

I am SURE this has been asked before, but forum search engines are notoriously poor if you're clueless like me about a subject and don't know the precise keywords to find the answer. So please, I humbly ask your forgiveness for asking an assuredly asked-before question that's probably in a sticky somewhere that I haven't found yet.

My question is simple! I was about to order a Taylor Liquid test kit. I'm brand new to pool/spa care but I've been doing the aquarium thing for a dozen years or so; so water chemistry isn't new to me. (Different tune, same genre I guess). I've always used liquid test kits for my aquariums. I have a bottle of AquaChek brand test strips just because I needed something and that's all the local spa store carried. The spa came with a bottle of strips too but I'm not entirely convinced they are any good.

I've been using a smartphone app to "read" the Aquachek strips which is handy. But I also have my qualms about that. For one; color temperature. My unscientific expiriment testing the same strip in direct sunlight and then inside under an incandescent light and getting different results has me losing confidence in the effectiveness of that app. (Different light makes a camera 'see' colors differently. The iPhone corrects for this; if it didn't peoples faces would be blue under fluorescent lights, but it may not be 100% accurate). ANYWAY, I noticed that Aquachek sells a reader that sort of reminds me of blood sugar readers that diabetics use, that claims to read the strips accurately.

What are your thoughts? I have a feeling you're going to tell me to push "checkout" on my order for the Taylor kit, but just in case, I thought I'd ask. The convenience factor is certainly high with the strip reader.

-John

 

[DeanP66]

Definitely get the Taylor kit, but be sure it's the K2006 and not the K2005. The K2006 has the more precise chlorine test that uses powder to turn your sample pink and titrating drops turn it clear for a precise reading. The K2005 uses an older method that only reads up to around 10 ppm. If you ever have to bring your pool up to shock level (SLAM), the K2005 kit won't be able to measure your FC high enough.

Test strips are notoriously inaccurate. Most of them are junk. We call them guess strips here.

 

[BasicTek]

Definitely get the Taylor kit, but be sure it's the K2006 and not the K2005

IF you go with Taylor I'd even say go with the 2006C, the C will almost double all the reagents and last much longer. Either that or the TF100 on tstestkits.net which has more of the reagents that pool owners (vs professionals) need.

 

[Romans5.8]

Thanks so much!

I'm running a small 300 gallon Spa, that's it. There's no reason that "matters" for the K2006 right? I'm also using Bromine as a sanitizer.

 

[Kiss4aFrog]

Yup, the smaller kit would be just fine. Bromine and chlorine are tested with the same chemical and read on the same color chart it's just that the result numbers are different.

 

[AUSpool]

The test strips are nicknamed 'guess strips', a good reader will only be reducing possible amplification of what could be a poor test result in the first place. The user results from a decent drop test, TFT100 or K2006, gives the folks hear on TFP reasonable conference in the results to offer sound advice for the user. In contrast the strips are just a bit of a guess and any advice based on the results are more general in nature.

 

[Romans5.8]

Thanks!

Any reason I shouldn't order the K-2106 kit? I realize that a Chlorine test and Bromine test are the same thing; but I don't need, for example, the CYA test included in the K-2006.