You should ensure that you understand your swimming pool water chemistry. This will help you when it comes to maintaining your facility. Due to this, you need to get the best pool test kit for your pool.
We intend to guide you as you head out to the market and search for one.
Features of an Effective Pool Test Kit
Your pool test kit should have the following features:
- Easy to use – You should make sure that the kit that you pick gives you peace of mind when using it. This also means offering all the instructions you need to start using it.
- Complete – A complete kit has all the things you need to test your pool. It should test most of the compounds present in your swimming pool.
- Accurate – We all want a kit that delivers the most accurate results.
- Consistent results – The consistency is important so that you can figure out what to do to correct any issue.
- Durable – You want a kit that you can use regularly but still remain useful. Choose a model that is waterproof to withstand wet conditions.
Ideal Chemical Levels
The recommended chemical levels are the same for all pools; small or large. Your pool should show the following numbers:
- Chlorine: 1.0-2.0 parts-per-million (ppm)
- pH: 7.2-7.8
- Bromine: 3.0-6.0 ppm
- Calcium hardness: 180-220 ppm
- Total alkalinity: 80-120 ppm
- Cyanuric acid: 40-80 ppm
- Dissolved solids: below 5000 ppm
Pool Test Kit Reagents
These are the chemical solutions that mix with your pool water to change its color. They come in tiny bottles that allow you to add a specific number of drops to your sample water.
You don’t need to buy a new kit to replace refill reagents. Liquid reagents have been shown to provide the most accurate results.
Top Pool Test Kit Reviews 2021
Here is a comprehensive review of the top pool test kit on the market today:
1. Taylor Technologies INC K-2006 Test Kit
This kit provides a complete package for checking your pool water composition. It tests for calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, alkalinity, pH level, total chlorine, and combined chlorine. It also features a comparator that ensures you take the minimum time to read the results.
Although this kit seems more complicated and costlier than other brands, you will love its accurate results. In fact, you don’t need to match any color to get the results, very easy. The kit also comes with FASDPD bromine test kit.
2. Taylor Deluxe DPD Pool and Spa Water Test Kit – K-2005
This is a critical testing kit that provides accurate results when testing your pool, especially commercial pools and spas. It was specifically made to provide a routine check and comprehensive results conducted by technician, public, and semipublic pool operators and professionals.
The kit features printed color standards to provide reliable and accurate color match, making pool test easier. It checks for 6 different stands for bromine, chlorine, and pH. It also tests for acid demand, alkalinity, cyanuric, calcium hardness, and base demand and is perfect for saltwater pool.
3. LaMotte 2056 ColorQ Pro 7 Digital Pool Water Test Kit
LaMotte 2056 ColorQ comes with a photometer that provides you a digital reading of the result. It features a water-resistant housing and comes with a hardy carrying case. The kit tests for total chlorine, pH, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, bromine, and free chlorine.
To make it easier to use, the kit uses liquid reagents for these test factors. However, cyanuric acid uses tablets.
4. Taylor Service Complete Pool Water Test Kit K-2006C
Taylor Service K-2006C is an easy to use titration drop test kit that comes with 2 oz reagent bottles. It was designed to offer accurate and fast swimming pool test results to ensure that you don’t waste much time when checking your pool.
The kit tests for stabilizer levels, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, base demand, acid demand, pH, total chlorine, and bromine.
5. LaMotte ColorQ Pro 11 Digital Liquid Pool & Spa Chemical Water Testing Kit
The best feature of LaMotte ColoQ Pro 11 is that you only need 5 drops of reagent to acquire the results without looking at charts or color matching. It boats of the best technology, an easy push-button control, and a water-resistant cover to provide you the easiest and best of time when testing your pool.
Despite being a pricey kit, its technology and machinery make it a value adding investment that will last for decades.
6. Taylor K-2106 FAS-DPD Bromine Complete Test Kit
The K-2106 FAS-DPD is a complete test kit for professional users. It features easy to follow color-matching instructions that make it suitable for home use too. This ensures that you get accurate and fast results at an affordable price.
The kit is perfect for testing the spa, hot tub, and swimming pool. It tests for total alkalinity, bromine, calcium hardness, pH, acid demand, base demand, and blended alkalinity.
7. LaMotte ColorQ Pro 9 Plus Digital Liquid Pool & Spa Chemical Water Testing Kit
The LaMotte directly checks 9 tests that include total chlorine, free chlorine, pH, bromine, calcium hardness, copper, iron, and cyanuric acid. It is easy to use and has economical liquid reagents that test for these elements.
The colorQ removes the need to visually determine the different colors and using look-up tables, hence you don’t need to guess anything.
8. Poolmaster 22260 5-Way Swimming Pool and Spa Water Chemistry Test Kit
Poolmaster 22260 was designed to maintain the proper pool water chemistry. It tests for total alkalinity, acid demand, pH, bromine, and chlorine. The test kit includes clear-view with an integrated color chip that offers the best and most accurate color match.
The best thing, the kit comes with a polyethylene case that makes it easy to carry around. The kit is quite affordable and last for years.
9. Watersafe WS425W Well Water Test Kit
Watersafe WS425W is a fast, accurate, and easy to use a swimming pool test kit. It comes with an EPA that makes it easy to compare the results and detects 10 elements including lead, iron, and copper.
It also tests for dangerous levels of nitrites and looks for harmful bacteria in your pool. That’s not all since it also tests for fertilizers and pesticides and determines unsafe levels of chlorine in the pool.
10. HTH Pool Test Kit 6-Way Test Kit (1173)
The HTH Pool Test kit is a 6-way kit that enables you to test for cyanuric acid, total hardness, total alkalinity, total chlorine, bromine, and pH. It allows you to test up to a hundred times with a single kit, which ensures that you keep your facility clean during the summer.
Due to its construction, the kit lasts long and is more affordable than most kits on the market today.
11. Blue Devil B7448 5-Way OTO – Chlorine/Bromine, pH, Alkalinity & Acid Demand
This seems like a normal testing kit but it’s unique in that it is a 5-way unit that performs different tests at a go. When testing the alkalinity, you need to use the pale blue dye and note the number of drops needed to turn it clear. The kit comes with an easy to figure out color comparator to determine the outcomes of your test.
For easy carrying, it comes with a hardy housing and works well.
12. Taylor Technologies K-1004-1 Test Kit Residential Trouble-Shooter DPD
Taylor Technologies comes with easy to follow instructions that make testing your pool a breeze. It tests for various components including the pH level, total chlorine, bromine, acid demand, base demand, and alkalinity level.
The test kit was made to provide simple and accurate results and it includes color-coded instructions as well as treatment charts.
Swimming Pool Test Kit Tips
Testing your swimming pool chemical levels is a great way to avert unsafe pool conditions. After a while, you will get used to the recommended testing process and it will take seconds to complete every test.
Here are some tips that will make your process more accurate and smoother:
- Use a new water sample for every test.
- You can pour the sample water as well as the reagent back into the pool after the tests.
- Different tests require different amounts of reagents and different color results.
- Every test kit is different.
- Read the instructions that accompany your kit.
- Get a logbook for recording the results every time you test.
FAQs About Best Pool Test Kit
Q: What chemical levels should I test for regularly?
A: The four main tests that you should perform regularly test for calcium hardness, pH, total alkalinity, and chlorine. Acid demand and base demand tests can be done with the pH test sample. Cyanuric acid levels can be done for an outdoor pool that uses chlorine.
Conclusion
You should always test your pool chemistry to ensure that it is safe for taking a dive. To do this, you need to know “what is the best pool test kit” on the market today. Taylor Technologies INC K-2006 Test Kit is a great kit that you can start with.