As a pool equipment repairer I get asked all the time about testing my pool or spa chemicals. You can get a variety of testing sets and they are all great. However I recommend one in particular.
Aqua Chek pool and spa test strips are great because all the tests you need are right there on one strip of paper. There is no need to have separate samples and use dropper bottles to complete your tests.
You simply dunk the test strip into your pool or spa wait 15 seconds and then compare the colours on the test strip against the colour chart provided. Aqua Chek gives you a reading for 7 different checimical levels you need to measure.
It shows levels for:
- Total Hardness
- Total Chlorine
- Total Bromine
- Free Chlorine
- pH
- Total Alkalinity
- Cyanuric Acid
Just this morning I used one of these strips to test my pool. In 15 seconds I could see that my chlorine level was a little too low, so I set my Austral salt water chlorinator to create a little extra chlorine. I re-tested later and it did the trick.
If you don’t have time to test your pool or you want minimal hassle then I recommend the ease of using Aqua Chek test strips.
In terms of value you can’t be them. At a price point of $30 to $35 you get a set of 50 strips. For most people this is almost a years supply and the refil containers are even cheaper. Testing your pool is going to cost less than 50 cents a week.