Sandy Wood Posted January 16 Report Posted January 16 I've started using a Taylor test kit on my new spa and have gone through quite a few tests to get my TA and pH right. I've been putting all my test samples into a glass jar to ultimately take to the county recycling center along with any paint, pesticides, etc. Is this what everyone else does or is there another better way? Thanks! Quote
waterbear Posted January 17 Report Posted January 17 Down the sink is fine. The reagents are not hazardous. TA and pH reagents are indicator dyes, the TA chlorine remover is sodium thiosulfate commonly used as photographers hypo (to fix black and white prints) and as a pool and spa water additve to lower chlorine or bromine. It is also an ingredient in some clarifying shampoos. It is non hazardous. Some of the reagents are dilute solutions of lye or sulfuric acid, which in concentrated form are dangerous but the one in the kit are dilute. The DPD power used for the sanitizer test is the main coloring agent in permenant hair color . If you are worried about how to dispose of a small amount of further diluted (by the test sample) regents used to test how are you going to deal with the 300 to 600 gallons of water in your spa that not only contains bromine (or chlorine) but what is essentially biowaste from bathers? The water does need to be changed every 3 to 4 months! This is because of the very small water to bather ratio in tubs. as compared to pools or even swim spas. The most dangerous ingredient in the calcium hardness reagent is isopropal alcohol that you most likely have a bottle of in your bathroom. The other ingredents that sound scary are the Triethanolamine and Diethanolamine. These are basically a tame form of ammonia and are used in cosmetics, household cleaners, hand sanitizer, shaving cream, cosmetics, and many other products. Here is a link to the SDS documents for the reagents in the K-2106 FAS-DPd bromine test kit that I suggested in the 3 step bromine article. Click on the Documents tab below the picture of the kit. Quote
Sandy Wood Posted January 17 Author Report Posted January 17 Thanks again for the help and thorough description of the reagents. The sulfuric acid caught my eye and made me wonder just how to dispose of them. Glad that they are dilute and nothing to worry about. Hadn't thought about the water in my hot tub in comparison. Good point. I did get the Taylor kit you mentioned and I'm learning all about the water in my tub. Quote
waterbear Posted January 17 Report Posted January 17 FWIW, sulfuric acid is sometimes used as a pool acid instead of muriactic (hydrochloric) acid since it doesn't fume. When I was doing commercial pool maintenance in the past we used it for that reason (it was not my choice. I prefer muriatic since it does not add sulfate). Dry acid form sulfurous acid when dissolved in water. Quote
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