It shocked us that we received so many ‘negative’ responses to the recent string of pool and pool water articles on our site… because millions of Americans each year get sick in some way, shape or form from swimming (or as some people call it bathing) in water that contained harmful biological contaminants.

Even worse, a good number of the sufferers contracted their illnesses not from public pools and swimming facilities, but rather from private pools at friends’, neighbors’ and family members’ homes.

If I can smell chlorine, the water is safe, right?

Not always and in some cases the powerful smell of chlorine in the air ought to tell you something may have gone wrong with the water recently. In general, with indoor pools excluded (for the most part), an intense smell of chlorine in the air tells you the pool may recently have received a dose of chlorine shock OR the water has very recently had a larger than normal biological load (i.e. people in the pool, someone had an ‘accident’ in the pool — see 1 in 5 Americans Admits Peeing in Swimming Pools), or the water has an overabundance of combined chlorine with little or no free chlorine available to combat bacteria, viruses, etc. in the water.

Pool water gets in eyes, noses, ears, mouths… and unmentionable areas areas each time you take a dip in the water. Allow us to repeat ourselves for the purpose of making our point:

Pool water gets in eyes, noses, ears, mouths… and unmentionable areas areas each time you take a dip in the water.

We hope this posting will teach at least a few folks the importance of carefully monitoring the quality and condition of pool water.

PLEASE don’t get us started on spa and hot tub water.

As a final, and quite NASTY reminder, some folks out there DO use public (and private) pools as a way to clean themselves after a day (or few days days) out in the hot sun.

Gross? Yes. But STILL a reality. Remember that.

Earlier this Summer we discussed this same topic and we feel quite certain that we will discuss it many more times in the future. Today’s inquiry comes to us from ‘JerseyGuy82560′ who asked,

Sas your answer regarding chlorine not lasting long with the answer being that liquid chlorine without a stablizer was probably the problem. I’m using powdered shock and put 2 pounds in last night at 10 PM. This morning at 6 AM, there was just a trace of chlorine. I don’t want to empty the pool in the middle of the season, so can I use conditioner to make the chlorine last longer? Thank you.

Thank you for your question, JerseyGuy. Many of the powdered (also called granular) shocks on the market have calcium as their base and do not possess stabilizer. For that reason the situation you described where 2 pounds of shock literally vanished overnight makes sense… providing you have not added chlorine stabilizer to the water at some point.

If you have not added any stabilizer (cyanuric acid) this year, then certainly putting some in now should help you maintain a healthy chlorine residual in your pool water.

If, on the other hand, you have added chlorine stabilizer and still cannot maintain a healthy chlorine level, you either have an abundance of contaminants in the water that require your chlorine’s immediate attention or you may not have enough chlorine stabilizer in the water.

Testing for Chlorine Stabilizer?

Several different test methods for cyanuric acid exist: 1) Wet Kits; 2) Test Strips; 3) Water Testing Meters.

• Wet Kits for Stabilizer Testing: Test kits of this nature use a chemical reagent that reacts with chlorine stabilizer to create a white substance in test samples which makes the water turbid and difficult to see through. Analysts then measure chlorine stabilizer levels as a function of turbidity.

• Test Strips for Stabilizer Testing: Test kits of this sort use a small piece of chemically impregnated cloth which changes color in the presence of cyanuric acid. Analysts then measure chlorine stabilizer levels as a function of change in color.

• Meters for Stabilizer Testing: These devices typically use the same principles as wet kits for determining cyanuric acid levels in pool water samples except the meter interprets turbidity levels instead of analysts taking the measurements. Given the very subjective nature of quantifying turbidity in a sample, meters generally tend to give more accurate and repeatable results.

So, JerseyGuy, if you have clear water at this time and still cannot maintain a proper chlorine residual, first we suggest determining if you have any stabilizer already in your water. Then we suggest bringing the level up to around 30 or 40 parts per million.

We hope this helps!

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!

Anyone who thinks they can just toss chlorine in their pool and walk away… will come back to a green, nasty or otherwise unusable pool — and need to spend a fair amount of money on chemicals to make the water clear (and/or safe!).

Of all the methods out there, Pool Test Strips offer the quickest and easiest testing solutions. Some people doubt the accuracy of test strips, sure, but test strips have come a LONG way in recent years.

Pool Check TDS Strips

Looking for a pool test kit w/ a bit more… chemistry to it? No problem. ‘Old School’ wet chemistry test kits that use liquids still exist. The most basic ones use OTO (for total chlorine testing) and a chemical called phenol red for pH testing.

More advanced liquid pool testing kits will use both those chemicals, maybe, and others to test for chlorine (free & total), bromine, pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, etc. The more pool water parameters you test for, the easier a time you will have keeping your pool water clean, clear and safe!

If you catch a pool water problem early on you have an opportunity to correct it BEFORE it gets out of hand, your water turns green (or black!), and you wind up spending money on extra chlorine, extra algaecides, and possibly other things.

Since we started this site we have gotten TONS of questions sounding very much like, “Which test kit should we trust?” and today we’d like to share some actual feedback from FilterWater.Com customers who have both purchased and used a test kit we talk about quite often on … the Water Quality Test Kit from the makers of SenSafe and WaterSafe test kits.

Rebeka on 4/7/2011, said: “I was skeptical at first that a product would be able to tell me something that I thought I would have to pay a professional to test. To my amazement this water test kit worked very well for me with fast and accurate results. I’m very satisfied with the product, it was very easy to use.” ( source )

So… What does the Water Quality Test Kit test for? So glad you asked!

• Free Chlorine – 2 tests
• Total Chlorine – 2 tests
• Chloride – 2 tests
• pH – 2 tests
• Total Alkalinity – 2 tests
• Total Hardness – 2 tests
• Nitrate – 2 tests
• Nitrite – 2 tests
• Iron – 2 tests
• Sulfate – 2 tests
• Hydrogen Sulfide – 2 tests
• Copper – 2 tests
• Lead – 1 test
• Pesticide – 1 test
• Bacteria – 1 test

We did say that we would provide you with feedback from more than one user, so here you go:

Michelle on 1/27/2011, said: “This water quality test kit is a great product that I would recommend to anyone. I’m in the real-estate market, and some places I show my clients have less than desirable water. This kit is an easy way for my clients to find out what they are getting into as far as there water source goes. My clients and I have found this kit very helpful and I will continue using them. A+” ( source )

So there you have actual testimonials from real people about the benefits offered by the Water Quality Test Kit. Now can you see why all of us here at Water Testing Blog like that kit so much?

For a little over 30 bucks you can test your water for 12 drinking water parameters two times and lead, pesticides (atrazine & simazine) and coliform bacteria once.

Does this test kit take the place of laboratory testing?

No, no, no, and NO. Home drinking water test kits work well as a means of performing on-the-spot testing between laboratory tests. Not at-home drinking water test kit which has the user interpret the results takes the place of water testing performed by a certified, qualified water testing lab.

Sniff test: If you smell chlorine, then your water most likely contains some amount of chlorine. To determine the exact amount, however, you will need to use other testing methods.

As a general rule, if your water has a chlorine smell to it, then you most likely have, at the very least, chloramines (combined chlorine) present. This does not, however, rule out the possibility that your water also may contain a free chlorine residual, too.

For the record, health officials and scientists agree that chlorine gas does NOT do the body any favors and in too great a quantity can cause lung and eye irritation… so we suggest not performing the ‘sniff test’ if you can help it.

Taste test: Not all water that contains chlorine will smell like a swimming pool. While combined chlorine (chloramines) has a strong odor associated with it, free chlorine does not. Therefore water that may not stink like chlorine may still possess a strong chlorine taste.

We do NOT advocate the taste test method for any reason. We mentioned it just so that we could talk about why water can lack a strong chlorine smell and yet still have a strong chlorine taste.

Chemical test kit: We know of many different test kits that the general public can use to determine the free and/or total chlorine concentrations in their drinking water.

“Wait… Did you just talk about two different types of chlorine?”

Yes, because as we discussed during a few moments ago, one can have free chlorine and/or combined chlorine in their water. Typically free chlorine acts as the main sanitizing and/or disinfecting agent in a chlorinated water supply and once the free chlorine finds an organic contaminant to ‘kill’, it becomes entangled with the contaminant and forms a combined chlorine molecule.

Therefore, it stands to reason that a chlorinated water supply may contain both free and combined chlorine at the same time if the free chlorine molecules have successfully neutralized all biological contaminants and the effort did not require the use/exhaustion of all free chlorine molecules present in the water supply.

Getting back to chemical test kits, please…

Now that we have established the existence of different types of chlorine which may or may not exist in a water supply, we will now discuss different ways of testing for chlorine in a water supply.

• Test Strips — Perfect for field testing because they require the user only to dip the strip into the water and compare the color of the test pad/area to a color chart that came with the package of test strips. Products exist for the detection of both free and total chlorine. People can even get a single test strip to test for both at the same using a product called WaterWorks 2

• ‘Wet’ Chemical Test Kits — Considered by most as the traditional, tried and true method for testing the quality of water. Most ‘wet’ kits typically require dissolving DPD as a tablet, powder or liquid into water samples and either comparing the colors of resultant solutions to color charts or adding drops of an additional chemical until a second color change reaction occurs.

  Simpler ‘wet chemistry’ test kits for chlorine (i.e. 2-way pool water test kits) use a different chemical called OTO (Orthotolidine) and detect total chlorine (free chlorine + combined chlorine = total chlorine).

  Problem w/ using OTO: No way exists to use OTO in a way that will allow a person to determine the free chlorine concentration.

  The DPD reagent system does, however, allow for differentiation between the two if a water sample has DPD-1 added first, gets analyzed, and then has DPD-3 added… and then get analyzed again.

• Water Testing Meters — Most water testing meters for chlorine (i.e. the eXact Chlorine Photometer) require the use of DPD, a chemical indicator which turns a shade of pink/red in the presence of chlorine molecules. DPD-1 indicates the presence of free chlorine and a combination of DPD-1 plus DPD-3 indicates the presence of free and/or combined chlorine (total chlorine).

So… Which method of chlorine testing will work best for you? Ask yourself the following questions:

1) Do you need to test for free chlorine, total chlorine or both?

2) How much accuracy and precision will you need in your results?

3) If performing testing for reporting purposes, what do the rules and regulations governing your profession say you must use as a testing methods?

Once you have answered those three questions you will have a clear idea of whether you should use chlorine test strips, wet chemistry test kits for chlorine testing or chlorine testing meters to determine chlorine concentrations in your water.

In one of our recent postings, Meter to Test Chromium in Water, we mentioned something called a ‘ReagentStrip’… and within a hours of our article hitting the blog we had half a dozen people asking us to explain the difference between a ‘reagentstrip’ and a ‘test strip’ — if one exists.

Well a difference certainly does exist and since testing for hexavalent chromium (also known as chromium 6 and chromium (VI)) has become such a hot topic recently, we will outline the differences between Chromium ReagentStrips (available at FilterWater.Com) and Chromium Test Strips (available at Shop.WaterTestingBlog.Com).

Primary difference between reagentstrips and test strips?

Simply put, a test strip determines the value of a specific water quality parameter by getting dipped into a sample and having the color of its test area, also called a test pad, compared to a color chart, color wheel, or other visual colorimetric standard while a reagentstrip delivers controlled amounts of reagents to a pre-measured sample and the sample, after reagent delivery, gets placed in a meter or other device and its color gets analyzed.

• Test Strips — Dip, read and compare a portion of the strip visually.

• ReagentStrips — Delivery method for reagents into a test sample. Resultant color change in test sample gets analyzed visually or by a meter.

Which is a better testing device?

Not really a fair comparison, if you want the truth. Each has its benefits and each has its downfalls while both testing methods, if used properly, will yield results worth having.

In the case of testing for Chromium (VI),

• Chromium Test Strips work well as an on-the-spot visual screening method for hexavalent chromium… but they have limitations related to the testing party’s ability to interpret colors.

• Chromium ReagentStrips require the use of a specific testing meter, the eXact Micro 7+ water testing meter, but the results of testing have practically no subjectivity since the meter and not a person analyzes the test sample. The reagentstrip did nothing except add required chemical reagents to the sample before analysis.

Usually we report about water conditions in a region getting worse but today we proudly announce that we recently stumbled across some news about improved water quality in a region. It feels good to deliver good news every once in a while, ya’ know?

So anyways, an independent environmental monitoring group in the Chesapeake Bay area (Chesapeake Bay Foundation) announced that results of recent water quality testing indicate definite improvements in the bay’s overall condition.

With its crab population rebounding and water quality slightly better, the Chesapeake Bay is showing signs of improvement, the region’s leading environmental group says, but the estuary remains seriously impaired and needs a strict pollution “diet” to ensure its restoration.

The Annapolis-based Chesapeake Bay Foundation upped the estuary’s overall health score by three points in its latest “state of the bay” report, while warning that it remains in critical condition, barely above a failing grade.

“That the bay is getting better is a huge development, but sadly not the whole story,” William C. Baker, the foundation’s president, said in a release accompanying the report. “Dead zones, fish kills and water contact advisories are constant reminders of how far we still must go.” ( source )

Got a body of water in your area that you’d like to keep an eye on? The Chesapeake Bay Foundation probably uses quite a few advanced tools such as multi-parameter meters to measure a wide range of critical water parameters but in all honesty, sometimes using simple tools such as a TDS Meter or Eco-Check, a very popular product which tests for nitrates, nitrites, hardness, total alkalinity, and pH all with a single dip of a test strip and typically costs less than $14.00 for a bottle of 25 tests.

Drastic changes in basic water quality parameters sometimes serve as warning signs that other, more serious water quality problems exist.

While neither iron, manganese nor hydrogen sulfide pose a ‘serious’ health risk in most cases when found in drinking water, they certainly do fall in the nuisance family. Iron and manganese can ruin loads of laundry, clog plumbing and leave stains on fixtures. Hydrogen sulfide in water just plain… stinks like rotten eggs.

Note: When choosing a test kit for iron in drinking water, keep in mind that you may commonly found iron in one of two forms in water: Ferric and/or Ferrous. Some test kits only test for one type… but the visual iron test kit above manufactured by SenSafe has a detection range of 0ppm to 5ppm total iron (ferrous & ferric).

What do I do if I find iron, manganese or hydrogen sulfide in my water?

If you’ve tested your water and found one (or more) of those three contaminants, you probably want to know if someone makes a filter to remove them. Conveniently, a Filter Water recently started carrying a whole house dual filter system designed to remove iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide.

While some filters for manganese, iron and hydrogen sulfide do not address the issue of other possible water contaminants, the Crystal Quest Dual Filter Iron, Hydrogen Sulfide and Manganese Filter System contains a 20″ solid carbon cartridge made with high-grade granulated activated carbon which puts a final polishing touch on the water by removing volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC’s), insecticides, pesticides and industrial solvents — if present in the water.

Quite frankly, this filter system uses a number of different filtration components to get the job done”

A 20″ sediment filter cartridge removes sediment, silt, sand and dirt which would otherwise clog up the other filtration elements and shorten their lifespans.

A (large) special manganese, iron and hydrogen sulfide removal mineral tank does… well, exactly what its name says it does.

In the second large tank, a series of beds containing ERA-9500 media, ERA-6500 media and Granular Activated Carbon remove hundreds of contaminants if they exist in the water.

In the last stage, the 20″ solid carbon cartridge mentioned previously takes out volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC’s), insecticides, pesticides and industrial solvents — if present in the source water.

What about when the filter gets ‘full’? What then?

The Crystal Quest Dual Filter Iron, Hydrogen Sulfide and Manganese Filter System comes equipped with an electronic microprocessor that keeps track of filter life and automatically initiates backwash cycles when needed.

Will I need to replace the media?

Even with scheduled backwashing/recharging of the different media types the various filtration elements will need replacing.

• The 20″ sediment filter cartridge has an expected life expectancy of 6 to 8 months.

• The 20″ carbon filter has an expected life expectancy of 6 to 8 months.

• The iron/manganese/sulfur filtration media has an expected life expectancy of between 5 and 8 years depending upon contaminant concentration levels.

This means a properly installed unit will provide homeowners with quality water for long periods of time without the homeowners needing to perform any sort of maintenance.

Replacement cartridges readily available?

One thing that really irritates most folks… Buying a product and then hot having the ability to locate necessary replacement parts or components. You won’t have that problem with this Crystal Quest Iron/Manganese/Sulfur Filter System because it uses industry-standard filter cartridge sizes (20″ x 2.5″) and the filtration media can easily get replaced.

We get inquiries like this one all the time… and this time we decided to post our ‘normal’ response for everyone to see because we feel strongly that more people should test chlorine levels in their drinking water — especially in countries or areas where the water supply may very well (accidentally) not contain enough chlorine to make it safe!

Quote for Chlorine test strips required

K/Attn: The Manager (International Sales)

Dear Ms/Sir,

We have the following requirement for Chlorine Test Strips having the following specifications:

   1. Range: 0, 1, 3, 5, 10 ppm
   2. Total qty: 1000 sticks
   3. Packing required: Bottles of 25 or 50 sticks each.

Important: Before choosing a test strip (stick) for chlorine, make sure you know whether you need to test for free chlorine or test for total chlorine, as different products exist for each!

To answer this person’s inquiry directly, though, the following links will take you to places where you can purchase test strips for both free and total chlorine concentration testing in water.