Pool Water Testing Blog

One of the most important thing you can do at the start of any pool season: TEST the WATER before you add chemicals!

Why? Because one of several things could happen if you don’t:

1. You may waste chemicals by adding them to water not properly balanced and the chemicals will not work properly.

2. You might not add enough of what you need and your water will take a lot longer to clear up and/or get properly balanced.

3. You may add too much of something and need to add MORE chemicals and/or drain water to counteract what you added by accident.

The best way to get an accurate reading of your pool water’s chemistry involves taking a trip to your local pool store where you pick up your pool chemicals and having trained staff test your water. Short of making that trip, you have a few pool water testing options: Liquid Test Kits, Test Strips (Pool Check, Aquachek) and Meters.

Liquid Test Kits

Pool Testing Meters

Pool Test Strips

Now THAT, friends, sounds like an excellent question. Why? Simple: 3-Way test strips for chlorine, pH and alkalinity have served as the workhorse in the test strip business for more years than we care to remember!

Funny thing, though… We went to see if Aquachek still made a traditional 3-way test strip… and they do not.

Huh? What? Yep. You read that right. Test strip mogul Aquachek no longer manufactures a standard 3-way test strip for chlorine, pH and alkalinity.

Needless to say this shocked us.

Apparently the market for the 3-way test strip has dried up — at least to Aquachek.

Sorry to say, but we think Aquachek has made a mistake by dropping that product from its lineup. Granted they have come out with a 3-way test strip for cyanuric acid, tds, and total hardness, but for them to ditch the OG (original gangster) of the test strip world just kinda’ makes us sad.

So… Does ANYone Make a Traditional 3-Way Test Strip These Days?

Yes, friends, the Pool Check brand of test strips still manufactures a traditional 3-way test strip. In fact, last we checked, the free chlorine pad on their three-way test strip used the same indicator (chemical ingredient) as their EPA Approved SenSafe Free Chlorine Water Check product.

Detection ranges for the Pool Check 3 Way Test Strips?

• Free Chlorine: 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 ppm
• Bromine: 0, 1, 2, 6, 10, 20, 40 ppm
• Total Alkalinity: 0, 40, 80, 120, 180, 240, 360 ppm
• pH: 6.0, 6.4, 6.8, 7.2, 7.6, 8.2, 9.0

Oh, and in case you find yourself asking, “Hey, wasn’t that FOUR parameters?”, your eyes did not deceive you. In bromine pools using bromine instead of chlorine the free chlorine test pad on the product detects bromine levels.

Weather forecasters say the temperatures will get up into the 80′s for a good part of the country (United States) this weekend and that means a lot of you fine folks will venture out to the pool shed to see if you can find your test kits… and some of you will return empty-handed.

Lucky for you a site called In the Swim has a great selection of liquid test kits available, at decent prices, and ready to ship.

Whether you need a simple 2 way test for chlorine and pH, a slightly more advanced 4 way test kit, or a Taylor Complete Test Kit for Service… you will find the perfect liquid test kit for the job!

Oh, and for you other folks that actually FOUND your test kits, don’t forget that you need to replace those liquid reagents at least once a year! Need help with that? Check out our Taylor Test Kit Reagents Page.