Best Pool Water Test Kit

The HTH Liquid test kit can be had at discount retailers such as Walmart for around $15.00. You get about 3 months worth of tests assuming you test your pool once a week. The exception is with your CYA or (stabilizer) test which will give you only three tests maximum. The Aquachek and Aquachem will cost you about $13 – $15 for a 50-test bottle of strips. Unlike the HTH product, you will get exactly 50 tests for every available test there is. The K-2006 will set you back $49 – $69 based on various online retailers and pool stores. The kit comes with enough tests to last you three months, provided you only test once or twice a week. This is a professional product for getting the most accurate and complete results for maintaining your pool. There is a reason for the extra cost, as you will soon discover in the next part of the review.

What Tests Are Available In Each of the Pool Testing Kits?

Both the Aquacheck and Aquachem test-strip products have 6 tests: Total Hardness, Total Chlorine, Free Chlorine, pH, Total Alkanility and CYA (Stabilizer) Different shades of colors are used for each test, along with indicators letting you know how your water rates in terms of LOW, OK, IDEAL Both test strip products include instructions for what chemicals and amounts to be used to bring your water to its desired levels. Unlike the liquid test kits, one dip results in all 6 tests. Since pool chemistry goes beyond the intentions of my review, I will try to relate the importance of what these tests do without getting into too much unnecessary details.

Liquid Test Kids

The Liquid test kits require that you perform a separate procedure for each test. The HTH Liquid Test kit includes 6 tests: Total Chlorine, Bromine, pH, Total Alkanility, Total Hardness and CYA (Stabilizer). This kit is missing a free chlorine test, which in my opinion is the most important of them all for chlorine pool users. If there is a problem with your pool such as algae or ammonia, you will need to know what your free chlorine levels are, as usually the solution involves adding very large quantities of chlorine or ‘shocking’ your pool to kill the contaminants. Total Chlorine is the sum of Free Chlorine and combined chlorine. The Combined Chlorine is basically used up chlorine, so the total chlorine test in the HTH 6-way kit is insufficient for indicating the health of your Pool’s useable chlorine levels. You will want to know what your free chlorine levels are and adjust them regularly or as needed. For Total Chlorine, HTH uses what is known as an OTO test. First, add your water sample to the color comparator test gauge, then add 5 drops of the OTO agent to your water sample and compare the color range of yellow and match the corresponding number from .2 to 5. The bromine test is completely worthless for a chlorine pool. When it comes to tests, nothing comes close to the Taylor K-2006

Nothing Beats the FAS-DPD Chlorine Test

The chlorine test is what sets the K-2006 apart from all others as the best pool water test kit. This is in large part due to the FAS-DPD Chlorine test which makes it virtually a cinch to determine both Free Chlorine and Combined Chlorine. Also, the K-2006 measures Chlorine all the way up to 20PPM. The FAS-DPD Chlorine test works like this: You put in a couple of scoops of the included R-0870 powder which turns your water sample pink if there is any free chlorine present. Next simply add from the R-0871 bottle while counting drop by drop, and swirling after each one until your water sample turns completely clear. Multiply your result by .2 to get your Free Chlorine results in Parts Per Million (PPM). For example, if your Water Sample turned clear after you added your 20th drop, your free chlorine equals 4 PPM (20 * .2) Furthermore, the FAS-DPD Chlorine test gives you the flexibility for choosing a smaller water sample at less accurate measurements of .5 PPM. This is handy when you know your have very high chemical levels and want to conserve on testing agents. In order to determine your Combined Chlorine, you use your same water sample, using another agent to turn the color pink again, then going back and repeat your steps, drop by drop, counting them as you go, until the water turns clear once again.. Just as is the case with the HTH 6-Way Liquid kit, testing your pH with the K-2006, requires you to add 5 drops of an agent into your pool water sample colorator tube which turns your color a shade between yellow, orangish-pink and red. You will then compare the color to the chart on the comparator which ranges from 7 to 8 on the K-2006. The HTH has a slightly larger range on it’s colorameter of 6.8 to 7.2. Score one slight advantage for the HTH.

Testing Total Alkalinity

Total Alkalinity is one of the more difficult tests for me with either of the liquid test products. You begin with a sample of water, and then add 5 drops of one agent which makes the color red. Next, you will use the included bottle of titrant and add drop by drop until the color turns from Red to Blue. In my case, this required over 20 drops because my TA is so high! My difficulty was that my sample was turning more of a purplish color than blue, making it hard to distinguish from the original pink hue and not knowing when to stop adding drops. I had this same problem using the Calcium Hardness test, but thanks to the very informative manual included with the Taylor K-2006, I learned this is because I have metals in my water. By adding a few of the titrant drops to the sample, beforehand this problem is resolved. So, once again, even for TA, I believe the K2006 is the best pool water test kit.

Testing Water Balance

The K2006 takes things one step further for getting a reading on the balance of your pool water. Included with the K-2006 pool water test kit is what’s known as the Taylor Watergram Calculator. This is basically a circular dial, allowing you to line up measurements of pH, Hardness, Water Temp and Total Alkalinity, and indicating a number known as a Saturation Index. The Saturation indicates whether or not your pool water is in balance (usually a number between -.5 and +.5.) Water that is not in balance can be corrosive to your pool and/or components, or cause scaling and cloudy water. Additionally, you can do an acid-base-demand test, following your pH results. This is achieved by adding the included acid-base-demand reagent until the pH color matches the colorameter of your desired results. You then refer to the watergram for instructions on how much of what chemical to add to achieve your desired pH Balance.

Testing CYA or Stabilizer

The CYA or Stabilizer test is pretty much identical between the HTH and Taylor. This is known as a turbidity test, and basically works by adding drops to a test tube, making the sample cloudy until you can no longer view a black dot at the bottom of the test tube. You then, simply match the corresponding number on the test tube which represents your CYA level. That basically, concludes the extent of testing on the various kits. The K2006 has some additions and variations which the other kit do not have, but it is the FAS-DPD chlorine test that really sets it apart.

Best Pool Testing Kit Conclusions

Salt Water Pool Test Kit

Pool Test Kit Ratings

Convenience and Speed

• 6-Way Select by Aquacheck 95
• 6-Way Test by Aquachem 95
• 6-Way Liquid Test by HTH 70
• Taylor K-2006 78

Price

• 6-Way Select by Aquacheck 85
• 6-Way Test by Aquachem 85
• 6-Way Liquid Test by HTH 90
• Taylor K-2006 75

Ease of Use

• 6-Way Select by Aquacheck 78
• 6-Way Test by Aquachem 75
• 6-Way Liquid Test by HTH 70
• Taylor K-2006 85

Accuracy

• 6-Way Select by Aquacheck 78
• 6-Way Test by Aquachem 75
• 6-Way Liquid Test by HTH 70
• Taylor K-2006 95

Testing

• 6-Way Select by Aquacheck 75
• 6-Way Test by Aquachem 75
• 6-Way Liquid Test by HTH 70
• Taylor K-2006 95

Best Pool Testing Kit Ratings

• • 6-Way Select by Aquacheck 82
  • 6-Way Test by Aquachem 81
  • 6-Way Liquid Test by HTH 74
  • Taylor K-2006 86