Thanks, ‘Kara-Lynn’, for this very good question about the relationship between pH readings and alkalinity readings when testing water. A good many people have confusion on this topic!

Going back in time a bit…

Many years ago when we worked in a pool store that performed free water testing and (obviously) also sold a variety of pool water adjustment chemicals that raised the pH, lowered the pH, raised the alkalinity, or lowered the alkalinity levels of pool water we faced customers on a regular basis that had questions about the relationship between pH and alkalinity.

Quickly we learned a very simple way to explain the relationship:

• Think of alkalinity as a total number of particles that can change color in a body of water.
   
• Think of pH as the range of colors that each particle could change.
   
• If color change is required: It is easier to convince a small number of the color-changing particles to change color than it is to convince a large number of color-changing particles.
   
• If color change is unwanted: It takes more effort to convince a large number of color-changing particles to change color than it does to convince a small number of color-changing particles.
   
• Higher alkalinity means greater color (pH) stability. Lower alkalinity means less color (pH) stability.

Some people understood the meaning of my little story asked for more information on how they could test for both parameters since a clear relationship existed between pH and alkalinity.

For those folks we suggested pool water test strips like the Pool Check 5-Way and the Pool Check 6-Way test strip products as the easiest ways to keep tabs on both the pH and alkalinity of pool water.

Other people developed a blank look on their faces and simply said, “Yeah, OK, just tell me what I need to buy”… and went on their merry way.

Testing pH & alkalinity in drinking water

Can you use pool & spa test strips to test the pH and alkalinity of drinking water? Yes, but in general the manufacturers of pool & spa test strips calibrated those products using water with a higher temperature.

Therefore, we suggest using products specifically designed to test water with a cooler temperature such as the WaterWorks pH & Total Alkalinity Test Strips which come packaged in bottles of 50 tests for each parameter and cost less than $10 per bottle.

Detection ranges for the WaterWorks pH & Total Alkalinity Test Strips:

• pH: 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0
   
• Total Alkalinity: 0, 80, 120, 180, 240, 360 ppm (mg/L)

The Baquacil pool water treatment system uses something called a biguanide in place of traditional pool sanitizers like chlorine or bromine to keep water safe for swimming. In addition to the biguanide this type of pool water treatment system also makes use a ‘shock’ comprised mainly of hydrogen peroxide that pool owners, last we heard, should use once every one or two weeks.

Regarding the matter of whether you need to test for peroxide in your pool, from what we have read that all depends on whether or not you plan to keep (and maintain) a hydrogen peroxide residual in your water or if you plan to shock according to schedule and be done with it.

If you plan to maintain a residual then yes, you will want to own a test kit or test strips for peroxide in water.

As for whether or not we sell a testing product for peroxide, we carry WaterWorks Peroxide Check tests trips that has the following peroxide concentrations on its color chart:0.05, 2.0, 5.0, 10, 25, 50, 100 ppm (mg/L).

In our experience most people using a biguanide pool sanitizer sanitizer system typically do not need to test for peroxide levels in excess of 100 ppm (most peroxide levels get kept around 30ppm or 40ppm) but, if you ever do need to test for higher levels, mix an equal portion of pool water with distilled or deionized water, perform the test per the product’s instructions, and then multiply the detected peroxide level by a factor of two.

Hi and thank you for the recent post on when to test pool water. We have had our pool for only one season now and did the dumb thing of believing the pool sales jerk when he said we don’t have to test but once or twice a month. We spent a FORTUNE trying to get the water to stay clear and then when we tested more using the test strips that came with our kit the results were crazy high one day crazy high the next and the directions read like a bad foreign subtitle film. Do all pool strips get made in places outside the US? Also can test strips actually do the job or do we need something else? Thanks, May

Well, May, we DO know of several pool test strip manufacturers located here in the United States and as you probably saw in our water test kit store that at this time we carry the Pool Check Brand of pool test strips in a variety of configurations: 3-Way, 4-Way, 5-Way, and 6-Way.

We decided to carry the Pool Check Brand for a number of reasons:

• Easy-to-follow directions written right on the bottle.
   
• Pool Check test strips get manufactured in the United States by Industrial Test Systems, Inc. — which has its headquarters in South Carolina.
   
• Wider detection ranges and we believe that Pool Check color charts have more precision than many other brands currently available.
   
• We have worked in the field and at our own homes with Pool Check products for many years and have always felt confident that we could trust the water test results we got during testing.

As for whether or not Pool Check (or any pool testing product for that matter) will work well for you, that all depends on your water quality situation. If too far out of whack, then pretty much no at-home testing product will give accurate results… so we suggest taking your water at the beginning of the season (right after you open the pool) to a local pool store and having them test it — so you can hopefully start the season off right..

Yes, they will more than likely tell you that you need this, that, and the other thing to get your water balanced, but at least you will know that you have done what you needed to do to get the water balanced, clear, and safe. Follow their instructions and then use products like the Pool Check brand of test strips to make sure important water quality parameters have not started to drift from acceptable levels.

In our opinion, a properly monitored pool should rarely, if ever, have any serious algae or clarity problems stemming from water quality unless outside factors (i.e. chemical feeder malfunction, excessive bather load, kids forgot to add chlorine for a week, etc.) come into play.

Moral of the Story?

Start your swimming season the right way by having your water tested by a trained pool water professional. They will (or should…) test for more advanced things like metals (i.e. iron, copper, TDS, etc.) and get you headed in the right direction with crystal clear water that’s safe for swimming.

After that, use the water testing product that makes the most sense for your budget and water conditions to keep an eye on the quality of your water. By doing so you should have the ability catch potential water quality issues before they become… expensive water quality problems.

How long after the expiration date will they work?

We recently posted an article on the topic of short shelf life test strips on this site because we get asked this question a LOT. You can read that article here: Do Tests Strips with Short Shelf Life Still Work?

To answer the question directly, though, we have this to say: “If properly stored since the date of manufacture the products should still work, but no one will guarantee the product’s accuracy beyond the date stamped on the bottle.”

The answer above actually applies to pretty much ALL products that come with expiration dates if you think about it. But, in order to hedge off lawsuits from potentially disgruntled consumers with really old or poorly stored products, manufacturers do have to put a time limit out there.

Are WaterWorks Total Hardness Test Test Strips the right product?

Regarding the matter of ‘is the WaterWorks Total Hardness Test Strip the best product for you, that would all depend on what you believed you needed to test — since this product detects only Calcium and Magnesium.

If looking just to make certain your water softener functions as expected, meaning it reduces calcium and magnesium hardness as described by the unit’s manufacturer, then we believe WaterWorks Total Hardness Test Strips should work just fine for what you want to do.

Now on the other hand, if you have curiosity about other potential water contaminants (i.e. lead, nitrates/nitrites, coliform bacteria, arsenic, etc.), then this product will not cover all those bases and you will want to consider a product that perhaps includes total hardness test strips as well as test for the other items you would like to test for.

If the latter situation sounds more like your situation then we suggest you consider a multi-parameter water test kit like the SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit, WaterWorks COMPLETE Test Kit, or the WaterSafe City Water Test Kit.

Each of the those kits offers slightly different water testing options and each comes with easy-to-follow directions that make testing one’s water for a number of critical water quality parameters a painless process.

may sound dumb but I have just purchased a hot tub and these strips came with it, I
am not understanding the difference between total chlorine and free chlorine my test
shows 0 on both the rest of my colors are good what do I need to add? thanks

Believe it or not, Sally, we actually COMMEND you for having the courage to ask the question that you did… because too many people don’t ask questions and wind up with potentially unsafe water conditions!

For a tutorial on the differences between free and total chlorine we suggest you take a look at a popular blog entry on our site called “What is the Difference Between Total Residual Chlorine and Free Chlorine?“.

In a nutshell, however, if you use chlorine or bromine to sanitize your hot tub water then you have a problem that needs remedying right away: Your water contains no sanitizers — and you need to add some right away!

If, on the other hand, you use an alternative water sanitizing system (mineral ionization, ozone, peroxide, biguanide, etc.), then having no chlorine reading on either pad probably isn’t an issue.

Testing for alternative sanitizers

As more and more folks migrate towards alternative sanitizing systems for their spas and hot tubs, the need for testing methods for the alternative sanitizing methods grows.

Thankfully some methods, like the WaterWorks Peroxide Test Strips and the SenSafe Ozone Check, already exist.

And now for something completely (maybe) different…

Always consider the source water FIRST

Whether you have a swimming pool or a hot tub, the final quality of your water will depend heavily upon the quality of your source water (the water you fill your pool or hot tub with) and, more importantly, what you do to correct any issues that may exist with the water once you have added it to your pool or spa.

As ‘coders’ in the computer programming world often say, ‘Garbage In, Garbage Out!’

If your source water sucks, to use a term most of us definitely recognize, then without correction the water quality of any pool or spa filled with the source water will also suck.

Testing the water prior to the addition of chemicals makes total sense — unless, of course, you would rather spend money to fix problems like… staining on liners, fixtures, etc. caused by the addition of sanitizers (chlorine, bromine, etc.) which NEED to get added to the water.

Important Chemistry Lesson: Adding strong oxidizers like chlorine to water that contains dissolved metals like copper, iron, etc. may result in the formation of insoluble compounds that will settle on and stain any surfaces they encounter.

Most recently we added two new test kits that MANY of you have asked for: The WaterSafe Lead in Water Test Kit and the WaterSafe City Water Test Kit.

We think these two test kits bring a lot to the water testing table in terms of utility, ease-of-use, accuracy, and affordability. Look for us to begin carrying more of the WaterSafe Brand in the new near future!

Point-of-Use Water Filters by Austin Springs

By now you have undoubtedly seen us mention a new product line that we will begin carrying in just a few days now called Austin Springs Water Filters in recent articles — and you will see us bring it up more and more as the official company release date gets closer.

If you have considered putting a water filter in your home — after testing your water to make sure you actually need a water filter, of course — we highly suggest taking a look at the benefits offered by the Austin Springs line of water filters which include NSF/ANSI 42 Certification for chlorine reduction (countertop, undercounter & whole house) as well as NSF/ANSI 53 Certification for the reduction of unwanted water contaminants like VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), lead, cysts, mercury, MTBE (a gasoline additive), asbestos, and turbidity (countertop & undercounter).

With pricing in a range that most home and small business owners can certainly afford and benefits that most people can use, we believe the Austin Springs product line will quickly become one of te most sought after brand names in the point of-use water filtration market!

Interested in learning more about Austin Springs water filters? You will find information on them in our online store (Shop.WaterTestingBlog.Com) and in the following data sheets: Austin Springs Countertop/Undercounter Data Sheet & Austin Springs Whole House Water Filter Data Sheet.

New Test Kits for Oxidizer Levels

Over the past few months we also added new water testing products from the SenSafe and WaterWorks brands of water test strips for ozone, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide, high range free chlorine, high range total chlorine, and iodine — and we hope to have even more oxidizer testing products available in the next few months!

Creation of a Clearance Section in the Water Test Kit Store

As happens in ANY retail business where products have assigned shelf lives, invariably some products don’t sell as quickly as store owners would like… and since we hate to see perfectly good water test kits go to waste, well, we created a special clearance section where you will find water test strips and water test kits whose shelf lives have become short offered for drastically reduced prices.

So, if you find yourself with immediate testing needs and you won’t need test strips with longer shelf lives, definitely take a look at the current offerings in the Water Test Kit Store Clearance Section!

For those curious as to WHY a person would have interest in a fast, easy-to-use and accurate test strip for dissolved copper, pH and total alkalinity, the answer lies with pools, spas and water features (i.e. decorative ponds, coy ponds, fountains, etc.). In water samples from each of those three water environments a person could very easily expect to find traces of dissolved copper.

• Copper in Swimming Pools – Dissolved copper in swimming pools may come from a number of sources including, but not limited to, copper based algaecides and algistats, normal wear and tear on a heated pool’s heating element, and/or from source water used to replace water lost due to intentional draining and evaporation.
   
• Copper in Hot Tubs & Spas – One could expect to find dissolved copper in a hot tub or spa due to the natural wear and tear on its heating element. Also, in the case of outdoor spas and hot tubs we have heard that some, but not a whole lot, of people employ the use of copper based algaecides to ward off algae attacks in tubs that do not get used on a regular basis.
   
• Copper in Water Features – In an effort to retard and or prevent the growth of algae in water features — many of which do not have the protective benefit of sanitizing or disinfecting chemicals due to the presence of organics (plants, fish, etc.) — owners of water features will often use small amounts of copper based algaecides/algistats. Not keeping a watchful eye on the dissolved copper could have a seriously detrimental effect on plant and animal life if levels get too high.

Now that we know why people would want to test for copper in water, some of you probably want to know why anyone would find it desirable to also test for pH and total alkalinity at the same time. The answer to that question lies in the relationship between copper as a solid metal and the effects of pH & alkalinity on that solid metal when either parameter drifts out of the acceptable range.

Water with incorrect pH and/or alkalinity becomes more corrosive than properly balanced water and will eat away at (dissolve) most metals at a much faster rate. In pools, spas and hot tubs corrosive water will target the copper heating elements of water heaters and pull copper metal ions out of them.

If not watched closely water with improper pH and/or total alkalinity can very easily shorten the lifespan of copper heating elements in swimming pools and hot tubs to a mere fraction of what one would normally expect… and if they go bad unannounced, well, the cleanup & repair — especially for indoor hot tub owners — could very easily wind up costing a whole heck of a lot more than monitoring and balancing the dissolved copper, pH and total alkalinity levels in the first place!

Other reasons to monitor copper, pH and alkalinity levels?

While the untimely and expensive demise of heater elements certainly should make a good enough case to encourage folks like us to perform regular testing for dissolved copper, pH and total alkalinity, other folks out there may need a bit more convincing… so try THIS on for size: Dissolved metals (i.e. and especially copper) will drop out of solution and stain pool/spa/feature surfaces if the pH and/or alkalinity strays too far out of range!

To make matters worse, getting those stains off surfaces typically takes a good amount of time, physical labor (elbow grease!), and metal stain removal chemicals.

Testing for copper in source water?

Earlier we mentioned that water used to fill a swimming pool, hot tub or water feature may contain dissolved copper… and we meant what we said. Some well water and even some municipal/city/tap water may contain dissolved copper so it makes sense to always test your source water for quality before blindly adding to your pool, spa or water feature.

AND it REALLY makes sense to make sure you test for the presence of heavy metals (i.e. copper, iron, etc.) before adding strong oxidizers like chlorine or bromine because the addition of those chemicals causes a sharp change in the water’s pH and alkalinity levels… and as stated earlier this could cause the metals to fall out of solution (form precipitates) and potentially stain surfaces.

Yeah, sure, pool owners want to get their water in pristine condition at the beginning of the year… and want to keep it looking good for their annual Fourth of July pool party… but something strange happens as the midday temps start to get a bit cooler and thoughts start to turn towards kids going back to school, the all-important Labor Day cookout, and pre-planning for Black Friday shopping.

All of a sudden no one cares about the pool anymore — unless they want to, on a whim, actually get in it. Hmmm… If no one has TESTED the water in a while, how do you know whether or not the pH and/or alkalinity will burn your eyes, the sanitizer level will bleach your hair/swimsuit, and/or if the chlorine stabilizer has done its duty by keeping chlorine in the water in case of moments like these when you decide to take a late night, almost Fall dip?

At Water Testing Blog we believe in regular water testing not only for the sake of performing tests, but rather because we have seen the consequences of untested pool water, drinking water, well water, surface water, etc. Whether you believe it or not, even the simplest and smallest amount of water testing could keep you, and more importantly your family, out of harm’s way — at least for a moment.

With that said, we proudly announce the End of August Pool Testing Sale at the Pool Water Test Kits Store. Simply click either of the previous links and you will get taken to the site where you can pick up useful pool water testing supplies for 12% the regular price from now until the end of the month. The discount will get applied right before you checkout.

Update: Not to feel left out of the fun, the Water Test Kit Store on our own site will also offer 12% off of all pool water test strips & pool test kits until the end of August!

So, whether you choose our water test kit store or the water test kit store on our other site, you can save big on the pool testing supplies you need until the end of August!

We EXPECTED to find a convoluted bunch of advertising hype leading up to asking us to send a sample of our water to a lab someplace bu we did not find anything of that nature.

The company, In the Swim (www.intheswim.com) posted a very simple online form that asked for just a few simple pieces of information that one could obtain by looking at their pool water and using a test strip like the Pool Check 5-Way Pool Test Strips offered in our online store.

The form asked for the following pieces of information: Pool type (pool or spa), water conditions (cloudy or clear & color if cloudy), visible algae, visible stains, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and free/available chlorine (or bromine).

Then, once we hit the ‘submit’ button it took us to a page where it placed all of our values in a nice, neat table that also contained the industry accepted values for the same pool water quality parameters. This made it very easy for us to see exactly how our pool water quality compared to the way it should be.

We then had a chance to ‘view suggestions’ regarding our personal water quality situation — which we did — and a new page appeared with information regarding possible causes of our pool water woes (we said we had cloudy water and low pH). At this point the program did, of course, give a push for us to add some chemicals to our cart, but never once did the program’s language seem threatening or intimidating… like we have overheard in many pool stores over the years.

• “If you don’t fix this problem right away your pool will rot.”
• “Yeah, you CAN swim in it as-is, but I wouldn’t.”
• “Hey, if the machine says you need these chemicals then you NEED these chemicals.”
• And one of our favorites of all time: “Don’t come crying to us when your skin gets all itchy and your hair turns green, OK?”

Yep. Got to love the untrained, uncouth water testing personnel in some pool stores. Wait, we take that back. No, you don’t have to love them. You SHOULD, however, make use of Pool Check Test 5-Way Strips and the convenient, not-too-pushy Online Pool Water Test program on IntheSwim.Com. No download required, either! It’s 100% online and easy!

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Over the Winter months nasty pool shed Gremlins content themselves with stealing (or hiding) important things like 2-way test kits, test strips, and, of course, the color charts that go along with pool water test kits. One such unfortunate soul contacted us late last night through our Pool Water Test Kit Store asking if we carried the color chart for Aquachek 7-Way Test Strips… and although we do not personally sell the product in our web store, we DO have a copy of the color chart needed to interpret the results given by Aquachek 7-Way Test Strips.

Aquachek Color Chart Online: 7 Way / 7-in-1 Pool Test Strip

We hope this helps not only the gentleman who asked the question, but also anyone else whose Aquachek 7-Way Test Strip color chart got stolen by those fiendish pool shed Gremlins! 🙂

And finally, for those in search of a simple test kit for chlorine and pH — because the dog/cat/ferret/pterodactyl ate your old one — you can purchase those here on the InTheSwim.Com web site.

Simple 2 Way Test Kit for pH and Total Chlorine

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So there you have it, folks. No more can those pesky pool cabana cannibals ruin your pool testing efforts with Aquachek 7-Way Test Strip using thievery — unless, of course, they steal you test strips, too!

Happy Sunday, everyone!