Complete Water Testing Guide for Your Pool

Regular pool inspections are a vital part of owning a pool. It is essential for maintaining clear, algae-free water. Additionally, it is crucial to maintain a proper chemical balance in your pool, since improper water chemistry may damage your pool and its equipment. Improperly balanced water may cause eye pain and hair discolouration. To get an accurate reading, you’ll need a test kit, pool water testing strips or a digital tester.  Toronto Pool Supplies is here to answer any questions you may have.

How Often Do You Test Pool Water?

Test the water at least once per week, or more often if the pool is extensively used. If you are new to pool management, you may wish to test the water 2-3 times each week until you get used to the variations. It might be helpful to choose one day each week for regular water testing. This goes for saltwater pools as well.

How Long Can Pool Water Sit Before Testing?

Not long.  Letting the water sit makes the testing less accurate because the chemicals settle to the bottom.  Set aside enough time to complete the process fully.  

What Do You Test Pool Water For?

The primary pool chemicals to monitor are pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and chlorine (sanitizer). In some instances, it may also be necessary to test for metals and stabilisers. Here are the proposed levels for maintaining a pool’s balance:

Which Test to Buy

There are four primary methods for testing your pool’s water, each with distinct advantages:

Pool Water Liquid Drop Tests

The liquid test kits consist of a testing container and reagents, which are contained in dropper bottles. They are often quite precise and test for all important substances. The majority of pool pros recommend this kind of examination.

How to Use a Liquid Test Kit

1. Utilize the clean, empty testing container that comes with the package
2. Remove the sample away from the vicinity of jets and skimmers.
3. Submerge the container upside down to the elbow, then remove the sample.
4. Add liquid reagents in droplets, as instructed per the kit’s instructions. Typically, the left (yellow) side measures chlorine while the right (red) side measures pH.
5. Seal the container and shake vigorously. If possible, refrain from touching the surface with your hands, since acids on the surface may alter findings.

Test Strips

Test strips are simple and quick to use, but less reliable than liquid test kits due to their expiration date. In the long term, test strips are somewhat more costly than liquids due to their single-use nature.

The only problem with test strips is that you won’t get an exact color. You need to eyeball the color matches each time you test the water. For example, you might think the alkalinity is set to 150 ppm but the color doesn’t match perfectly to the strip.

How to Use the Test Strips for Pool Water Testing

1. Use a clean, empty cup.
2. Take the sample in the middle of the pool away from jets and skimmers.
3. Dip container upside down until elbow deep, then take the sample.
4. When it changes colour, match it to the sample in the test kit to determine levels in the pool.

Pool Water Testing Electronic and Digital Testers

The third method is the use of a digital pool water tester. A digital tester incorporates the advantages of both test strip and test kit methods. When calibrated correctly, it is incredibly precise and simple to use. A digital pool water tester is the most expensive of the three pool water testing alternatives, but the expense may be justified for you.

Pool professionals love these because they quickly and very accurately test for free chlorine, total chlorine, bromine, pH, alkalinity, calcium, and more.

How to Use the Digital Testers

1. Calibrate the tester.
2. Use a sample deep in the pool.
3. Some operate by having you collect pool water samples and then having you simply dip the tester into the sample.  For others, you will collect water samples and insert them into the device itself for it to display your test results.
4. Read the results on the tester for the chemical levels. 

With a Professional

If you are having difficulties balancing your pool or do not know how to address chemical imbalances, you should bring your water to a professional. Since a specialist will manage the diagnosis and therapy, this makes obtaining the correct chemical as simple as possible.

How to Provide a sample to a Professional 

1. Use a clean, empty water bottle (12 oz – 16 oz).
2. Take the sample in the middle of the pool away from jets and skimmers.
3. Dip container upside down until elbow deep, then take the sample.
4. Have it analyzed. 

Salt Water Testing

If you already possess a salt water pool, you should familiarise yourself with the fundamentals of pool maintenance. Checking the chemical levels of your pool on a regular basis ensures that your pool is ready for use and safe for swimming.

Even if your saltwater pool system makes the pool easier to maintain overall, you still need to understand how to correctly test the water. So, you’ll be able to detect imbalances before they become major problems, and you’ll know what actions to take to bring your pool to a safe and functional condition.

Checking the chemical levels is part of routine pool care, so when the time comes, it is an easy task. Simply buy some affordable pool water test strips, or use a digital water tester if you like.

You also have the option of having it examined by an expert. This is one option if you want the most comprehensive and accurate measurements of your pool’s chemical levels.

What are you testing for?

Free Chlorine: This level indicates whether or not the water is clean and safe for swimming. The purpose of your previous levels is to support this one. 1-3 parts per million (ppm) is often adequate in a saltwater pool.

pH:  This level indicates whether water is acidic or alkaline. When it is out of balance, the Free Chlorine in the water is unable to perform its job effectively, which may damage the comfort of swimmers and lead to scaling or erosion in the pool. Typically, 7.5 is excellent, and it is vital to maintain it between 7.2 and 7.8

Total Alkalinity: A correct amount ensures that your pH does not fluctuate rapidly.

Salinity:  This degree of salinity allows your salt chlorine generator to function properly and maintain your Free Chlorine level. The range varies per model, but the optimal amount is often between 3000 and 4000 ppm. This is the sole level of water chemistry that is “specific” to saltwater pools.

Stabilizer: This level “coats” your Free Chlorine to prevent it from disappearing as a result of the sun’s rays. However, if the amount is too high, Free Chlorine may become useless. In general, a range of 30-50 ppm is effective in the majority of situations.

Methods of testing your saltwater pool

Test Strips

When opting to test your pool’s salinity and other chemistry values such as pH, alkalinity, and chlorine, testing using pool water test strips is the most cost-effective alternative. Typical directions on test strip packaging are as follows:

1. Dip a strip into the water, but do not let it soak; instead, dip and remove the strip.
2. Wait several seconds for the system to “read the levels.”
3. Match the colour it changes to the colour shown on the container or in the directions.

By observing the colour, you can determine your levels and make the necessary adjustments.

You are responsible for judging the tiny colour variations and matching them to the colour reference on the product label. Therefore, this strategy involves some generalisation and guessing.

Test Kits

Typical water chemistry test kits include chemicals and containers. This form of testing requires a chemical set and may take a considerable amount of time, but it is considerably more accurate than test strips. Depending on the quantity being measured, the precise testing procedure might vary, but normally you must count the number of drops of reagent you apply, then observe any response or colour change.

To test the water in your pool using a liquid reagent kit:

1. Fill the provided vials with saltwater pool water samples, then add the liquid reagent according the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. After mixing the reagent with pool water samples, the samples’ colour will change.
3. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for clarification on how to interpret the test findings.
4. To assess the salinity of your pool samples, compare them to the supplied colour chart.

 Digital Water Testers

These electronic water chemistry analyzers are an excellent combination of accuracy and portability. Fully electronic testers will offer instant readings for six crucial pool chemistry levels. Although some electronic tests still need reagents, they are exceedingly exact and simple to use.

When using a digital water tester to determine the salt concentration in a pool:

1. You will dip a test strip deep into the water of your pool.
2. Hold it in place, then put it into the designated location on the digital water tester.
3. The digital water tester will provide many values, including the salinity of your pool water, within 15 to 20 seconds.

Pool Water Testing Tips for Every Pool

• Sample deep in the pool.
• Ensure that the pool has been operating for at least fifteen minutes. An hour is perfect.
• Ensure liquid kits are filled to the “fill” level on the column.
• If possible, mix the solution using a cap; acids from the hands might alter the findings.
• Rinse in a sink, not the swimming pool. 
• Testing strips must be kept in a cold, dry location.

How to Add Chemicals Safely

• Always read and adhere to the chemical’s instructions to guarantee its safe usage.
• Wear safety gear and equipment, including gloves, boots, and glasses.
• Handle chemicals in an area with adequate ventilation.
• When transferring or measuring chemicals, use separate metal or plastic measuring cups for each substance. Never use wood scoops.
• Protect chemicals from water and moisture, such as a cup of coffee or water. Even returning the wet scoop to the pail may trigger a reaction.
• Always dilute chemicals by adding them to water, never the other way around unless instructed to do so on the container’s label.
• Do not combine different chemicals.
• Do not return spilt chemicals to their original containers.
• Do not smoke when working with chemicals.
• Do not expose to fire or heat.

Toronto Pool Supplies

Learning how to be your own pool guy or gal has never been easier. What’s even better is all featured products in this article are available to be delivered to your doorstep. So, sit back, relax, and get started with our super simple DIY pool water test guide, then visit our store and buy water testers for your pool!