I made that common mistake picking up the wrong bottle without looking at the label closely. Leslies charges $11.50 (here) for 22mL so being a bit cheap I wanted to see how close the two really were in case I could get away with it. I mean I know my pool pretty well so I wouldn't suffer much if I was wrong.
I have the 2000 series taylor kit with R-0004. I picked up R-0014 by accident. SO for those with the opposite problem of having the 1000 series test kit with the smaller test tubes (needing R-0014 and mistakenly having R-0004) this will not work well for you because 1 drop is so much different in the 6.5mL tube with R-0004. On the other hand I can use the 9 mL tube on the 2000 series and fill it to about 6.5 mL allowing the R-0014 to be used.
Just to re-iterate that using R-0004 in the 6.5mL tube would be annoying and problematic; I tried to use more drops of R-0014 in the 44mL tube. It didn't work very well. I could tell I was in the middle, off chart low, or off chart high but beyond that was more of a guess. Again, I won't lose the battle because I know how my pool works; but for the sake of fun the key either way is to have the right size test tube. Also, even though I can get it to work for the pH - I can't use R-005 and R-0006 to determine acid/base demand! So again, unless you know your pool (that is you know when you have 7.8 pH that you need 1/4 gal acid to reach 7.4-7.6) THEN knowing you can use the R-0014 is still just annoying and problematic.
So I got R-0014 to work correctly with the 2000 series test kit, but I had to fill the 9mL tube up to about half way between the 50 & 60 lines on the CYA scale ~7-6mL respectively. I wasn't real picky about seeing how close that was since I wouldn't be in practice either.
Now the questions I had were:
Does it work only in the middle range?
How far off is the color?
1. Tested and added acid to my pool. I tested 7.6 with a tint towards 7.8 and acid demand to reach 7.6 was 1 drop. (using 9mL tube as stated above with R-0014)
2. went to pool store and got the water tested = 7.7 was result; also picked up R-0004 (while my pool circulated)
3. Kept my water bottle, still nearly full from the pool store (bottle A);
4. 1.5 hours after adding acid - pulled a different bottle from the pool - bottle B (it doesn't matter if there was enough time for the pool to reach my target pH - just that its different than before)
5. Tested Both bottle A and B in 44 mL and showed a difference before/after acid that morning. Acid demand to make bottle A water go to bottle B pH as check against previous steps. it worked out fine.
Pictures below are of the bottle B tests below. Used bottle B from now on.
6. Used both 9mL with R-0014 and 44mL with R-0004 (5 drops each) = same color and pH.
7. Acid demand to 7.0 R-0005 (3 drops) in 44mL. cleaned out test tubes.
8. Then measured 88mL from the bottle into a small measuring cup and added double the drops of R-0005 to that.
9. filled 9mL tube to 6.5mL with the solution from the cup; and 44mL tube from bottle B;
10. Tested 9mL tube with R-0014 and 44mL with R-0004. Then acid demand R-0005 to 44mL using prescribed 3 drops. Result was same color to me.
11. Cleaning out the tubes again - testing 44mL with R-0004 with base demand to 7.8 (didn't want to risk an off-chart measurement) - 3 drops R-0006
12. measured 88 mL to -clean- cup and added 6 drops R-0006.
13. filled 9mL to 6.5mL using solution from cup; filled 44mL from bottle and tested pH. Added prescribed 3 drops to 44mL. Result was same color to me.
14. Conclusion - yes it can be done (using R-0014 in 2000 series test kit but you would have to get the wrong acid & base demand reagents as well.
(by the way I didn't take a picture of testing R-0014 in the 44mL using more drops of R-0014 because the color comparison was ridiculous, close to same color but wrong shade - lighting played more tricks on my eyes...it wasn't worth it - the 'diameter' of the test tube plays a role in this color comparison)
I have the 2000 series taylor kit with R-0004. I picked up R-0014 by accident. SO for those with the opposite problem of having the 1000 series test kit with the smaller test tubes (needing R-0014 and mistakenly having R-0004) this will not work well for you because 1 drop is so much different in the 6.5mL tube with R-0004. On the other hand I can use the 9 mL tube on the 2000 series and fill it to about 6.5 mL allowing the R-0014 to be used.
Just to re-iterate that using R-0004 in the 6.5mL tube would be annoying and problematic; I tried to use more drops of R-0014 in the 44mL tube. It didn't work very well. I could tell I was in the middle, off chart low, or off chart high but beyond that was more of a guess. Again, I won't lose the battle because I know how my pool works; but for the sake of fun the key either way is to have the right size test tube. Also, even though I can get it to work for the pH - I can't use R-005 and R-0006 to determine acid/base demand! So again, unless you know your pool (that is you know when you have 7.8 pH that you need 1/4 gal acid to reach 7.4-7.6) THEN knowing you can use the R-0014 is still just annoying and problematic.
So I got R-0014 to work correctly with the 2000 series test kit, but I had to fill the 9mL tube up to about half way between the 50 & 60 lines on the CYA scale ~7-6mL respectively. I wasn't real picky about seeing how close that was since I wouldn't be in practice either.
Now the questions I had were:
Does it work only in the middle range?
How far off is the color?
1. Tested and added acid to my pool. I tested 7.6 with a tint towards 7.8 and acid demand to reach 7.6 was 1 drop. (using 9mL tube as stated above with R-0014)
2. went to pool store and got the water tested = 7.7 was result; also picked up R-0004 (while my pool circulated)
3. Kept my water bottle, still nearly full from the pool store (bottle A);
4. 1.5 hours after adding acid - pulled a different bottle from the pool - bottle B (it doesn't matter if there was enough time for the pool to reach my target pH - just that its different than before)
5. Tested Both bottle A and B in 44 mL and showed a difference before/after acid that morning. Acid demand to make bottle A water go to bottle B pH as check against previous steps. it worked out fine.
Pictures below are of the bottle B tests below. Used bottle B from now on.
6. Used both 9mL with R-0014 and 44mL with R-0004 (5 drops each) = same color and pH.
7. Acid demand to 7.0 R-0005 (3 drops) in 44mL. cleaned out test tubes.
8. Then measured 88mL from the bottle into a small measuring cup and added double the drops of R-0005 to that.
9. filled 9mL tube to 6.5mL with the solution from the cup; and 44mL tube from bottle B;
10. Tested 9mL tube with R-0014 and 44mL with R-0004. Then acid demand R-0005 to 44mL using prescribed 3 drops. Result was same color to me.
11. Cleaning out the tubes again - testing 44mL with R-0004 with base demand to 7.8 (didn't want to risk an off-chart measurement) - 3 drops R-0006
12. measured 88 mL to -clean- cup and added 6 drops R-0006.
13. filled 9mL to 6.5mL using solution from cup; filled 44mL from bottle and tested pH. Added prescribed 3 drops to 44mL. Result was same color to me.
14. Conclusion - yes it can be done (using R-0014 in 2000 series test kit but you would have to get the wrong acid & base demand reagents as well.
(by the way I didn't take a picture of testing R-0014 in the 44mL using more drops of R-0014 because the color comparison was ridiculous, close to same color but wrong shade - lighting played more tricks on my eyes...it wasn't worth it - the 'diameter' of the test tube plays a role in this color comparison)
