After you peel back the covers on your swimming pool and hot tub, does your water look cloudy or maybe green from algae? If the water wasn’t balanced correctly heading into winter, it won’t be in good shape now. Even if it does look clear, there still may be invisible problems, like high acidity, which will damage your equipment and be uncomfortable for swimmers. So, the first step toward clean, healthy water is testing.

Both pool water testing, and hot tub water testing, can be done using a few different methods. These options range a bit in price and accuracy. Here is a quick overview of the various types.

Test Strips

These are cheap, quick, and easy to use. Simply dip into your water sample, wait 10-20 seconds for the colours to change, then match them to the chart provided on the package. Strips typically test for levels of chlorine, bromine, ph and alkalinity. After checking the results, add the necessary chemicals to balance your water.

Liquid Test Kits

A bit more expensive than the strips, liquid test kits work by adding additional reagents called orthotolidine (OTO) and phenol red, and more recently, diethyl-p-phenylenediamine, to the water sample. Colours are then compared to determine the ph, chlorine, alkalinity, calcium and cyanuric acid.

Digital Water Tester

Digital readers are quick and reliable if calibrated correctly. They can test for more things and can store the results. These are a good option for water testing--which should be done weekly--but they’re more expensive than other options.

Professional Water Testing

For accuracy and price, this is the best option. We offer this service to our customers at no-charge. Simply bring in your water sample for free testing at Art Knapp and we’ll be able to tell you exactly what’s required to balance your water. We carry a full range of Bioguard water care products for pools and hot tubs so grabbing anything you need is quick and convenient.

With all the options available, maintaining sparkling, healthy water couldn’t be easier.