Maintaining your swimming pool includes keeping a good eye on the water itself. One of the best ways to do this is by using a water test kit.
The best pool water test kit should be user-friendly, durable, have good accuracy, and offer consistency. If you need help finding the right kit, the following article will go over seven top-selling products that should serve you well.
Table of Contents
- Why Do You Actually Need a Swimming Pool Water Test Kit?
- 7. LaMotte 2056 ColorQ Pro 7 Digital Pool Water Test Kit
- 6. Poolmaster 22240 3-Way Test Kit with Case – Basic Collection
- 5. HTH Pool Test Kit 6-Way
- 4. Taylor Technologies Inc K-2006 Test Kit Comp Chlorine FAS-DPD
- 3. Poolmaster 22260 5-Way Test Kit with Case – Basic Collection
- 2. Taylor Deluxe DPD Pool and Spa Water Test Kit – K-2005
- 1. Pentair R151186 78HR All in One 4-Way pH and Chlorine Test Kit
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- How Do You Test Pool Water?
- Our Team’s Conclusion
Why Do You Actually Need a Swimming Pool Water Test Kit?
It is evident that proper maintenance of your pool will lead to it having a longer life. You can handle one aspect of this all by yourself by purchasing a pool water test kit. For those of you still questioning as to whether or not to buy one of these, check out a few of the advantages you get from owning a proper water testing kit:
Keep a Clean And Beautiful Pool
A quality pool water test kit can check for certain impurities in the water. By keeping you alert of these, you can better keep your pool free from substances such as algae, dirt, and bacteria.
Check Dissolved Solids
Using a pool water test kit, you can stay aware of how many dissolved solids are currently in the pool water. By knowing the exact levels, you will always know when it is the right time to refill your pool.
Maintain the Amount of Chemicals
The best pool water test kit can check for a multitude of chemicals. Knowing the number of chemicals you have is vital so that you do not put too much inside the water, which can run the risk of harming those who swim inside the pool.
Check out our swimming pool water testing kit reviews below!
7. LaMotte 2056 ColorQ Pro 7 Digital Pool Water Test Kit
The LaMotte ColorQ Pro 7 is a testing kit that features a photometer in order to give you digital readouts of your results. Although the company claims that the housing, as well as the carrying case, is water-resistant, that feature seems to be minimal as the items inside can still get wet and mess up.
As for the test itself, you can check for chlorine (free and total), pH, alkalinity, bromine, calcium hardness, and cyanuric acid. All of the tests use liquid reagents except for the cyanuric acid as that requires the tablets. You can check here for more specialized pool chlorine testers.
6. Poolmaster 22240 3-Way Test Kit with Case – Basic Collection
One of the contenders for the best pool water test kit is the Poolmaster 3-Way Test Kit Basic Collection. It analyzes three chemical factors: pH, bromine, and chlorine. The kit features a round, clear-view test block alongside matching color caps to make reading the results for the corresponding tests easier. To make this more user-friendly, it features easy-to-read numerical indications.
This kit comes along with a polyethylene case that is weather-resistant so that you can store your kit and keep it safe under various conditions.
5. HTH Pool Test Kit 6-Way
The HTH Pool Test Kit 6-Way allows you to test up to 100 times before needing to refill. It tests for the following: pH, bromine, chlorine, total hardness, total alkalinity, and cyanuric acid. Since HTH does not offer refills for the cyanuric acid, you may have to purchase another kit. Nevertheless, this kit is relatively simple to use once you get the hang of it.
An interesting feature about the HTH kit is the Test to Swim App, a testing app that aims to simplify the entire process. You can input your results, get alerts on analysis of your water, view treatment recommendations, and more.
4. Taylor Technologies Inc K-2006 Test Kit Comp Chlorine FAS-DPD
Another product labeled the best pool water test kit is this collection from Taylor Technologies. You can test for five different things: chlorine, alkalinity, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, and pH. Though the kit states to come with a Taylor 9058 comparator, some claim not to receive it.
To make it easier to use, the kit’s sanitizer tests are titrations. Unlike some other test kits using the OT method, this kit from Taylor Technologies better distinguishes between total chlorine and free available chlorine. Doing so increases the overall accuracy.
3. Poolmaster 22260 5-Way Test Kit with Case – Basic Collection
The Poolmaster 5-Way Test Kit with Case is a good starter kit for those just beginning to check their own pool water. It tests for pH, acid demand, chlorine, bromine, and total alkalinity. The round test block is clear and includes integrated color chips.
Instructions are straightforward so that you understand what to do, what your readings mean, etc. To keep your kit safe for use year-round, this comes with a polyethylene case so your kit remains dry, organized, and out of the sun.
2. Taylor Deluxe DPD Pool and Spa Water Test Kit – K-2005
Those of you looking for a high-range, comprehensive water test kit can try out the Taylor Deluxe DPD Water Test Kit. In fact, this is designed for the routine testing that technicians and public pool operators typically perform. Because of this, it may not work well for novice household pool owners.
This kit includes nine different tests: total and free chlorine, bromine, acid demand, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, base demand, and cyanuric acid. It also features six different standards for pH, chlorine, and bromine.
1. Pentair R151186 78HR All in One 4-Way pH and Chlorine Test Kit
As the best pool water test kit, the Pentair All in One 4-Way Kit tests for pH, chlorine, total alkalinity, and acid demand. It is highly user-friendly and simple to use for those who have never tested their pool water before. This is thanks largely to the basic, yet informative, instructions.
Your kit is kept organized and protected from outside elements thanks to the blue display box. The box itself is high in quality so that it can last you a good deal of time. This entire kit is designed for undemanding maintenance of your swimming pool year-round.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Our team has taken the time to compile and answer some of the most common FAQs related to swimming pool water testing and kits. Enjoy!
How Do You Test Pool Water?
Depending on what pool water test kit you have, the instructions may vary slightly on how to properly test your pool water. Always make sure to use a clean test container to gather pool water, and know wether you have a liquid testing kit, strip testing kit, or digital testing kit. Also, Enjoy this hilarious video on “How to Test Your Pool Water” from a guy who uses a toddler as a prop and falls into a swimming pool fully clothed.
How Do You Test A Salt Water Pool?
If you own a salt water pool, our team recommends that you test the salinity in the pool weekly. If the salt concentration is too high, it can cause damage to the cell, salt water chlorinator, and other pool hardware.
In addition to the normal pool water testing for the chlorine, pH, alkalinity, calcium and cyanuric acid levels, salt water swimming pools should also be tested with salt test strips like the AquaChek Salt Water Pool Test Strips.
When Testing Pool Water, What Should the ph Be?
When testing your swimming pool water the water’s pH level should always be between 7.2 and 7.6, with the ideal pH level being 7.4. Our team suggests that you do a quick test of your pool water at least twice a week when it is in season. It is common to be testing the pool’s chlorine levels that often, so many pool owner’s can simply add pH testing to their pool testing routine.
How Do You Test For Phosphates In Swimming Pool Water?
It’s important to know that not all pool water testing kits contain a way to test for high phosphates within a pool, however, a swimming pool phosphate testing kit can be easily found and purchased separately if needed. Our team’s pick is the simply and easy to use One Minute Phosphate Test Strips by AquaChek.
Very low phosphate levels in your swimming pool water can aid algae growth and create unsightly problems in pool water. We recommend that you test for phosphate once a week while your pool is open.
How Long Should You Wait To Test Pool Water After Adding Chemicals?
If you add chemicals to balance the swimming pool water after testing it, we recommend that you wait a full day before retesting it. It often takes about 18-24 hours for all of the chemicals to circulate throughout the pool. An easy way to remember is to just re-test it at the same time the next day after adding chemicals to measure the new levels.
What Do Swimming Pool Water Test Strips Do?
In our team’s opinion, swimming pool test strips provide accurate readings of your pool’s chemical levels. We believe that overall pool testing strips can be a more reliable method of testing your pool water, especially for new pool owners, than a liquid test kit as pool test strips eliminate the risk of human error and can be easier to read. Pool water test strips usually have a color chart that lets you know the different levels of your pool’s pH, chlorine, alkalinty, and more depending on the kit you purchase.
Our Team’s Conclusion
It’s far easier to relax in a properly maintained swimming pool that you know is chemically-balanced and free of bacteria, algae, etc.
Using the best pool water test kit ensures that your water is clean enough for you to enjoy. If you’ve ever tried the top seven swimming pool water test kits on our list, let us know how they worked out below!
My name is Denise and I am an Analytical Chemist located in the Kansas City metro area. Some things I am passionate about are gardening, science, swimming, and blogging. I am happy to be part of the All About Pools team & contribute my knowledge & expertise to help swimming pool owners and backyard enthusiasts!
Dosen’t sound like there is a top test kit on the market, just kits lacking in some ways or another.
One will have to reduce down to what will work for your self that you can understand and use.
The chase is on still! Judson
Judson, our #1 pick is the Pentair R151186 78HR All in One 4 Way pH and Chlorine Test Kit. After testing about a dozen or so water testing kits, we determined this one was the easiest to use, and most accurate for it’s price point.