Confused With Test Kit Taylor K-2006 Chorine

[rdefino]

I have just started using the k2006. When I measure the PH I do exactly like it says. Fill container to 44ml. Add 5 drops R-004 invert to mix. When I look at the reading I hold it up to a white backgourd and it reads that my PH is high about 8.0. I have added PH decreaser. But I also test with an Aquacheck digital strip checker and that reads the PH is at 6.6. I also use another stripo test and it reads the PH as low.

So, I confused here. Am I testing right with thre k2006 or what. Not sure what to believe.

Any thoughts

thanks

[hrustar]

I have just started using the k2006. When I measure the PH I do exactly like it says. Fill container to 44ml. Add 5 drops R-004 invert to mix. When I look at the reading I hold it up to a white backgourd and it reads that my PH is high about 8.0. I have added PH decreaser. But I also test with an Aquacheck digital strip checker and that reads the PH is at 6.6. I also use another stripo test and it reads the PH as low.

So, I confused here. Am I testing right with thre k2006 or what. Not sure what to believe.

Any thoughts

thanks

Trust the Taylor Kit. Sounds like you are doing it right. Does it read 8.0 or even darker. There's a chance you could have a ph of even higher than 8. BUt, to be safe assume it is 8.0 and continue to adjust until 7.6 or so. I'm surprised you test strips are that far off, but they are. The Taylor Kit is correct.

You should also use thepoolcalcualtor.com to enter all of your numbers so you can make all changes. Just looking at ph without considering TA, CYA borates, calcium hardness and water temperature might be part of your problem. Each thing kind of affects the other.

[Parawood]

I have just started using the k2006. When I measure the PH I do exactly like it says. Fill container to 44ml. Add 5 drops R-004 invert to mix. When I look at the reading I hold it up to a white backgourd and it reads that my PH is high about 8.0. I have added PH decreaser. But I also test with an Aquacheck digital strip checker and that reads the PH is at 6.6. I also use another stripo test and it reads the PH as low.

So, I confused here. Am I testing right with thre k2006 or what. Not sure what to believe.

Any thoughts

thanks

Trust the Taylor Kit. Sounds like you are doing it right. Does it read 8.0 or even darker. There's a chance you could have a ph of even higher than 8. BUt, to be safe assume it is 8.0 and continue to adjust until 7.6 or so. I'm surprised you test strips are that far off, but they are. The Taylor Kit is correct.

You should also use thepoolcalcualtor.com to enter all of your numbers so you can make all changes. Just looking at ph without considering TA, CYA borates, calcium hardness and water temperature might be part of your problem. Each thing kind of affects the other.

Rdefino,

How old are the chemicals in your kit? Had the kit been sitting on the shelf for a few years? I buy my testing chemicals directly from the manufacturer so I believe I am getting a fresh supply. Could be part of the cause for the discrepancy.

Parawood

[rdefino]

I have just started using the k2006. When I measure the PH I do exactly like it says. Fill container to 44ml. Add 5 drops R-004 invert to mix. When I look at the reading I hold it up to a white backgourd and it reads that my PH is high about 8.0. I have added PH decreaser. But I also test with an Aquacheck digital strip checker and that reads the PH is at 6.6. I also use another stripo test and it reads the PH as low.

So, I confused here. Am I testing right with thre k2006 or what. Not sure what to believe.

Any thoughts

thanks

Trust the Taylor Kit. Sounds like you are doing it right. Does it read 8.0 or even darker. There's a chance you could have a ph of even higher than 8. BUt, to be safe assume it is 8.0 and continue to adjust until 7.6 or so. I'm surprised you test strips are that far off, but they are. The Taylor Kit is correct.

You should also use thepoolcalcualtor.com to enter all of your numbers so you can make all changes. Just looking at ph without considering TA, CYA borates, calcium hardness and water temperature might be part of your problem. Each thing kind of affects the other.

Rdefino,

How old are the chemicals in your kit? Had the kit been sitting on the shelf for a few years? I buy my testing chemicals directly from the manufacturer so I believe I am getting a fresh supply. Could be part of the cause for the discrepancy.

Parawood

I just bought the kit. Any way to tell how old the chemicals are?

[PaulR]

The Taylor K-2006 also has an "acid demand" test, doesn't it? You could use that to give you some idea how high the pH really is.

Taylor normally says reagents should be good for a year. If you are concerned about that, you could see if a local pool store carries Taylor refills (Leslie's does, for example) and get a fresh bottle of R-0004 (make sure you don't get R-0014, that's also pH drops but for a different size sample tube).

--paulr

[chem geek]

Very high sanitizer levels (> 10 ppm FC) can have the pH falsely read too high, but it won't cause the dye to go from very acidic (6.6 or lower) to purple (8.0+). The quote from the Taylor booklet about this is as follows:

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FALSE READINGS: high levels of chlorine (usually >10 ppm) will quickly and completely convert phenol red into another pH indicator (chlorphenol red). This new indicator is a dark purple when the water's pH is above 6.6. Unfortunately, some pool operators mistake the purple color for dark red and think the pool water is very alkaline and wrongly add acid to the pool.

When a sanitizer level is not extreme, only some of the phenol red may convert to chlorphenol red. However, purple+orange (for example, pH 7.4) = red. This error is more subtle as no purple color is observed and the operator does not suspect that a false high pH reading has been produced. Some operators neutralize the sanitizer first by adding a drop of chlorine neuralizer (i.e. sodium thiosulfate). However, thiosulfate solutions have a high pH and, if heavily used, may cause a false higher sample pH.

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Does it look dark red or dark purple? Also, as Paul noted, you can use the acid demand test to see if that moves the color down the scale. The Taylor pH test does have some chlorine neutralizer in it, but at high sanitizer levels it can be overwhelmed. Do you know your sanitizer level?

[Glid]

I had problems with my CYA in the tester. I did it twice and the water didn't get cloudy, so the test was mute.