What Taylor Test Kit Should I Buy?

[paxthar]

Hi,

I am just wanting to know what Taylor Test Kit I should buy. I am using the Arctic Peak Boost chemical regime and shocking once a week with MPS. My water is nice and clear and has no smell, but I am going to be getting an above ground pool and want to get a really good test kit that I can use to cover both the pool and the hot tub. The Arctic Peak Boost is a combination of Bromine and Chlorine so I would need a test kit that would be able to measure both levels. I am thinking the 2006 C or the 2106 kit.

Any answers are appreciated in advance.

Thanks so much

Rob

[waterbear]

Nope, you are using a bromine system. Most bromine systems are combinations of inorganic or organic bromide and a chlorine oxidizer to convert the bromide into hypbromous acid. MPS and ozone also convert bromide into hypobromous acid and are also used for the same purpose. You need the K-2106. Chlorine does not exist when bromine enters the picture. It gets converted into chloride ions as it oxidizes the bromide.

Peak boost is sodium bromide for creating the bromide reserve in the water and dichlor for oxidizing it to bromine sanitizer. It is a standard 2 step bromine system.

[chem geek]

If you are getting an above-ground pool, I don't think you want to use bromine in it as that will probably be more expensive. If you use chlorine in the pool, then the Taylor K-2006 can be used for it and I believe you could use this test kit for your bromine spa as well just multiplying the FC number by 2.25. I believe that bromamine measures as FC so in a bromine spa the FC reading is really a Total Bromine reading (when you scale up the reading).

[quantumchromodynamics]

It is my understanding that reagents R-0871 and R-0872 are the exact same reagent (Ferrous ammonium sulfate) except that reagent R-0872 is slightly more concentrated to make the drop equivalence work out correctly for bromine.

If someone had a bromine hot tub and a chlorine pool, then they should be able to do everything with just the K-2006 test kit. Reagent R-0870 reacts with free chlorine, free bromine and combined bromine, but not combined chlorine.

Free and combined bromine (total bromine) will be measured when using the free chlorine test (reagents R-0870 and R-0871). You just have to multiply by 2.25, as chem geek noted.

One can use the R-0871 to test for total bromine and the drop equivalence would be 0.45 ppm per drop when using the 25-ml sample, where if you used R-0872, the drop equivalence would be 0.5 ppm per drop. The R-0872 is slightly more concentrated.

You can also test FC with R-0872 where the drop equivalence would be 0.222 ppm per drop instead of the normal 0.2 ppm per drop. So, they can be used interchangeably as long as you use the right drop equivalence.

The K-2005 test kit uses the same reagents to test either free chlorine or Total Bromine.

Chlorine (Free, Combined, Total) Test

1. Rinse and fill small comparator tube to 9 mL mark with water to be tested.

2. Add 5 drops R-0001 and 5 drops R-0002. Cap and invert to mix.

3. Match color with color standard. * Record as parts per million (ppm) free chlorine (FC).

4. Add 5 drops R-0003. Cap and invert to mix.

5. Match color immediately. Record as ppm total chlorine (TC).

6. Subtract FC from TC. Record as ppm combined chlorine (CC). Formula: TC - FC = CC.

Total Bromine Test

1. Rinse and fill small comparator tube to 9 mL mark with water to be tested.

2. Add 5 drops R-0001 and 5 drops R-0002. Cap and invert to mix.

3. Match color with color standard. *Record as parts per million (ppm) total bromine.

http://www.taylortechnologies.com/products_instructions.asp?Type=Number&Number=5136

Note that the total bromine test does not require the addition of reagent R-0003 (Potassium iodide), whereas the test for total chlorine does require the addition of reagent R-0003.

I also think that it would make sense to test for combined chlorine in a pool or hot tub that uses bromine, but also uses a chlorine source to shock or oxidize the bromide ions to bromine.

If the chlorine is introduced when the pool or hot tub contains contaminants, such as ammonia, that will form chloramines, then the pool or hot tub could contain chloramines and bromine at the same time.

It seems to me that it would be useful to know if the water contains chloramines as well as bromine. We know that chloramines will oxidize iodide to iodine, but I don't think that chloramines will oxidize bromide to bromine.

Note that MPS will register as CC in a chlorine pool but it should not exist long enough in a bromine pool, or hot tub, to register as CC, as it will quickly oxidize bromide to bromine.

________________________________________________________

Other notes:

Both the FAS-DPD free chlorine and FAS-DPD total bromine tests use the same DPD indicator powder (R-0870).

The R-0872 does not contain any other indicator. First of all, it isn't necessary, and second, even if it were necessary, it would need to be put in before the titrant. It wouldn't make sense to put it in concurrently with the titrant.

For example, if all of the bromine were in the form of combined bromine, then there would be no color upon addition of the DPD indicator powder (if any additional indicator were necessary). The person would assume that no titrant was necessary and would not add any titrating reagent. This could lead to inaccurate results.

[Mikey_in_NY]

I'm sure this question has been asked a thousand times before but here goes...I'm using the Dichlor/bleach method, plus a weekly dose of MPS with my hot tub. Need to measure:

Free chlorine

Total chlorine

Alkalinity

Hardness

PH

CYA (nice but not essential)

Is the Taylor K2006 kit the way to go? If not then what? What's the cheapest place to buy it?

[waterbear]

If you want to be able to test a bromine spa and a chlorine pool then a good solution would be to get a K-2006 and a bottle of R-872 bromine titrant. It would be the most cost effective way since the pH, TA and CH tests are identical in both the K-2006 and the K-2106 and only the K-2006 has the CYA test, which is only needed for chlorine systems. As quantumcxhromodynamics stated above, the only difference in the sanitizer test is the titration reagent and that the bromine test does not use the R-0003 reagent but the chorine test does and this reagent is included in the K-2006 also.

[quantumchromodynamics]

If you want to be able to test a bromine spa and a chlorine pool then a good solution would be to get a K-2006 and a bottle of R-872 bromine titrant.

Waterbear, is there any reason that someone couldn't just use R-0871 instead of R-0872 when testing for bromine?

The R-0871 is the same reagent, it's just a little bit less concentrated. The drop equivalence would be 0.45 ppm per drop when using the 25-ml sample, where if you used R-0872, the drop equivalence would be 0.5 ppm per drop.

[waterbear]

If you want to be able to test a bromine spa and a chlorine pool then a good solution would be to get a K-2006 and a bottle of R-872 bromine titrant.

Waterbear, is there any reason that someone couldn't just use R-0871 instead of R-0872 when testing for bromine?

The R-0871 is the same reagent, it's just a little bit less concentrated. The drop equivalence would be 0.45 ppm per drop when using the 25-ml sample, where if you used R-0872, the drop equivalence would be 0.5 ppm per drop.

Not really except to make the math a bit easier. By purchasing the R-0872 and adding it to a K-2006 you have functionally both a K-2006 and K-2106.

When you consider that bromine is run at a higher level than chlorine the 10 ml sample size becomes, IMHO, much more practical and it's much easier to multiply by 1.25 vs. 1.125. The cost of the reagent is not that high and is easy to obtain from Taylor. (Unless, of course the OP is in Canada, in which case they could just use an OTO test for the bromine to keep costs down and save the FAS-DPD for the pool.)

[Mikey_in_NY]

OK, thanks guys, I'll go with the K-2006.

[paxthar]

Thanks for all the replies....the K2006 it is with a bottle of the R=0872 reagent.

Thanks again ...

This forum is the BEST!!!