How To Read A Pool Water Test Kit

By Emily Taylor

Swimming pools are great for outdoor activities such as a family bonding, pool party with friends and many other occasions especially when the weather is hot and burning. However, aside from the fun that you get from this great infrastructure, the responsibility of owning it also requires the maintenance of the facility as well as its water. Balancing the pool chemicals is necessary for any type of swimming pool in order to preserve the desired water quality. It is also done in order to avoid experiencing disastrous water problems caused by the inappropriate levels of corresponding chemicals used in the water.

In order for pool chemical balancing to be accurate, a simple pool kit is needed for the job. This tool is also known as a pool water test kit which reads the exact level of certain chemicals present in the water that are essential in keeping the water safe, comfortable and smelling good at all times.

These water kits are sold in the market or in your local pool supply store where there are wide selections on the different products and manufacturers available for pool owners and pool cleaners to choose from. When looking for a water testing kit, make sure that you purchase only those that are of good quality as the accurate and dependable readings leave a major impact on whether the pool water chemistry is corrected or not.

Most water testing kits have a colored part on the strips although this mainly depends on the manufacturer’s choice. These colored strips are the basis or gauge on how much of the corresponding chemicals present in the pool water needs adjustments.

When handling these kits, make sure that your hands are dry and that your fingers do not reach or touch the colored parts of the strips so that they will remain intact for their use. In case your hands are wet, the water will drip into the colored areas of the test kit which will then measure the components on the water that reached the kit’s gauge.

It is strongly suggested that whenever you adjust by adding chemicals, it would be wise to do it by slowly pouring the products to the pool water and wait for some time to let it react in the water before you run another test. Because of this, pool owners or cleaners need more than one kit for testing the water chemistry. Ideally, it is best if you run tests in the water regularly after any changes made in the amount of chemicals used on the pool. Another good method is by dividing the chemical adjuster into several smaller portions. You can add them from time to time until you get the required parameters of the chemical you are working with.

As you add in chemicals, the colors on the test kit will move base on their findings regarding the new level of the water chemistry. By then you will have a basic idea on how much remaining adjustment is needed in order to reach the safe zone and balance your pool chemicals.

About the Author: I write for Pool Prodigy about salt water pool maintenance and how to maintain a pool.

Source: isnare.com

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