Quite honestly, we have asked ourselves that very same question ever since the Water Quality Test Kit came on the market. But, when WE asked, we got an answer to the effect of, ‘Well we already a Complete water test kit and we can’t up and change the name… so what would you have us do, call the new kit the More Complete Kit?’

In other words, the seemingly backwards naming for the two water test kits resulted from a combination of the following: 1) Improved water quality testing technology; 2) Public demand for a larger, more comprehensive water test kit; and 3) A slight lapse in marketing foresight on the part of the manufacturer.

In the manufacturer’s defense, however, they also could have had only one test kit called COMPLETE and kept adding more tests to it as demand required, but then the price would have just gone up and up and up… leaving them with no reasonably priced test kit on the market.

What does each test kit contain?

So naturally the question becomes, ‘What makes the one kit more expensive?’ We will answer that question with the table below:

The difference?

The COMPLETE Home Water Quality Test Kit contains everything that the Water Quality Test Kit contains except tests for lead in water and pesticides in water.

Sold on their own, the lead in water test typically sells for about $10 and the pesticide in water typically sells for about $20.

Hi. I’ve spent way too much time over the past days looking for a place to get some water strips. We have water problems, want to fix them and think you make sense saying test first, buy filter next. What makes water test kit store better? How do you stand out?

You can see why we suspected the message as spam from an SEO Marketing firm, right? Seriously… Why elsewould someone take the time to ask us why we felt we did a better job than our competitors? Answer: Because they actually wanted to know… so we will now do our best to, um, brag(?) about what makes us ‘awesome’.

• We started the blog about water quality and water quality testing several years before opening the Water Test Kit Store… and have hands-on knowledge of almost all the water test kits we carry — because at some point or other we have USED almost all of them.
   
• Other companies sell water testing products as add-on items whereas we sell them as our main product line. Yes, we do intend to branch out and start shipping a select number of water filtration products (i.e. Austin Springs Water Filters), but we will NOT drop our commitment to carrying water test kits that we trust will work as advertised.

  After all… Without water test kits, how will anyone know what type of water filter will work best for their water quality needs AND how will they test their water after installing a water filter to make sure it works?
   

• Ever order a product online and find yourself surprised that the seller did not take the time to at least put your purchase in some sort of protected (padded/cushioned) envelope? Well, WE ship the majority of our products in BOXES w/ packing peanuts, packing paper, those inflated air pouches, etc. What good would testing products do for you if they arrived on your doorstep in a battered, torn, nearly shredded, and possibly sopping wet non-padded envelope… or in a cheap, torn-to-shreds thin plastic/polymer mailer?

  Additionally, whether padded envelope or traditional box, we place a pack of clear packing tape over our customers’ addresses so that accidental contact with water (ironic, right?) will not blur them and make the package undeliverable.
   

• Since we obviously DO care about the environment, we reuse the packing peanuts, packing paper, the inflated air pouches, etc. that we receive as protective materials for the orders we get from our vendors.
   
• As part of our daily routine we strive to respond to emails and web inquiries as quickly as possible — even on weekends.
   
• In-stock water test strips and water test kits normally ship within one business day.
   
• Full-size arsenic test kits ship within 3 to 5 days — guaranteeing you the freshest test kit reagents possible.
   
• Water testing meters also ship within 3 to 5 business days — guaranteeing you the freshest test kit reagents possible.
   
• We love to help people find out what in their water they can reduce or remove to make their lives better. Safe, clean drinking water has innumerable health benefits… and we believe everyone should enjoy them!

We could go on and on tooting our own horn about how awesome we are, but by now, if you’re still reading, we think you got the point by now.

A bit about the future of the Water Test Kit Store…

As requests come in from our readers and we see developing needs in the water testing market we will continue to diversify our water test strip and test kit selection.

Regarding our plan to carry countertop, undercounter, shower and whole house water filters, well, we thought very long and hard before deciding on what brand to start with… and believe very strongly in our selection of the Austin Springs brand.

Please visit with us, again, soon for more information on new, exciting and USEFUL water testing products as well as Austin Springs Water Filters.

Test for 97 Potential
Drinking Water Contaminants

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!

Having said all that, it pleases us to announce the launch of a brand new web site: WaterSafe-Test-Kits.Com. There you will find product details on all of WaterSafe’s most popular water testing kits. You can also access the product pages on the site using the links below!

City Water Test Kit	Lead in Water Test Kit	Bacteria in Water Test Kit
Well Water Test Kit	Chlorine and Hardness Test Kit	Water Cooler Bacteria Test Kit
Science Fair Project Test Kit Four Full Kits	Science Fair Project Test Kit Ten Full Kits	Caffeine Test Strip
Pool and Spa Bacteria Test Kit Contains One Test	Pool and Spa Bacteria Test Kit Contains Ten Tests

Coming Soon: The official release of a web site dedicated to providing information on the SenSafe, WaterWorks, Quick and eXact brands of water testing strips, water testing kits and water testing meters!

End users (consumers) of water supplied by the city may want to periodically check the quality of the water they get from their water company.

Testing the water water quality at your home, office, school or other place of interest does NOT have to cost a fortune, though, as some water service professionals would have you believe.  While nothing takes the place of certified laboratory testing, simple, do-it-yourself home water quality test kits offer fast results at a fraction of the cost and can alert consumers to the fact that they may want to consider having their water examined by a certified laboratory.

Examples of Home Water Test Kits

4 in 1 City Water Check

4 in 1 City Water Check The 4-in-1 City Water Check home water test kit gives fast, accurate water test results for four major parameters often looked at in city (or municipally) treated drinking water: pH, Total Alkalinity, Total Chlorine, and Total Hardness. The test takes less than 30 seconds to perform and requires no technical training. more information

COMPLETE Water Test Kit

COMPLETE Water Test Kit The COMPLETE Water Test Kit offers homeowners the ability to quickly and accurately test for Bacteria, Nitrates, Nitrites, Hydrogen Sulfide, Total Hardness, Total Alkalinity, Total Chlorine, Free Chlorine, Chloride, Copper, Sulfate, Iron, and pH. COMPLETE Water Test Kit gives its users rapid, comprehensive water test results at an affordable cost — MSRP of around $25 USD. more information

Water Quality Test Kit

Water Quality Test Kit With a name as simple and easy to understand as Water Quality Test Kit, you know getting accurate water test results won’t take long. This comprehensive, yet affordable, home water test kit contains the following tests: (2) tests for Iron, (2) tests for Copper, (2) tests for Chloride, (2) tests for Nitrate/Nitrite as Nitrogen, (2) tests for Total Chlorine, (2) tests for Total Hardness, (2) tests for Free Chlorine, (2) tests for Sulfate, (2) tests for pH, (2) tests for Total Alkalinity, (2) tests for Hydrogen Sulfide, (1) Pesticide in Water test, (1) Lead in Water test, and (1) 48 Hour Presence/Absence test for Coliform Bacteria. If you’re looking for a do-it-all, do-it-yourself home water test that won’t break the bank, you should definitely take a long look at the perfectly named Water Quality Test Kit — MSRP of around $37 USD. more information

Looking for more water test kits?

If so, then definitely check out the more than 50 water quality tests kits currently available in our Water Test Kit Store. We have simple, easy-to-use water test kits for basic water quality parameters like total chlorine, coliform bacteria, copper, total iron, and, obviously, many more!