Most pool water professionals will agree that pool owners and pool maintenance staff should check the sanitizer levels (chlorine, bromine, etc.), pH, calcium hardness and total alkalinity on a regular basis.
To check those basic parameters a pool owner can use pool test strips, wet chemistry pool test kits and/or pool testing meters. Each method has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages:
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Inexpensive to replace reagents on a yearly basis but requires counting drops and relies heavily on the user’s ability to interpret/compare colors. |
Fast and efficient, but a little more expensive and still relies heavily on the user’s ability to interpret/compare colors. |
Typically the most accurate method since users do not interpret/compare color but by far the most expensive method as well. |
While the four parameters mentioned above (sanitizer levels, pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness) should get checked on a regular basis, pool owners should also keep a watchful eye on other pool water parameters such as cyanuric acid levels, mineral content (i.e. iron, copper, etc.), TDS (total dissolved solids), and acid/base demand.
