Best Practice Tips For Water Testing

Now that your pool is open, you are looking forward to relaxing in the clear water. Maybe you are planning a large pool party for your friends. Is your pool ready for guests? How can you tell? Pool water testing is the answer.

Most people are familiar with basic testing for pH balance and chlorine levels. What about phosphates? Salt levels, if you have salt water pools. There are also potential contaminants such as copper, iron and calcium. You could expose your pool to possible damage and make it look ugly.

Pool water testing is essential for pool health

How can you tell what chemical levels your pool water has if you haven’t tested it? What are the undesirable chemicals in the water? What chemicals and how much should you put in the water to make it safe and clean?

You don’t. It is essential that you learn how to test the water in your pool and do it on a regular basis. You will do the most pool maintenance tasks over the lifetime of your pool. However, the best thing to do is test the water.

You should be able to perform it correctly and keep a supply of testing materials on hand.

How to test pool water accurately

Although it seems simple, it is not. There are a few options for testing:

• A liquid test kit is sometimes more thorough.
• Test strips are quick and simple to use
• Bring a water sample to the local pool shop; it will be the most detailed and precise.

It’s not difficult, is it? The water sample is the key to accurately testing pool water.

How to take a proper pool water sample

It is important to know where and how you take your sample. Take the sample as far as possible from the middle of the pool.

1. If you are taking your cup to the pool, make sure it is clean.
2. Turn it upside-down so that the opening faces the pool floor.
3. Place the cup in the water until it is elbow-deep. Then, flip the cup upside down to collect the sample.

Be careful not to take the sample in the vicinity of the skimmer openings or return jets.

How to use Test Strips

Test strips are quick and easy to use. Sometimes, they can be more precise than liquid kits. Human error can make it hard to match the colors with the chemical drops.

Although test strips are usually cheaper than liquid kits, you will use them much faster so it’s almost a balance.

These can be used:

1. Take a water sample.
2. You can quickly dip a strip in the water and then get out. It doesn’t matter if it stays submerged or soak.
3. Keep it in the air for approximately 15 seconds. There should be no shaking
4. Compare the strip to that on the packaging and match the colors.
5. You can adjust your chemicals accordingly.

You’ll most likely use the same type of strips that test for the main components of ideal pool water. These are pH, alkalinity and chlorine. You can also buy specialty strips to test for copper, iron, and salt.

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How to Use a Liquid Test kit

A basic liquid test kit is all you need for regular maintenance testing. To test for pH and chlorine, make sure the kit includes phenol red (OTO) and orthotolidine.

1. Take a water sample and place it in the collector included in the kit.
2. Add the required number of drops of phenol to the water on the side for pH testing.
3. Add the required number of drops of OTO on the side for chlorine testing.
4. Compare the colors of the water with the scales on the collector by holding the collector in front of a white background. The pH of water is higher if it is redder than the collector, while the chlorine level will be higher if it’s yellower.

Note: Low levels can make the colors of water appear fainter and may be hard to see. A white background will allow for greater accuracy. A single sheet of printer paper is sufficient.

Water testing professionals

You can take a sample of your pool water to the local pool store to test. However, you should collect it the same way as if you were doing the testing at home. Although you may be able have your water tested at your local pool store on a walk-in basis it is best to call ahead to confirm.

How to Test Pool Water

You should test your pool water at minimum once per week to ensure that pH and alkalinity are balanced. If the pool gets a lot of usage or it has been rained on, you will need to test it more frequently.

Even if your knowledge of pool water testing in NYC is good, it’s worth taking a sample to a local pool store at least once per month to get a professional check and to help you open and close your pool.

Combating Contaminants

If you have any problems with your pool’s water quality, you may need to test it more frequently. Water from wells contains more minerals so your pool water may contain more iron and copper. High calcium levels are more likely in areas with hard water.

These contaminants can make it harder to maintain a proper chemical balance in your pool. They can also stain or otherwise damage the pool surface.

It is cheaper and more efficient to keep an eye on them than fix the damage later. Pool water testing is a good place to start.

Test for Copper: How to Get Rid of the Green

Copper is the most likely culprit if your pool water becomes cloudy or you see greenish or dark stains in your liner. There are two main reasons copper buildup can occur.

First, tap water used to fill your pool with water may contain trace amounts copper. Copper is lost when water evaporates from the pool. Copper levels will rise if there is less water in your pool.

You can counter evaporation by adding more water. This means that you will add more copper to your pool.

Low pH levels can also cause the copper elements in your plumbing or pool filter to corrode. This corrosion can then seep into your pool water. Copper buildup in your pool water will increase if the corrosion isn’t addressed.

How to test your pool water for copper

Many test strips won’t test for heavy metallics. A special set will be required to test for heavy metals, as well as pH and chlorine. They are very affordable, which is a good thing.

How often to test for copper

It is best to test your pool water for pH and chlorine levels every week, but it is sufficient to test for copper only once per month. Regular testing of your water will help to prevent copper buildup. This will save you time and effort as you don’t need to clean up any liner stains.

Low pH levels can lead to high levels of copper, so it is important to test them every week. You may be able avoid copper buildup if you keep them under control.

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How to fix high copper levels

If your pool water contains high levels of copper after testing it, there are a few options.

Metal Sequestrant

This substance forms chelate complexes of polyvalent metal ions with a substance to prevent oxidation.

In plain English? In simple English, a metal sequestrant is a chemical that binds to certain metals in your pool water. This prevents them from rusting which can cause greenish or black stains on your liner. It is usually a liquid that you add to your pool.

A sequestrant doesn’t remove copper from water. It just keeps the copper from staining the liner. Sequestrant will eventually break down.

Copper levels that are high in your tap water will indicate the need for sequestrant. This will prevent copper stains from forming. Follow the directions on any sequestrant that you select. You might also be interested in finding out which chemicals and minerals are found in your water.

This helps prevent staining by removing iron and calcium from the pool water. Protects plumbing and pool walls against rust, stain and scale. All pool openings and closes can be used.

Metal Trap Filter

It is exactly what the name suggests. A metal trap filter works in the same way as a regular filter to remove unwanted substances from your pool. It grabs metal in your pool water and then filters it out.

The metal trap filter is selectively designed to remove metal from the air. It’s not intended to replace your regular filter. The filter is not meant to be a permanent fixture. The filter will be installed and used to remove any metals from the water. After the filter is removed, the pool water should no longer contain any metals.

You should note that metal trap filters are sized according to the amount of water they need to filter. Make sure you choose one that is large enough to fit your pool.

Hose filter

A hose filter is a good way to keep copper from your pool, whether you are using tap water or well water.

The Banishing of the Brown: Testing for Iron

You are ready to jump into the pool, and then you find that the water has turned brown or rusty. Gross! That is gross! It sounds like there may be too much iron in the pool water.

Iron levels can increase just like copper if the pH balance in your pool water is low. This is why it’s important to test pH balance every week.

You should also consider that water from wells may contain higher iron levels than tap water. This will result in high iron levels in your pool. As with copper, iron in your pool water evaporates and is only able to increase as you add more water.

You can test your well water for minerals, or have it tested by certified water testing laboratories in your state.

How to test your pool water for iron

The same test strips or kits that test for copper are likely to also test for iron. This is because both are metal elements.

Only difference is that you will add iron-testing solution to the water once you have filled the tube with some pool water. Compare the water color with the chart provided with the kit.