Best Practice For Pool & Spa Water Testing
Best Practice For Pool & Spa Water Testing
Some of the key parameters to test for in pool and spa water include disinfectant level, pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness.
- Disinfectant – Used to disinfect pool and spa water to keep it free from harmful bacteria. The most commonly used disinfectants are chlorine and bromine.
- pH – A measure of how acidic or alkaline the water is. The pH can affect bather comfort and the lifetime of pool fittings as well as how other pool chemicals work.
- Alkalinity – Protects water from dramatic changes in pH when the pool is in use.
- Calcium Hardness – A measure of the amount of calcium ions present. This is an important parameter to monitor as too high levels can cause deposits to form and too low levels can cause the water to erode the inside of the pool.
- Cyanuric Acid – Often used in outdoor pools to protect chlorine from degradation by UV light.
In terms of testing frequency, this will be stipulated by your local authority, and will depend on the amount the pool is used.
For more information on the most important pool and spa parameters, recommended levels and frequency of testing as well as the effects of poor water monitoring, read our Pool Chemistry Guide (link to pool chemistry guide article) or Spa Chemistry Guide (link to spa chemistry guide article).
Pool and Spa Water Testing using Palintest Equipment
Below are some key tips to ensure results from you pool and spa water testing are consistently accurate and reliable, so that your pool or spa is safe and ready for use.
- Only Palintest reagents should be used with Palintest photometers. We can only guarantee the results obtained from Palintest products will be within our stated accuracy ranges if the testing is carried out using Palintest reagents, as our photometers are calibrated based on our reagent formulations. For example, while DPD indicator remains constant in all DPD reagents, the exact formulation and amount used will vary between brands and therefore results will not always be comparable.
- Testing equipment should be kept clean, with no water marks, fingerprints, scratches or stains and preferably, rinsed with distilled water where applicable. Note that plasticware can deteriorate over relatively short periods of time and should be replaced regularly.
- Test methods must be followed carefully as per instructions. The Lumiso Pooltest Expert includes on-screen instructions to take the user through the test step-by-step, saving time and meaning minimal training is required.
- Reagent tablets must be fully dissolved before you take a measurement.
- Ensure that test reagents are within the best before date.
- Do not mix and match reagents and test kits from different manufacturers.
- If deposits or bubbles form, leave for a few minutes to clear unless the test is time specific. Bubbles can usually be cleared using a crushing rod or by tapping the side of the test tube gently.
- For results that are above the range of the test, perform a dilution on the sample and then re-test.
- Analytical instruments should be serviced.
The Lumiso Pooltest Expert is designed to make pool and spa water testing as quick and easy as possible. The Lumiso Optical Engine makes use of innovative photometric technology, allowing the user to have complete confidence in the water chemistry through consistently accurate and reliable results across all models.
