Taylor Test Kit Vs Leslie Pool Supply

[Wezard]

While reading the info here, I came across a few mentions of Leslie Pool Supply water test kits. With 99.5 percent of posters saying use the Taylor. They are one and the same, with the Leslie being about 1/2 the cost, and you don't have to wait for delivery. In the store, above the test kit retail display rack is a big sign saying "Leslie's proudly sells and uses only Taylor test equipment". The blue box's, regent codes, etc are identical. With the exception of the paper label on the front of the box, everything says Taylor.

Am I missing something here? Or maybe Leslie's has only recently switched to Taylor, and word hasn't gotten out yet?

[waterbear]

While reading the info here, I came across a few mentions of Leslie Pool Supply water test kits. With 99.5 percent of posters saying use the Taylor. They are one and the same, with the Leslie being about 1/2 the cost, and you don't have to wait for delivery. In the store, above the test kit retail display rack is a big sign saying "Leslie's proudly sells and uses only Taylor test equipment". The blue box's, regent codes, etc are identical. With the exception of the paper label on the front of the box, everything says Taylor.

Am I missing something here? Or maybe Leslie's has only recently switched to Taylor, and word hasn't gotten out yet?

Yes, you are missing something very important here!!!!!

The Leslie's kits are rebranded Taylor kits. This is nothing new. They always have been. BUT be aware that there are two very similar kits, the Taylor K-2005 $64.80 from Taylor and available for less from many online retailers (same kit as Leslie's DPD complete chlorine Kit $59.90 from Leslie's online and is the kit sold in their stores) AND the Taylor K-2006 $80.00 from Taylor and available for less from many online retailers (same kit as Leslies Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit $79.99 from Leslie's online and basically the same price as the equivalent Taylor kit! This one is not normally stocked in the stores.)

There is one very important difference beteen these essenitally identical kits, the method of testing chlorine. The K-2005 and equivalent leslies kit uses DPD testing and the K-2006 and equivalent leslies kit uses FAS-DPD testing.

You want FAS-DPD testing, the difference is night and day! I won't go into all the advantages to FAS-DPD testing over DPD testing now but they are significant.

The RECOMMENDED KIT is either a Taylor K-2006 or the Leslies Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit which both use the FAS-DPD chlorine test and not the DPD test in the less expensive kits.

Also, Leslies does NOT normally stock the FAS-DPD kits in their stores, you MUST order them online. They only stock the less expensive DPD based test kit!

I hope this clears up any confusion for you.

[Wezard]

Thanks Waterbear

The test kit I got is a Taylor K-1004, rebranded as 'Deluxe Pool Care DPD Test Kit', apparently same as K-1005 without hardness and CYA. I'm using bromide, so, I'm assuming for my use this kit is OK. Hardness would be a good test to have, have no idea what CYA is or does, or if it even applies to bromide.

[waterbear]

Thanks Waterbear

The test kit I got is a Taylor K-1004, rebranded as 'Deluxe Pool Care DPD Test Kit', apparently same as K-1005 without hardness and CYA. I'm using bromide, so, I'm assuming for my use this kit is OK. Hardness would be a good test to have, have no idea what CYA is or does, or if it even applies to bromide.

Your kit also does not have the base demand test which is in the K-1005. IMHO, the OTO based K-1003 is more appropriate for bromine since it does not bleach out at high sanitizer levels and you only need to test for total bromine.

HOWEVER...

The kit we recommend for bromine is the Taylor K-2106 which uses FAS-DPD testing for bromine and also has a high precision pH test with acid and base demand (which makes these tests more usable for spas given the small volume of water in a spa and therefore the small margin for error when making pH adjustments), TA, and CH tests. If I am not mistaken Leslies does not sell this kit at all but it is readily available from either Taylor or other online retailers. You can use the K-2006 but it is a bit more expensive and had a few tests you do not need (Combine chlorine and CYA. You would test bromine by testing free chlorine and then multiplying the results of that test by 2.25) You do not need to test CYA (cyanuric acid) in a bromine system. It is a stabilizer for chlorine to keep it from being destroyed by sunlight but too much is bad because it makes it less effective at sanitizing. You do need the calcium hardness test since it is needed to know if your water is potentially scaling and you need to keep special watch on your pH.

The problem with DPD testing are many:

1. it is a color matching test with shades of red and many men are unable to distinguish different shades of red (this is a fact!) Women are better at this test.

the FAS-DPD test is a drop counting test with a color change from red to colorless and can even be used by someone who is colorblind.

2. DPD will bleach out at high sanitizer levels (above about 10 ppm) so you might think that there is NO sanitizer in the tub when, in fact, it is too high. FAS-DPD can actually test much higher levels without problems.

3. If sanitizer levels are high DPD can only test them by doing dilutions which are time consuming, prone to error, and lowers the precision of the test. FAS-DPD can directly test high levels of sanitizer without needing dilutions.

[Wezard]

Got the K-2106, about a week ago, Amato is pretty quick shipping wise. You are correct, it is much easier to use. Think I will try an ozone generator next water change. I'm having to keep the floater wide open and add clorox to stay just above 2ppm on the bromine. I understand sometimes they help, sometimes they don't do much of anything and in certain conditions can actually make thing worse. Any way, I'll report my experience, when the time comes. Feedback?

[waterbear]

I'm having to keep the floater wide open and add clorox to stay just above 2ppm on the bromine. Feedback?

That is a high sanitizer demand. You did start with sodium bromide to create a bromide reserve in the water? If you did I suspect that their might be algae or biofilm. When is the last time you shocked? (adding enough bleach or oxidizer to raise the bromine to about 15 ppm and keeping the tub uncovered and circulating until the bromine level drops).

Finally, does the tub get a lot of exposure to sunlight uncovered? Bromine cannot be readily stabilized against loss from sunlight.

[Wezard]

Used tub, only been running about 4 weeks. Started with a spa flush and drain, then super shock and drain, per Nitro's sticky.

Had to guess on hardness, later testing indicates I got it pretty close.

3 oz sodium bromide, (300 gal spa), twice what I needed, weight on the little sample packs was hard to read. Since Bromide is going to build up anyway I decided to leave it be, and fix it later if need be.

1 1/2 oz by weight, baking soda, per pool calc for TA

Lowered PH with sodium bisulfate

Started floater mostly closed with 3 of the smallish spa sized tabs. Available Bromine 39.2%, available chlorine 44.4%, note that the tabs are prob over 2 years old, maybe over 3. Took 2 weeks to discover the adjust ring on floater was not properly seated, it was opening and closing as it saw fit. Its been all the way open for the past 10 days.

Every weekend I have to raise the TA and lower PH, but its closer every time.

Bather load is the two of us, 15 to 20 min in the morn, and 20 to 30 min in the evening, I add a cap full of clorox after the evening session, (not sure how much is in a cap).

Water is crystal clear and I detect no odor, girlfriend says it smells slightly like a pond on occasion, fishy is the term she used.

Pretty much zero sunlight, it is covered with 2 sheets of 1/2" insulating foam, (till the cover gets here) so it has lots of air exposure.

The two obvious questions, (to me, I'm an electrician, not a chemist or spa expert) are

1- Is too much bromide causing a prob?

2- Could the bromine tabs be old and useless?

and, given the bather load, is a cap full of clorox every day really too much to maintain 2ppm sanitizer?

Thanks, and if I don't hear anything from ya'll, I'll shock it this Sun.

[waterbear]

Used tub, only been running about 4 weeks. Started with a spa flush and drain, then super shock and drain, per Nitro's sticky.

Had to guess on hardness, later testing indicates I got it pretty close.

3 oz sodium bromide, (300 gal spa), twice what I needed, weight on the little sample packs was hard to read. Since Bromide is going to build up anyway I decided to leave it be, and fix it later if need be.

1 1/2 oz by weight, baking soda, per pool calc for TA

Lowered PH with sodium bisulfate

Started floater mostly closed with 3 of the smallish spa sized tabs. Available Bromine 39.2%, available chlorine 44.4%, note that the tabs are prob over 2 years old, maybe over 3. Took 2 weeks to discover the adjust ring on floater was not properly seated, it was opening and closing as it saw fit. Its been all the way open for the past 10 days.

Every weekend I have to raise the TA and lower PH, but its closer every time.

Bather load is the two of us, 15 to 20 min in the morn, and 20 to 30 min in the evening, I add a cap full of clorox after the evening session, (not sure how much is in a cap).

Water is crystal clear and I detect no odor, girlfriend says it smells slightly like a pond on occasion, fishy is the term she used.

Pretty much zero sunlight, it is covered with 2 sheets of 1/2" insulating foam, (till the cover gets here) so it has lots of air exposure.

The two obvious questions, (to me, I'm an electrician, not a chemist or spa expert) are

1- Is too much bromide causing a prob?

2- Could the bromine tabs be old and useless?

and, given the bather load, is a cap full of clorox every day really too much to maintain 2ppm sanitizer?

Thanks, and if I don't hear anything from ya'll, I'll shock it this Sun.

Read the sticky on how to do bromine. Your bromine level is too low, you are not adding enoung bleach for a 300 gal spa (if / you are talking about the cap on the clorox jug)

Fishy smell could be something growing in the water (particlarly if the water is cloudy or foams) or could be bromamines from not shocking the tub or keeping the bromine too low.

Read the sticky on how to do bromine.

[Wezard]

It was your sticky I used, except that I must have gotten another post mixed up about maintenance, somebody said add a Table spoon of clorox after ea use. My brain inserted that into your directions. So, I reread it, and will follow it.

Any comment on shelf life for bromide tabs? I'm assuming several years if kept in a sealed container.

Thanks for all the info and advice, you share.

[waterbear]

Any comment on shelf life for bromide tabs? I'm assuming several years if kept in a sealed container.

Yep, if kept dry and out of high heat.