Use and Care Guide

TEST DESCRIPTION & RECOMMENDED RANGES
TROUBLE PREVENTION CHART
POOL & SPA WATER TESTS
SYMPTOM POTENTIAL SOLUTIONCAUSE
Bleached hair or bathing
suits. Eye irritation.
Add sodium thiosulfate or sodium sulfite to neutralize.Excessive chlorine.
Corrosion of metal fixtures
in contact with pool water.
Rust & copper stains.
Have pH, total alkalinity, & calcium hardness levels tested.
Balance water with treatment chemicals recommended by
your supplier. Add chelating or sequestering agent per
instructions to prevent more stains.
Eye irritation &/or itchy skin.
Water has foul odor.
Complaints of “too much
chlorine” in water.
High combined
chlorine, low free
chlorine.
Adjust pH to 7.2 – 7.8.* Perform breakpoint chlorination to
eliminate combined chlorine. Do not reenter water until
free chlorine level drops below 5 ppm.
Plaster etching, concrete
pitting, grout dissolving.
Scale on walls & fixtures.
(Common in new inground
pools.)
Have pH, total alkalinity, & calcium hardness levels tested.
Balance water with treatment chemicals recommended by
your supplier.
Imbalanced water.
Skin/eye irritation. Improper pH. Adjust pH to 7.2 – 7.8.*
CHLORINE & BROMINE
Chlorine and bromine both serve as sanitizers to destroy algae,
bacteria, and disease-causing organisms. They also oxidize away
swimmer wastes and other contaminants. The effectiveness of
chlorine is depleted through this process as free chlorine becomes
combined chlorine. This kit reads both free and combined chlorine
and expresses that result as total chlorine. The bromine reaction
differs in that free and combined bromine are each effective
sanitizers. The reading is for total bromine.
Recommended Range:
Chlorine: 2.0 to 4.0 ppm (spas higher) / Bromine: 4.0 to 6.0 ppm
When to Test:
Daily (or as bather load demands)
Potential Problems:
• too low—inadequate sanitation / bacteria & algae growth
• too high—uneconomical use of sanitizer
pH
pH shows whether water is acidic, neutral, or basic (alkaline). At a
value of 7 pH is neutral; above 7 water becomes more basic; below
7 more acidic. pH can vary for many reasons: it is affected by some
sanitizers and can be altered by the addition of make-up water. pH
control is important because it affects bather comfort, sanitizer
efficiency, and overall water balance.
Recommended Range:
pH: 7.2 to 7.8
When to Test:
Daily
Potential Problems:
• too low—corrodes surfaces / irritates eyes & skin
• too high—scale deposits / cloudy water / poor sanitizer efficiency
TOTAL ALKALINITY
Total alkalinity is the measurement of the alkaline materials in your
pool or spa water that act as buffering agents to avoid “pH bounce”
and to help prevent changes in pH that could result in corrosion and
staining. Maintaining the correct total alkalinity in your pool or spa
water will help prevent costly equipment repairs and the extra
expense of additional treatment chemicals.
Recommended Range:
Total alkalinity: 80 to 120 ppm
When to Test:
Weekly
Potential Problems:
• too low—pH difficult to maintain / corrosion tendency
• too high—pH difficult to adjust / potential for scaling
Total Chlorine / Total BromineTest
1. Rinse and fill chlorine / bromine cell to mark with water to
be tested.
2. Add 5 drops R-0600. Cap and invert to mix.
3. Match color with color standard. Record as parts per
million (ppm) total chlorine or total bromine. For chlorine:
See dosage chart for adjustment. For bromine: See
manufacturer’s instructions for adjustment.
Combined chlorine (chloramines) causes eye irritation and
“chlorine” odor. If this occurs, have your pool/spa dealer test
for combined chlorine. Note: The DPD version of this test
kit uses a different testing method that allows distinction
between free and combined chlorine.
pH Test
1. Rinse and fill pH cell to mark with water to be tested.
2. Add 5 drops R-0014. Cap and invert to mix.
3. Match color with color standard. Record as pH units and
save sample if pH needs adjustment. If sample color is
between two values, pH is average of the two.
Acid Demand Test / Base Demand Test
1. Use treated sample from pH test.
2. To LOWER pH, use R-0015.
To RAISE pH, use R-0016.
Add appropriate reagent dropwise. After each
drop, count, mix, and compare with color standards until
desired pH is matched. See appropriate dosage chart to
continue.
1. Read precautions on all labels.
2. Keep test kit out of reach of children.
3. Store test kit in cool, dark place.
4. Replace reagents once each year.
5. Do not dispose of solutions in pool or spa.
6. Rinse cells/tubes before and after each test.
7. Obtain samples 18" (45 cm) below water surface.
8. Hold bottle vertically when dispensing.
Instr. #5816
Total Alkalinity Test
1. Rinse and fill sample tube to 25 mL mark with water to be
tested.
2. Add 2 drops R-0007. Swirl to mix.
3. Add 5 drops R-0008. Swirl to mix. Sample should turn
green.
4. Add R-0009 dropwise. After each drop, count and swirl to
mix until color changes from green to red.
5. Multiply drops in Step 4 by 10. Record as parts per million
(ppm) total alkalinity as calcium carbonate. See dosage
charts to continue.
1/06
Imbalanced water.
SYMPTOM POTENTIAL SOLUTIONCAUSE
Green, slippery pool
surfaces & cloudy or green
water. Black spotty patches
on pool surfaces. Yellow
powdery deposits on shady
side of pool.
* Always bring total alkalinity into recommended range before adjusting pH.
Adjust pH to 7.2 – 7.8.* Superchlorinate to 30 ppm.
Concrete: Brush sides & bottom with stainless steel
brush.
Vinyl liner: Use soft nylon brush.
Repeat if necessary.
Use algaecides.
Algae.
Red-brown water.
Purple-black water.
Blue-green water.
Seek expert advice on source of metals & treatment
solution.
Hazy, cloudy water. No
sparkle.
Superchlorinate or shock.
Check filter for proper operation.
Lower pH to 7.2 – 7.8.*
Lower total alkalinity to 80 – 120 ppm.
Early algae growth.
Poor filtration.
High pH.
High total alkalinity.
Iron.
Manganese.
Copper.