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As a pool owner, one of the best ways to maintain your swimming pool is to ensure that you maintain and have a balanced swimming pool water chemistry, and there is no better way to ensure the balance than to check it out.
The best way to check the water chemistry of your swimming pool is through the use of a pool water test kit. A pool test kit is pool equipment used to check for the precise levels of chlorine (both free chlorine and or total chlorine), total alkalinity, acidity, and pH levels in the pool.
Pool testing kits come in a variety of forms and types, and if you are wondering what are the best pool test kits on the market, a little tour here will provide you with all the appropriate information on how to know and choose the best pool test kit for your pool.
Top 3 Recommendations
- Best Overall – Poolmaster Pool and Spa Essential Collection Chemistry Case
- Runner Up – TAYLOR TECHNOLOGIES INC K-2006 TEST KIT
- Best Feature – LaMotte 2056 ColorQ Pro 7 Digital Pool Water Test Kit
The 6 Best Pool Test Kit Reviews In 2021
1. Poolmaster Pool and Spa Essential Collection Chemistry Case – Best Functional Water Test Kit
The Poolmaster Pool Essential collection is considered the top contender amongst the best pool testing kits. It is a complete test kit with 5 testing options, including checking for free and total chlorine, bromine, pH, and alkalinity (total alkalinity), and acid demand.
The 5-in-one test kit is a great pool and spa test that offers accurate color scales with UV-protected color chips integrated within the test block for longevity.
It can serve as a spa test kit involving an easy-to-use drop test method and includes a case to keep all reagent bottles and color indicators.
Pros
- Offers a 5-in-1 testing capacity, including acid demand
- Has precise color scales
- Case for safekeeping
Cons
- Test chemicals can be easily overused
2. TAYLOR TECHNOLOGIES INC K-2006 TEST KIT – Most Accurate Testing for Calcium Hardness Levels
Pool owners who are very particular about calcium levels in the pool chemistry TAYLOR TECHNOLOGIES K – 2006 help you find out not just calcium hardness level but also check for combined chlorine, which is both total chlorine and free chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, and cyanuric acid.
It lays more emphasis, particularly on the calcium, which is often more difficult to see, and focuses more on that. It offers great accuracy, especially for calcium, and comes with the FASDPD bromine test kit. The kit also helps differentiate between free chlorine and total chlorine.
Pros
- Perfect for salt water pools and also regular pools
- Particular emphasis on calcium hardness
- Includes bromine test kit
Cons
- Quite expensive compared to its testing capacity
3. LaMotte 2056 ColorQ Pro 7 Digital Pool Test Kit – Best Digital Testing Kit
Are you in need of a digital kit for your pool water? Then no problem. LaMotte 2056 is a high-tech pool water test kit that includes a photometer for digital reading of test results.
LaMotte 2056 is a 7-in-1 test kit for Chlorine, Total Chlorine, Bromine, pH, Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, and Cyanuric acid using liquid reagents for all tests except the one for the Cyanuric acid that uses tablet reagents. Includes water-resistant housing and a case.
Pros
- Great 7-in-1 test kit
- Photometer for accurate readings
- Water-resistant housing and case present
Cons
- Extremely expensive
- Photometer require batteries
4. TAYLOR TECHNOLOGIES INC K-1766 – Best Pool Test Kit for Saltwater Pool
For pool owners with saltwater pools, this is the ultimate salt water pool test kit to check out. The kit is used with saltwater chlorine generators to check the salt in the pool.
The kit includes a chromate indicator and a silver nitrate reagent which are very potent and should be handled with care. The K-1766 product is designed solely to check for salt water accurately.
Pros
- Ideal for salt water pool
- Easy to use
- Features a heavy-duty waterproof case
Cons
- Doesn’t check for all water chemistry
5. HTH 1273 6-Way Test Kit Swimming Pools Chemical Tester – Best Value
HTH 1273 is a 6-in-one liquid test kit that checks for the ideal pool chemical levels of the pool. It checks for chlorine, bromine, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and cyanuric acid.
A great choice for above ground pools and all other pool types that include chlorine, bromine, and saltwater systems and focuses particularly on calcium hardness which often affects the pool liner. Plus, it offers quick results in seconds and allows for daily testing.
Pros
- Affordable 6-in-one check capacity
- Perfect for all pool types
- Easy usage with quick results
Cons
- No digital display
6. AquaVial Well Water Testing Kit – Best Bacteria Reading Kit
AquaVial is an easy-to-use and easy-to-read test kit perfect not for checking crucial chemical ranges but for checking out the presence of E.coli or coliform bacteria.
It is highly sensitive and picks up the presence of E.coli and coliform bacteria easily. Once E.coli is detected in the pool water, it turns pink and turns yellow when absent. It can be used to test the water in showers, wells, pipes, and hot tubes.
Pros
- Detects the presence of bacteria and fungi
- Highly sensitive
- Accurate and easy to handle
Cons
- Doesn’t test for chemicals in the pool
FAQs
Can pool test kits go bad?
Yes! Pool test kits go bad or rather stop functioning adequately after a while when the pool test reagents or pool test strips cease to function, which can lead to inaccurate test results due to bad chemical reactions.
Reagents and test strips often have a 1-2 years expiration time frame depending on the manufacturer of the pool test kits.
How long are pool test kits good for?
Typically test strips have a 24-36 months shelf life. Pool test kits are good for as long as their reagents and pool test strips, which are vital components of the test kits, are good.
And since the test strips and reagents are often chemical-based, their lifespan is often about 1 to 2 years depending on the brand and manufacturer.
How to use a pool test kit?
Keeping in mind that pool water test kits come in different forms, with some being digital pool test kits and others being liquid test kits, their functionalities may differ a little bit, and the same goes for how to use them, but on a general note here is how to use a pool test kit.
Dip the test strip from the test kit into the pool water and watch the water react with the reagent and change color. After a few seconds, when the colors have fully developed, compare the colors on the strip with the chart that accompanies your test kit to determine the chemical level of your pool.
Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Pool Test Kit
Types of pool testing kits
There are 3 types of pool water testing kits: The liquid testing kit, test strip, and digital test kit. Each of these kits should effectively check for different pool chemical levels, including pH, alkalinity, Calcium hardness, Bromine, Calcium hypochlorite, Chlorine levels, Cyanuric acid, and Sodium bicarbonate.
The liquid pool test kit
This type makes use of liquid reagents that come in dropper bottles, and require you to scoop some water samples from the pool and drop some reagents into the water. It is quick and easy to do with fairly accurate results.
Test strips
It involves dipping the test strip directly into the swimming pool water and checking the colors on the strip to determine the chemical levels. Although test strips are super easy to use, their results are sometimes inaccurate.
Digital test kits
The digital pool tester is an electronic device that also uses reagents but with the electronic device doing all the readings and displaying the chemical levels for you to read. Considering test accuracy, digital pool testers have accurate readings but are much more expensive than the others and require periodic calibration.
Durability
Pool testing is something you would be doing a lot, sometimes once in a week and in some cases every day.
Hence, the best pool testing kit you require needs to be able to withstand regular contact with water and chemical changes.
Price
Keep in mind that the best test kit is the one that will offer you adequate and accurate information about the chemical composition and level of your pool. Hence, a pool kit shouldn’t be something you would mince money on.
The more functional a pool test kit is, the more expensive it may be, but at least you are assured of quality.
Concluding Thoughts
Test kits are your best friend when it comes to ensuring that the chemical level of your pool is in order to avoid situations of irritations and ensure that your pool products are working.
Above, we have listed the best pool test kit for you to have a look at and make your choices; now, it’s up to you to get that chemistry level right.
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