Pool owners and any swimming business establishment must be aware of their pool’s chemical levels and status. All of these factors must be considered when determining whether the water in your pool is safe to swim in and will not harm people. Nonetheless, there are numerous methods for testing and determining the condition of your swimming pool; multiple tools and equipment are available for purchase. All of that equipment serves different purposes and employs various methods. Therefore, pool test kits are essential equipment to have on hand.
Because swimming pools are frequently used by countless people at the same time, it is necessary to test and treat your pool regularly. This will aid in keeping the water clean and preventing the spread of diseases and infections. It also improves people’s swimming pool experiences and can prevent damage to your pool and its equipment.
All of this appears to be a lot of work; nevertheless, maintaining your swimming pool does not have to be a chore, especially with the best available pool test kits on the market. If you want to learn more about Pool test kits and how they can be used for your swimming pool, read this article for some helpful guides for newbies that can assist you to test your swimming pool.
Purpose of Using Pool Testing Kits
Swimming pool test kits could also help determine the water’s composition, whether the chlorine level is too high, too low, or just right. Pool testing kits can also assist in determining pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, salt levels, and cyanuric acid levels.
When it comes to examining your pool, you must test the pool water at least once a week. However, if you use your swimming pool frequently, it should be tested at least twice a week. Moreover, If you notice an increase or decrease in the ideal chemical levels, you can add chemicals.
The pH and available chlorine levels should be tested regularly, if not daily until you understand how they differ. Other calcium hardness readings, such as Total Alkalinity, Cyanuric Acid, Phosphates, metals, and total dissolved solids, tend to move more slowly. Allows you to test it weekly or even monthly in some cases, giving you more time to spend spending and enjoy your swimming pool with less time maintenance if you have the right tools for the job.
What Kinds of Pool Test Kits Do You Need?
Several types of supplies are available in the market for you to test your swimming pool water, and each of those has its advantages.
Pool Test Strips
Pool test strips are generally inexpensive and are widely used for testing in pool water. Some of the basic strips can be used to test for specific chemicals; test strips are very easy to use; simply dip them in pool water, shake off the excess, and read the results.
Test strips are typically color-coded and packaged with an easy-to-read chart. The disadvantage of this testing kit is that the results will be less precise when compared to other test kits. Make certain that your test strip supplies have not expired; you can keep them dry for the most accurate reading. Avoid touching the end of the strips before using them to reduce contamination of the test kit.
Liquid Test Kits
Liquid test kits are one of the most precise ways to determine the chemical levels of your swimming pool, but they are much more expensive than testing strips. However, liquid testing kits provide more precise, dependable, and comprehensive testing solutions. Liquid testing kits use reagents that are added to the water sample one drop at a time. The number of drops and the color of the sample will be used to calculate the results. Liquid test kits meet the majority of pool owner requirements and are a popular option.
Digital Pool Testers
When you hear the word digital, the first that comes to mind is accuracy; if you have any problems reading in color, digital readers are an excellent option because they are accurate and quick.
Although expensive, this type of pool testing kit examines the water with a series of metallic probes. When using the probes, this equipment can quickly check the pH or chlorine balance levels. After inserting it into the sample pool water, the data is displayed on the electronic display.
Prepare Your Pool
If you want to test your swimming pool, make sure to keep the pool running for at least an hour before starting the test. Turn off the jets and the skimmers before you take the water sample with your pool test kit. After taking the sample, make sure to wash your hands. Make sure that if you are taking a sample, get water from a depth of at least 18 inches to get a more precise reading.
Follow the Instructions
To have accurate results or readings, be mindful to check the instructions that will be given to your pool test kit. Each kit has its specific guidelines, make sure that you will be able to follow them closely, especially if it is your first time testing with the kits.
Balance the Chemicals
After testing the swimming pool and getting the results from your testing kit, check the
color chart that will come with your testing kit. Based on the readings and results, you can adjust the chemicals as needed. Remember that you must still take extra care when measuring the chemicals needed to correct the composition of your pool.
Key Takeaway
All of this takes a lot of effort to keep a swimming pool clean and sanitary. Without the assistance of pool test kits, you will have a difficult time determining the status of your swimming pool; knowing the number of chemicals that are required to be added to the water, or determining that the water is swimmable and will not be harmful to people.
Follow the instructions and guidelines that come with your kit when using these pool testing kits to get accurate and precise results after collecting the sample. You should follow the steps to make sure that your testing supplies are still not expired and are stored in a dry, room-temperature environment.
