One thing you have probably noticed if you have browsed through enough pool articles is the repeated phrase “test your water”. It is repeated a lot because it is that important. As a pool owner, water testing is one of the most important things you do outside of regular cleaning and maintenance. Water tests give you measures of different chemicals and levels of substances in your pool. These tests let you know if your water is safe to swim in and will guide you in troubleshooting if the tests show that your chemicals are out of balance.
Unbalanced chemicals can cause a host of problems. It can leave your water improperly sanitized and thus not safe to swim in. Unbalanced chemicals can cause eye and skin irritation, bleaching of clothes or pool toys, the proliferation of mold or algae, damage to your pool components, and can even make you sick. Most pool techs recommend that home pool owners test their water at least once a day. Automatic feeding systems largely do a good job but do require occasional recalibration. Changes in weather conditions can require changes in the number of chemicals required.
There are many different ways to test your water. Some are more sophisticated than others. There are manual testing kits and even digital automatic ones that will send you a notification on your phone or tablet if there is a change in water condition that needs to be addressed. All of these types of kits have their pros and cons. Whatever you choose will depend on your budget, water needs, and comfort with manual testing.
What follows are our picks for the top 5 pool water testing kits. We have chosen options from across the spectrum of complexity and price tag.
Taylor Basic Residential DPD Pool or Spa Test Kit
Taylor is one of the best known and most trusted brands of pool testing chemicals and accessories. The basic residential test kit is an excellent choice for an affordable, basic DPD testing kit. This type of kit requires that you take a small sample of water from your pool and test it using various chemical reagents that will allow you to determine your chlorine, bromine, and pH levels.
The kit comes with a comparator, that has color-coded instructions on how to read the test results. It also features an instruction card with some general charts that will help you determine how to approach any problems the tests may bring up.
This is an affordable and accurate kit. The biggest complaint people have is that drop size can vary and this can affect the sensitivity of the reading.
- Tests for Free Chlorine, Bromine and pH
- Features hard shell case, easy to read comparator, .75 ounce reagents, and color coded instructions
- Flip side of the instruction card has dosage charts so you can translate test results into treatment
- Taylor Model: K-1001
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Last update on 2023-08-02
Essieny 6-in-1 Pool and Spa Test Strips
Another common means of water testing involves the use of litmus testing strips. These are strips that are made from a special material that, when dipped in pool water for 2 seconds, will provide several different readings. These strips test for 6 different chemicals in one strip including total chlorine, free chlorine, pH, total alkalinity, and total hardness. The strips are easy to use and are effective for both pools and hot tubs.
This is an easy, inexpensive way to test the basic chemical levels in your pool water. You simply dip the strip in the water for 2 seconds, wait about 15 seconds, and then read the results. The kit comes with 100 pieces, making it an economical option for daily water testing. They can also be used with saltwater pools.
People love the ease and affordability of these testing strips. The biggest complaint is that the strips could be longer, making it easier to read the results.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Last update on 2023-09-09
Aqua Chek Trutest Digital Reader
This water testing system is somewhere between a full-on digital measuring system and litmus testing system. Unlike basic strip-style water testing kits, this system provides a digital reading of the results, rather than a color-coded system. It uses TruTest Digital Test Strips, which must be replaced on occasion.
The digital reader will test for total alkalinity, pH, bromine, and free chlorine. Like traditional testing strips, it only takes about 15 seconds to read the results.
People who use this system like that they don’t have to try to distinguish between similar shades of colors to get their water readings. The biggest complaint about this system is that it can give results that are slightly off from accurate, a common problem with strip testing systems in general.
- BENEFITS: TruTest provides digital results with the accuracy of AquaChek test strips; ideal for customers who aren't comfortable distinguishing color
- AQUACHEK ACCURACY: Using medical industry technology, our test strips offer comparable accuracy to liquid tests; No measuring & counting drops of reagent, leaving less room for error
- FEATURES: Combines the ease & accuracy of AquaChek test strips & digital technology; Easy-to-read LCD screen shows numerical results; Includes 25 TruTest Strips
- EASY TO USE: No interpreting colors; Just dip the test strip, remove it, & insert it on the test strip reader; Accurate digital results in 15 seconds; Test water at least twice a week
- DIGITAL RESULTS: Numerical test results show ‘low’, ‘ok’, or ‘high’ indicators for each of the four test parameters; Will only work with TruTest Digital Test Strips
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Last update on 2023-09-09
Solaxx SafeDip Digital Test Meter
Now, you can find fully-digital water testing kits that take a lot of the guesswork out of the testing process. This is a small, handheld device that allows you to take a small sample of water and test pH, free chlorine, salts, total dissolved solids, ORP, and temperature. The results are rendered on a large digital display, eliminating the need for a color-coded matching system.
People love that it is a simple and accurate way to test their water. It doesn’t require you to distinguish between subtly different colors and provides clear and highly accurate results. The biggest complaint about this is that it comes with a much higher price tag than manual testing kits.
- Large digital LCD display
- Measures pH, Salt, TDS, ORP, Temp and CL. pH probe-replaceable in seconds
- Easy push- buttonsp. Memory function automatically stores the previous measurement for easy comparison
- Can be used on many types of water including pools, spas and ponds
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Last update on 2023-09-09
pHin Smart Water Care Monitor for Pools
For the ultimate in digital water monitoring, there are systems like the pHin Smart Water Care Monitor. This system provides continuous water monitoring, boasting over 1,000 automatic water tests each week. The system works with all types of pools and spas, from chlorine, bromine, and salt water-based system.
The system comes with a companion app that will provide you with real-time automatic notifications if you need to make any kind of changes to your chemical balance. The app is compatible with both Android and iOS. The app can also be used to make adding chemicals far simpler. You can scan the barcode of the chemical you purchase and the app will give you the proper amount to add to your pool.
The system also comes with a lifetime warranty, which provides ease-of-mind since this system is more of an investment than any of the other types of testing systems we have covered here. People love how easy to use and accurate the system is and the convenience of getting notifications on their phone if any water issues need to be addressed. The biggest downside of this system is that it comes with a rather large initial price tag.
- AUTOMATIC NOTIFICATIONS: The pHin app automatically alerts you when you need to adjust your chemicals and lets you know exactly how much of which chemicals to use. Works with both Android and iOS.
- TAKES GUESSWORK OUT OF ADDING CHEMICALS: Scan any supported chemical’s barcode and the pHin app will calculate how much to add to your water. Supports most major chemical brands.
- POOL AND HOT TUB CARE SIMPLIFIED: Instead of showing you continuously changing raw readings, pHin’s built-in intelligence samples your water chemistry more than 1000 times per week and creates customized recommendations based on your pool or hot tub’s unique measurements.
- SUPPORTS ALL WATER TYPES: Works with chlorine, bromine and salt water based pools, hot tubs and swim spas.
- LIFETIME WARRANTY: Your pHin Smart Water Care Monitor has a lifetime warranty. If it ever fails while you are a paying subscriber, we will send you a new monitor free of charge.
If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Last update on 2023-09-09