Given how BUSY most people get during the rest of the year, why would Summer offer them a break in their hectic routine? Therefore it definitely didn’t shock us one bit when ‘Mary12Adam’ wrote in and asked,

“My husnband and I both work 2 jobs and take turns shuffling the kids around to all their school, soccer, band and scout stuff. We don’t have time to run back and forth to the pool store every week for more pool chemicals. Do you know a chemical kit that will last us most if not all summer long?”

We certainly empathize with your situation, Mary, since we have kids, too, and have to create time to do ANYthing other than work, housework and drive them hither and yon.

We typically stock up on chemicals from our local pool supply store early in the season and don’t have to make a trip back until at least 3/4 of the way through the season, though sometimes a bit sooner if we get a lot of rain or have 2 or 20 more social gatherings at the homestead.

Since it sounds like you clearly don’t have a lot of time on your hands, Mary, for going to the pool store even ONCE, we suggest that you look into a pool chemical package like the Chemical Season Supply Kit (Large) from Amerimerc.Com, a leading online retailer of pool chemicals, pool test kits, pool supplies, and, of course, pool toys.

What does the kit contain? So glad you asked!

• 50 lb.3in Tablets — Great for day-to-day chlorinating
• 1 qt. Poly 60 Algaecide — A necessary tool for fending off unwanted algae
• 1 qt. Conquest Super Rust & Scale — Keep pesky metal stains out of your water
• 24 x 1 lb. bag Dura Shock — Excellent for shocking & superchlorinating
• 4 lb. pH Increaser — Effective way to elevate the pH of your pool water
• 6 lb. pH Reducer — Effective way to decrease the pH of your pool water
• Aqua Chek Chlorine 3-Way Test Strips — Fastest way to test your pool for vital parameters

Looking for other chemicals and supplies for your swimming pool and want them delivered right to your door? Check out the latest offerings on Amerimerc.Com!

Most times our readers want to know about specific water testing solutions or seek information about filtering out a specific drinking water contaminant… and then other times people ask us very, very, VERY general questions.

As an example of the latter, Omoosh3000 wrote in and asked, “i want to ask all analysis if i can for potable water”.

We really think, Omoosh, that you should take a look at the EPA’s Safe Water Web Site since it contains everything from basic information the average homeowner can easily use to more technical information that water treatment plant operators can use if they need to look up Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL’s) or have questions about the latest additions to the Primary & Secondary Drinking Water Standards.

“All analysis possible”…

Sounds like pretty tall order if you ask us so in lieu of testing for every possible water contaminant (a nearly impossible task!) we suggest that you use one of the following laboratory testing services to test for the contaminants usually found in drinking water samples:

• Drinking Water Heavy Metal Testing Kit – 17 Panel Water Analysis Test

• Premium Drinking Water Testing Kit – 19 Panel Full Water Analysis Test

• WaterCheck Laboratory Test Kit for 83 Possible Drinking Water Contaminants

• WaterCheck Laboratory Test Kit with Pesticides for 97 Possible Drinking Water Contaminants

As usual the warmer weather (in most of the US) has brought out the folks who have questions about pool water and how best to take care of it. Today’s question comes from ‘ActionLassie007′ who asked,

“Do they make meters for pool testing that regular people can afford? Last yr our poolguy had a meter and I asked him how much it cost. He told me one thousand and some change. He lie to me so I would not go get one and he loses a customer?”

Wow. Interesting situation, right? Personally we’d have fired the guy for telling an outlandish lie. Yeah, sure, SOME equipment used to test pool water MAY cost upwards of a thousand dollars or more, but would the average pool maintenance person REALLY spend that kind of money? We doubt it.

We suggest, Lassie, that you take a look at the eXact Micro 7+ Pool Water Testing Meter… which costs well under a thousand dollars, by the way.

Combining the reliability and repeatability of a photometer w/ the dependability of proven chemistry methods such as DPD (for chlorine testing) and phenol red (for pH testing), the eXact Micro 7+ Pool Testing Meter puts the power of accurate water testing into the hands of the people who need it most: pool owners.

A definite advantage offered by this particular pool meter: Versatility. The pool testing meter tests for 7 critical pool water parameters directly and with the use of a conversion chart and correct reagentstrip it can test for a number of other water parameters, as well.

What comes in pool water test kit?

In the basic kit you will find everything you need to test for free chlorine, total chlorine, pH, calcium hardness, total alkalinity, dissolved copper, and cyanuric acid.

For the longest time we have mentioned a company called National Testing Laboratories and a number of their testing products, but thus far we have not really talked about the company and why we keep mentioning them.

At some point between 2005 or 2007 one of the founders — and main writers for this site — had the pleasure of meeting a person of importance at National Testing Laboratories staff while working at a (National Ground Water Association [NGWA]) trade show.

Over the following months (and years) the information learned about National Testing Laboratories from his contact at the company and from independent sources made him a solid believer in the company’s firm commitment to providing accurate, affordable and reliable water testing services to both the general public and the private sector.

And in National Testing Laboratories’ own words. . .

The National Testing Laboratories, Ltd. network of certified laboratories performs drinking water analysis for customers worldwide according to US EPA and standard methods. We test for compliance and informational purposes and hold certifications across the U.S. Our laboratories successfully participate in US EPA Proficiency Testing Programs. We offer test packages to meet federal, state, FDA and International Bottled Water Association requirements. We maintain memberships in the Water Quality Association, Eastern Water Quality Association, International Bottled Water Association, Canadian Bottled Water Association, Northeast Bottled Water Association, National Ground Water Association, and many other national or regional associations. Members of our technical staff are contributing members of various IBWA and WQA committees. ( source )

And, just because it will save us a lot of typing, take a look at what else National Testing Laboratories has to say about itself. Yeah, we took the easy way out on this company profile, but WHY reinvent the wheel, right?

National Testing Laboratories (NTL) is one of the largest independent laboratories in the U.S. specializing in the analysis of drinking water for chemical and microbiological contamination. The corporate office in Cleveland, Ohio is integral to the operation of our laboratory facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan. For more than 25 years, we have offered a wide range of services for residential and commercial customers. Commercial customers include public water systems (city water), environmental consultants, engineers, water treatment professionals, bottled water plants, well drillers, food producers, pharmaceutical companies, laboratories and home inspectors. In 1998, Environmental Hazards Services, LLC. (EHS) of Richmond, Virginia was added to the network. EHS offers analysis for lead and asbestos in air and solids. Their strength is in high-quality analysis with very short turnaround time. The addition of EHS further enhances the broad capabilities of the network to better serve valued customers.

The network laboratories perform analysis according to USEPA and standard methods to meet state compliance in addition to performing informational tests for quality control purposes. Certifications are held across the country to meet customers’ needs. Network laboratories successfully participate in the USEPA, NIST and AIHA Proficiency Testing Programs and rank in the top percentile when compared to all other participants. ( source )

So there you have it; straight from the horse’s mouth. Wait. Did we just call ourselves a HORSE? Never mind. Moving on.

Don’t they just want to sell me a water treatment system?

Many times in the past we have advised folks interested in having their water tested to steer clear of water testing offers by companies who ALSO just happen to sell water treatment systems… because those companies ONLY want to find a problem (real or semi-real) and sell a product to fix the ‘problem’ their testing revealed.

Since National Testing Laboratories does not sell any water treatment equipment, you won’t have to worry about some pushy salesperson giving you the old ‘razzle-dazzle’ water chemistry show in your home and then pressuring you into buying a (potentially worthless) water treatment system at an inflated price.

National Testing Laboratories’ test kits work using mail-in submission methods… so no commission-hungry sales droid will ever go near your home. A definite plus in our book!

We have gotten a number of requests for information on iron bacteria recently. Most notably, people have asked us what ‘clues’ to look for to determine if they should test for iron bacteria

Bad Taste and Foul Odor — Iron bacteria often produce nasty tastes and odors commonly reported as: “smells swampy,” “has an oily or petroleum like smell,” “smells remotely like cut cucumber,” “sewer smell” “stinks like rotten vegetation,” or “stale and musty.”

Often times the bad tastes and odors will seem noticeably stronger after a long period where the water has not run.

Note: If you smell a “rotten egg” smell, this odor most likely comes from something other than iron bacteria. You may want to test, instead, for dissolved hydrogen sulfide in your water.

Discoloration — Iron bacteria have a knack for leaving orange, brown, red or slightly yellow stains on your normally pristine white fixtures and may even cause water in toilets and toilet tanks to become discolored.

Some folks (who have lots of iron bacteria in their water) have even reported seeing rainbow-colored oily residues on surfaces exposed to their water.

Slimy Red Deposits — Should you happen to notice a sticky slime with a rust-like color — or possibly orange, brown, red, slightly yellow or even gray color — in your toilet tank, iron bacteria may have made their home in your water supply.

So… Those Simple ‘Tests’ Always Work?

Not even in a fairytale world, pal! Each of the ‘signs’ and ‘indicators’ of iron bacteria listed above could also come from drinking water contaminants such as ferrous iron, sulfate, hydrogen sulfide, manganese and/or other biological organisms frequently found in water supplies such as sulfur bacteria.

So… How Can I Know for Sure That I’ve Got Iron Bacteria?

No method other than having your water tested by a certified water testing laboratory (such as National Testing Laboratories) will tell you for certain whether or not you have iron bacteria in your water.

Until just now we have always said, “Not really”, but our response officially changes today since we have recently located an iron bacteria test kit designed for use by homeowners. Granted the kit still requires the homeowner to mail in their sample, but the test kit doesn’t cost TOO much and the analysis will get performed by a certified water testing lab.

To paraphrase Charles Barkley, “To use any other kind of lab would be uncivilized.”

Without further ado, let us introduce you to the WaterCheck Iron Bacteria Test Kit which gives the average person the ability to test for iron bacteria and get laboratory quality results in a matter of days.

What harm does iron bacteria cause?

In a nutshell, Iron Bacteria can cause your water to taste and smell quite bad as well as aid in the corrosion of your plumbing. It can also clog screens and cause water pressure to become diminished over time.

Simple indicators that you may have iron bacteria?

Take a quick look at your toilet tank to see if you’ve got a brownish slime growing on the sides of the tank. If so, you may have iron bacteria in your water supply.

A reddish, brownish or yellowish color to your water may also serve as an indication that you have iron bacteria in your water.

Does your water have a musty smell to it? Perhaps it has a scent that reminds you of sewage? If so, then that may indicate the presence of iron bacteria in your water.

We get questions asking us about test kits for fluoride on a regular basis and today we have some exciting news: FilterWater.Com has partnered with National Testing Laboratories and now carries a home drinking water test kit for fluoride that allows homeowners to find out if their water contains fluoride, and if so how much, in as little as 5 days.

Why test for fluoride?

While considered ‘safe’ by the USEPA for use as a drinking water additive that helps prevent tooth decay, countries in Europe and other places around the world have outlawed its use because of studies that have shown a correlation between fluoridated water and serious health problems.

Not a fan of chloramines in your drinking water? You now have a means of removing those pesky chloramines!

Chloramines? What are chloramines? Take a look at this earlier Water Testing Blog entry on Free Chlorine, Combined Chlorine and Total Chlorine and get a quick education on the topic!

Whether created as a byproduct of disinfection via free chlorine or the intended disinfectant in a water system, most people do NOT like the taste and odor of chloramines in their water.

Thankfully Pentek has come out with a product called the Pentek ChlorPlus 10 Chloramine Removal Water Filter Cartridge that fits in standard 10″ (x 2.5″) filter housings used in filter sytems produced by companies such as Pentek (obviously!), US Filter (recently acquired by Pentek!), Cuno, Filterite, Keystone, US Water, Water Resurces, Harmsco, and many other popular brands of water filtration systems. If your system uses a standard 10″ x 2.5″ housing, the Pentek ChlorPlus 10 ought to fit just fine!

Having said that last bit, please check the dimensions of your current filter and/or housing before ordering this product!

Looking for a 10″ replacement filter with NSF Certification? The Pentek ChlorPlus 10 uses a component tested certified to NSF Standard 42.

What does the Pentek ChlorPlus 10 remove/reduce? Using 1 micron carbon block technology this product (255416-43) should seriously reduce chloramine concentrations in drinking water and in doing so remove the (offensive) taste and odor associated with chlorine while also helping to pull out unwanted sediment, if present.