The Green Pool

[Mustang3944]

Algae is dead Carl not a spot of green anywhere.

[CarlD]

Good! Then you can go on to filtering/vacuuming the dead algae out, and balancing your chemistry.

[Watermom]

If you have a K2005 kit, you can pick up the add on kit (K1515) that will give you the one test (FAS-DPD) that the K2006 kit has that your kit does not. That test gives you the ability to test chlorine levels higher than 5ppm which is the limit on your kit. You can get the K1515 (or 1515C) through this link:> http://pool9.net/tk/

(Until your registration is completed, you won't be able to see the rest of the forum or follow that link while you are logged in. So, copy it and paste it into a browser window after you first log out.)

[jlaar007]

If you have a K2005 kit, you can pick up the add on kit (K1515) that will give you the one test (FAS-DPD) that the K2006 kit has that your kit does not. That test gives you the ability to test chlorine levels higher than 5ppm which is the limit on your kit. You can get the K1515 (or 1515C) through this link:> http://pool9.net/tk/

(Until your registration is completed, you won't be able to see the rest of the forum or follow that link while you are logged in. So, copy it and paste it into a browser window after you first log out.)

Not to get picky, but the K2005 chlorine(TC,FC) test goes to 10----so diluted it would go to 20.

[PoolDoc]

Not to get picky, but the K2005 chlorine(TC,FC) test goes to 10----so diluted it would go to 20.

It goes to 10, nominally. But 9 of 10 people cannot distinguish a 5 ppm FC level from a 10 ppm FC level, using that kit. Diluted, you're adding additional error, so now you can't distinguish 7 ppm from 25 ppm!

Additionally, if the FC = ~15 - 20, you'll read maybe 2 - 5 ppm. If the FC > 25 ppm, you'll read FC=0. Very *experienced* pool operators can recognize those errors . . . but then we don't deal with very experienced pool operators. Put plainly, DPD color match testing is INFERIOR in accuracy, and VERY INFERIOR in reliablity, to OTO tests.

Many of the criticisms of OTO testing seem to have originated as a sales ploy by Palintest, back in the day when the DPD test was still patented and very profitable.

Pool owners with K2005 kits need to buy (a) a cheap OTO kit (quick & bomb proof -- if not very accurate -- chlorine testing to 50 ppm) and (b) a K1515 DPD-FAS add-on (accurate FC testing to 50 ppm).

[BigDave]

Once you buy and use the FAS-DPD, you kick yourself for not doing it sooner - it's easy to read the test and it's accurate.

[CarlD]

Once you buy and use the FAS-DPD, you kick yourself for not doing it sooner - it's easy to read the test and it's accurate.

Exactly!

[Mustang3944]

It goes to 10, nominally. But 9 of 10 people cannot distinguish a 5 ppm FC level from a 10 ppm FC level, using that kit. Diluted, you're adding additional error, so now you can't distinguish 7 ppm from 25 ppm!

Additionally, if the FC = ~15 - 20, you'll read maybe 2 - 5 ppm. If the FC > 25 ppm, you'll read FC=0. Very *experienced* pool operators can recognize those errors . . . but then we don't deal with very experienced pool operators. Put plainly, DPD color match testing is INFERIOR in accuracy, and VERY INFERIOR in reliablity, to OTO tests.

Many of the criticisms of OTO testing seem to have originated as a sales ploy by Palintest, back in the day when the DPD test was still patented and very profitable.

Pool owners with K2005 kits need to buy (a) a cheap OTO kit (quick & bomb proof -- if not very accurate -- chlorine testing to 50 ppm) and (b) a K1515 DPD-FAS add-on (accurate FC testing to 50 ppm).

May be I the 1 in 10 but I can tell the difference and the only time I have gotten a reading in the last of 0 was before I added anything to the water. Diluted the max reading you can get is 20 at least according to instructions on the box cover. With the amount of bleach I used to clear up my swamp I pretty sure I was way over that and never bleached out. I am assuming by bleach out you mean it goes clear which would be a reading of 0 ppm. I only say this because my results over the week seem to contradict what your saying. Either I am screwing up the test pretty bad or something has changed with their kit.

On a side note I have been keeping reef tanks for almost 20 years so I am pretty good with test kits as we had to test same things with the exception of CYA and Chlorine and a few things we are not concerned with in a pool.

Why do you recommend both an OTO and a DPD-FAS test kit for chlorine seems redundant if they both test the something or am I missing something.

[jlaar007]

May be I the 1 in 10 but I can tell the difference and the only time I have gotten a reading in the last of 0 was before I added anything to the water. Diluted the max reading you can get is 20 at least according to instructions on the box cover. With the amount of bleach I used to clear up my swamp I pretty sure I was way over that and never bleached out. I am assuming by bleach out you mean it goes clear which would be a reading of 0 ppm. I only say this because my results over the week seem to contradict what your saying. Either I am screwing up the test pretty bad or something has changed with their kit.

On a side note I have been keeping reef tanks for almost 20 years so I am pretty good with test kits as we had to test same things with the exception of CYA and Chlorine and a few things we are not concerned with in a pool.

Why do you recommend both an OTO and a DPD-FAS test kit for chlorine seems redundant if they both test the something or am I missing something.

Make that 2 out of ten.
I used to keep Cichlids, or to put it more accurately, they ran my life.
I am much happier not dealing with sumps, UV sterilizers, heaters, and vacuuming out vast amounts of fish poop compared to maintaining a pool.
I`m guessing if you kept an aquarium successfully for any period of time, the swing into pool chemistry isn`t as much a jump as, say if you kept a hamster.=:-)
I`m sure the K2006 is a superior kit in all respects, it`s just that the K2005 is what I have and seems to be doing the job.
Believe me, no disrespect intended or meant.