Owning a pool means you want to have a place where you go for fun and relaxation, but sometimes the stress of keeping your pool clean and ready for swimming can detract from some of that fun. Fortunately you don’t need to be a chemist or a water expert to get perfect water in your pool that will keep bacteria and algae at bay while allowing those who get in your pool to enjoy their time. One of the best ways to do this is by using a computerized water-testing tool.

Methods for Testing Your Pool Water

There are plenty of different ways you can test the chemicals in your pool, but what is essential is that you find a way that works for you—having an improper balance of chemicals in the pool could either lead to algae and other microorganism growth with too few chemicals, or could lead to people getting sick or being harmed by too many chemicals. The most common methods people use include:

(1) Test Strips – dip these into the pool and colored blocks will show where chemical levels fall, including things like chlorine, bromine, free chlorine, pH, hardness, alkalinity, and cyanuric acid. These are one of the least expensive methods, but may not be completely accurate.

(2) Test Kits – using water from the pool and liquid reagents, you can measure water chemistry using colored charts to compare the water for different chemicals. These are one of the most accurate methods you can use if you don’t want to spend the money on a computerized tester.

(3) Computerized (Electronic) Testing – this is the method preferred by most pool professionals because it offers the most accurate readings available for your pool water. Computerized testing is actually the best of both worlds—the ease and convenience you would get from test strips and the accuracy of test kits. Computerized testing comes in a variety of different options, but generally speaking it allows you to put water into the device, press a button, and see a digital readout of the chemicals, pH levels, and more.

Tips for Computerized Test Supplies

If you do plan to use a computerized pool testing kit, it’s important that you have it calibrated on a regular basis so the readings do not become skewed over time. You may also want to have a professional pool contractor help you learn how to use the device so you understanding what the readings mean, and how you can make adjustments to your pool chemicals safely after getting a reading.

The chlorine, hardness, pH, and alkalinity levels in your pool are constantly changing from the weather, sunlight, swimmers, and more. Electronic pool testing supplies now offer a very accurate method to ensure that you understand your levels and can make adjustments for an optimal pool experience.