Just curious if anyone ever validates their test results and how you do that...., standard solutions, have your water tested somewhere else, pool store, or? I'm doing all my own testing and balancing based on my testing...., but, since I had a weird CH increase (I replace all evaporated water with softened water), I had 3 different pool stores test my CH. The 3 pool store CH measurements were pretty much the same, my measurement is almost twice theirs. I want to validate my measurements somehow.
Validating test results
- Thread starter ScottinTX
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,934
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Standard Solutions
You can purchase the above Standard Solutions to check your testing.
Do not rely on Pool store tests for anything. They are very likely to be incorrect.
Yep, I know how y'all feel about pool stores but 3 different ones getting close to the same results and I come in almost twice as high? It's got me wondering, that's all. All their other measurements were relatively close to mine, CH was really the only one far off. I'll order the standard solutions tomorrow, good excuse to add the speed stir too.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,934
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Colormetric test strips? I tried one I picked up at Home Depot for the heck of it...., pretty much jived with my CH reading, quite different color for 250 vs 500.
Scott,
The speed-stir will most likely help make your tests more accurate. It does for me anyway...
Jim R.
The speed-stir will most likely help make your tests more accurate. It does for me anyway...
Jim R.
Quick update here...., got my standard solutions and my speed-stir. All my reagents tested good as all my results matched the standard solutions perfectly. Also, when I did the CH and TA tests, the speed-stir results and my "manual stirring" results were identical so I'm confident in my testing. I think I figured out where my previous CH "spike" came from...., I think I got a little too comfortable (lazy/lax) with the testing and was speeding through the R-0012 drops and shotgunning out clusters of 4-5 drops in rapid fire to speed up testing. When I slow down with one full drop at a time and proper stirring between drops, my results are much better/as expected. After all this, I am confident in and trust the results I'm getting using my test kit. That speed-stir is pretty neat!
Background:
A month ago I replaced my liner, which was 10 years old, and ordered TF-100 refill kit which I use daily.
Three weeks later, after everything stabilized, I started looking at my pool results closely. Results were close, but I wanted some validation.
So one fine day I took four pool samples, put them in a cooler and off to satisfy my curiosity.
Two pool water testers, in a city of 900,000, one a franchise and the other a factory store.
One pool water tester, town of 85,000, independent. The other pool water tester, town of 40,000, independent. 100+ miles separating some of the testers.
Oh, I forgot to mention I am a retired engineer, with some time on my hands, which explains a lot of things.
These are the results of testing.
Independent # 2 didn’t want me to see results. Just told me what chemicals they were going to sell me to get my pool “right”
Independent # 1 said everything looks good except salt. Throw a couple of bags and all will be good.
Factory store really busy, handed me my results and said "here". That was it.
Franchise explained what was needed to get PH amd TA down and the need to increase the stabilizer.
I'm sticking with my TF-100 it's worked well for me over the years.
A month ago I replaced my liner, which was 10 years old, and ordered TF-100 refill kit which I use daily.
Three weeks later, after everything stabilized, I started looking at my pool results closely. Results were close, but I wanted some validation.
So one fine day I took four pool samples, put them in a cooler and off to satisfy my curiosity.
Two pool water testers, in a city of 900,000, one a franchise and the other a factory store.
One pool water tester, town of 85,000, independent. The other pool water tester, town of 40,000, independent. 100+ miles separating some of the testers.
Oh, I forgot to mention I am a retired engineer, with some time on my hands, which explains a lot of things.
These are the results of testing.
| TF – 100 | Ind # 1 | Ind # 2 | Factory | Franchise |
| | | | | |
FC | 2 | 0.3 | 1.84 | 1 | 2 |
CC | 0 | 0.9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
PH | 7.8 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.8 |
TA | 120 | 100 | 140 | 120 | 150 |
CH | 190 | 180 | 150 | 280 | 225 |
CYA | 50 | 35 | 30 | 60 | 50 |
SALT | 3600 | 2300 | 3500 | 3100 | 3100 |
BORATE | 50 | | | | |
Independent # 2 didn’t want me to see results. Just told me what chemicals they were going to sell me to get my pool “right”
Independent # 1 said everything looks good except salt. Throw a couple of bags and all will be good.
Factory store really busy, handed me my results and said "here". That was it.
Franchise explained what was needed to get PH amd TA down and the need to increase the stabilizer.
I'm sticking with my TF-100 it's worked well for me over the years.