If you haven’t checked out our Ultimate Guide to Testing your pool water, then don’t forget to check it out after going through this blog post. Today we’re going to go over the ways of how we can incorrectly test our pool water. Yes, there are actually ways that you can incorrectly test your water! Show
Getting a sample from the wrong area of the poolYou might be saying, but it’s all the same water! While that may be true to some extent, different parts of your pool will give you different readings, and what we want is to get the most “true” readings so we can properly add the right amount of pool chemicals to balance your pool. Here are the locations where you shouldn’t get your testing samples from:
Where’s the sweet spot for getting your water sample? Somewhere away from the locations mentioned previously and water at least a foot down (or until your elbow) in depth! Not testing the sample immediatelyAs much as possible, test the sample that you’ve retrieved immediately. Don’t set it down somewhere and get back to it. Once you start the testing process, follow through and test immediately. Why? Once the water is out of the pool, it starts to interact with the air, evaporate, increase temperature, and other things that may affect your readings. Remember we wanted to get the sample from the proper location, so don’t waste the effort and leave the sample in the open to degrade. Having too much or too little waterThis is only applicable to reagent test kits. The testing vials have recommended water levels and they’re there for a reason. The reagent reactions are actually calibrated by volume and any change in the volume of water being tested will affect the test results as well. Having too much or too little reagentsBelieve it or not, there is actually a wrong way to use the reagent dropper. The right way to use it is to hold the reagent bottle vertically to get the proper drop sizes for your reagents. Tilting the reagent bottle at an angle will allow air to slip through and can possibly create smaller or larger reagent drops than what is normally produced when holding the bottle vertically. If you’re using tablet-type reagents, use the entire tablet and don’t skimp on the reagents! Using half a tablet will only give you half the reaction and will give you an incorrect reading. Having bad reagentsThere are many reasons why you may have bad reagents and simply put, having bad reagents can give you bad results! Here are some reasons why you may have bad reagents.
Mixing ReagentsWhile some people will say that a test reagent is a test reagent no matter who produces it, it’s still worth noting that it’s never a good idea to use different reagents from different manufacturers. This isn’t about brand loyalty (although there’s nothing wrong about that) but simply because different manufacturers will have different calibrations for their testing kits. How can they be different? Well, the volume of water per test is one, reagent bottle dropper size is another, different color schemes is another, and a slew of other manufacturer specifications that may not seem apparent at first. Contaminated ReagentsBy design, pool testing reagents react with other chemicals, so once they’re contaminated with something else they’re basically “used up” and will no longer be accurate. The main cause for contaminated reagents is mixing up reagent caps (some bits of reagents may be left of the covers) and leaving reagents uncovered for extended periods of time. So after using a reagent bottle, return the caps immediately to avoid contaminating your reagents. Contamination doesn’t only come from the source, but it can be at the testing vessels as well! Dried up reagents from previous tests will definitely skew your test results! So after a testing session, rinse out your test vessels thoroughly and allow them to dry or let them stand upside-down to ensure that no water droplets remain. Faded Color Charts and Test VesselsThis goes without saying, if your color charts are faded then it’s time to get a new kit. Remember, to properly determine your pool chemical levels, you’re visually comparing the results with the calibrated color chart. If the charts are discolored then the results are off! Another thing that may be throwing off your test results is if your test vessels start to get scratched and they start to turn opaque. The light passing through the vessel will be affected which will lead to a wrong interpretation of the results. Conclusion
Testing your pool water is one of the most important aspects of pool ownership and this is why it’s very important to ensure that pool testing is done properly as not to waste time and to make sure that your pool is completely safe! If you're having any of the issues mentioned above with your testing kit, get a new one and don't delay! Remember, your test results are only as good as your testing kit and technique. Do you have any questions about this topic or the featured products? No worries, we're here to help! Drop us a question down below and we'll get back to you ASAP. Happy swimming :) How long is a pH sample good for?Samples should be analysed as soon as possible, but can be stored refrigerated in the dark for up to 24 hours. Generally 25oC is considered as room temperature.
How do you store water samples for analysis?Tightly seal the sample container immediately after collection. The bottle can be of glass or plastic. Plastic is preferred because it is less likely to be broken. If preservatives are used, add them to the bottle prior to collecting the sample.
How much pool water do I need for testing?Make sure you splash and rinse out the tester prior to collecting your sample to eliminate possible contamination. Repeat this process between pH, alkalinity, and chlorine tests. Most pool companies require at least 8oz. of water for pool water testing.
How often should water samples be taken?How often should you carry out water testing? Water testing frequency can vary from one per month, to once per day and even once per hour and should ideally be based on risk.
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