The Trouble With Test Strips
- Caitlin Robertson
- Jun 4, 2024
- 1 min read
🧑🔬 Have you ever done a water test and gotten a weird result on your test strip? You’re not alone! You can always double check with a professional but in the meantime, here are some common answers to strange readings:
❓0 Free Chlorine, but Recently Shocked: A very high chlorine level may bleach the dye from a test strip, showing only the white pad. Wait 24 hours for chlorine to disperse and evaporate and retest.
❓Total chlorine high, free chlorine 0: This indicates a level of inactive “combined chlorine” in your pool. This combined chlorine does not sanitize, and is actually harmful to bathers. It seems counterintuitive, but you may need to shock or “super chlorinate” to break apart combined chlorine and burn it off.
❓Alkalinity 0, but Recently Added: You may have high stabilizer or CYA levels. Cyanuric Acid eats into the alkalinity buffer in your pool. Lower the stabilizer level by partially draining and refilling your pool with fresh water.
❓I Am Literally Colour Blind: Your local pool store has the technology and staff to test and interpret chemistry results for you, often in a few minutes!
Remember, follow the directions on the bottle for accurate readings. When checking with a professional pool company, double check your pool measurements in your customer profile to ensure the correct dosage information, and take your water sample from a foot below the surface and away from any jets. Still stumped? Call us! A Pool Mechanix technician can perform a chemical analysis and adjust your water balance on site. Book your appointment today.
📱 (519) 861-7665
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