opening pool - water test results

[Watermom]

Yes. Keep your chlorine between 3-6. If it drops below that, you risk an algae bloom.

[mike_311]

so is there an easier way to test my chlorine daily (strips?) or do i need to use the drop kit to check it?

[aylad]

Strips are going to answer the question "is there any, or no, chlorine in the pool". They won't reliably tell you how much. You can get a cheap OTO kit (Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, or anywhere else they sell pool stuff) that uses red and yellow drops for pH and chlorine--they usually measure up to 5 ppm and you can dilute the sample to read a little higher if you need to.

[mike_311]

i already have the $50 drop kit that Taylor makes, but it is a PITA to check the chlorine with that EVERY day, since i am using bleach. plus i dont think I'll have enough chemical to make it through one season.

i was wondering if there was a quicker/easier to check the chlorine daily and them formally drop check the water every few weeks for the other values.

[PoolDoc]

Once you have your pool chemistry on a steady routine, you won't need to test so much.

Also, if you got an OTO kit like recommended, you can use that in between DPD-FAS tests -- it's not as accurate, but it's FAR more accurate and reliable than test strips.

[mike_311]

thanks, i'll look into it.

[Watermom]

Mike, that is what I do. I use my OTO kit daily or at the very least, every other day. Then, I use my K-2006 occasionally. It makes the reagents last a lot longer and for every day use, the OTO/Phenol Red kit gives you all the info you need. If you are fighting something in the water or trying to clear up a pool, you need the FAS-DPD component for testing higher chlorine levels than an OTO can handle but otherwise, the cheaper kit is sufficient for most daily testing. (Plus, replacing the OTO refills are cheap.)