10 minute read
WATER TESTING
Testing Times!
Thanks to numerous innovations, the testing of water in pools and spas is now more accurate, sophisticated and convenient than ever before. It’s a sector which doesn’t stand still for long and embraces the. latest in technology. The result – numerous products that have literally revolutionised what was once a laborious process. With water testing always a high priority for owners and operators alike, we take a closer look at a number of the latest solutions
By Andrea Hartshorne
Clean and safe water is an essential part of the wet leisure experience but the last thing owners and operators of pools and spas want to do is spend unnecessary time and energy testing and monitoring water.
In a normal season, hot summer weather gets people going to pools, lidos, spas and splash parks. However, with many facilities closed on the commercial side, some of the slack has been taken up by first-time domestic purchasers who will be new to looking after pool and spa water. So straightforward and accurate testing has become even more essential. Of course, commercial facilities are reopening and will continue to do so, therefore regardless of the setting, both users and owners need to be able to trust that the cooling waters that are being enjoyed are safe and in the best possible condition.
Considerable money and time is spent developing and producing more efficient and user-friendly testing systems. That’s not surprising as for commercial operators in particular, where there is the possibility of infection, only the best procedures and latest products are good enough as down time or bad press should an infection occur could spell disaster to both revenue streams and reputation – a scenario to be avoided at all costs, particularly if the pool has only recently reopened!
Whether it’s a newly purchased hot tub or an established Olympic-sized pool, wet leisure products are major investments for their owners and they need to be kept in the best possible condition – especially in these times where cleanliness is of paramount importance and at the forefront of peoples’ minds. Therefore having the correct products to test water conditions is essential and in this issue, we take a look at just some of the solutions.
ACCURATE WATER TESTING IS NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
The last few months have shown us how important it is to control hygiene in all areas of life. This is also essential for swimming pool water. Although no one is certain how COVID-19 is affected by chlorine, it is generally thought that providing levels of free chlorine are sufficient and pH value is correct, then the virus is rapidly inactivated. The advice is to run free chlorine at the upper limit of a desired range and the pH as low as possible to ensure the chlorine is running at maximum efficiency. Above all, keep levels tested and correct.
Today’s Lovibond ® range of test kits have units suitable for all types of pools and spas. Backed by over 70 years of water testing experience each kit is designed to give accurate, reliable and repeatable readings. The range includes:
• PoolTester Introductory Kits for measuring chlorine, pH and other parameters. These easy to use visual kits are suitable for small domestic pools where quick testing is required.
• The Scuba II Electronic Pool Tester which measures five different parameters. This small handheld device allows you to test like the professionals and give a direct digital readout.
• Lovibond’s MD100 / MD110 range of professional photometers are available in 3 and 6 parameter models. The meters are easy to use, they only have four buttons, and use top of the range optic to give the best possible accuracy. Used by pools up and down the country the units are supplied in a handy carrying case complete with all accessories. The MD100 also has Bluetooth connectivity so stored results can be directly downloaded to a tablet or laptop.
All Lovibond systems use tablet reagents supplied individually sealed meaning the last used is as accurate as the first. The company also offer a range of free online training courses to help users ensure testing is carried out correctly.
Remember pool water testing is essential: Keep Testing, Keep Control, Keep Safe.
Lovibond’s MD100 / MD110 range of professional photometers are available in 3 and 6 parameter models
THE POOLLAB 1.0 – THE ONE FOR EVERYONE!
Testing your pool water can be a real pain. Is my pH-value balanced? Is there still enough chlorine in the water? Is the alkalinity (acid capacity) and cyanuric acid (stabiliser) in an acceptable range? Test strips and Pooltesters are frequently used as Photometers seemed to be reserved for professionals simply because they are expensive. Luckily, time has changed and an inexpensive Photometer is offered that everyone can afford! The PoolLab 1.0 Photometer by Water-i.d. is easy to use, gives accurate results of 11 pool parameters (tested on 3 wavelengths) and even comes with Bluetooth, a powerful app and software which both synchronise via a cloud server, free of charge. Test results can be downloaded via the app/software and individual water treatment chemicals can be stored and used to let software and app calculate a dosage recommendation for the water in a swimming pool or spa.
The built-in cuvette can be changed if required and the PoolLab is waterproof to IP68 – it simply needs to be dipped in the pool to scoop the water used to perform the test.
Six buttons allow direct access to all 11 test procedures and each PoolLab purchase comes with reagent tablets (for most common parameters), a stirring rod and a syringe.
If PoolLab isn’t your first choice, Water-i.d. also offers a wide selection of pooltesters and test strips plus the company recently introduced FlexiTester – a product which allows the user more flexibility than traditional pooltesters and which can test 25 different parameters through the use of various reagents and colour sticks that are inserted into the tester.
The PoolLab 1.0 Photometer gives accurate results of 11 pool parameters and even comes with Bluetooth, a powerful app and software which both synchronise via a cloud server, free of charge
DUAL SIDED COM-360 OFFERS PROFESSIONAL WATER HOT TUB WATER
Available to both the trade plus end users through 1 Stop Spas, the COM-360 from HM Digital is a new breed of professional tester aimed at users within the hot tub and swim spa market. It has a unique combination of pH/EC/TDS/ Temperature measurements and features different sensors on each end of the meter. Easy to use, it is equipped with a gyro sensor that detects the product’s orientation, meaning the COM360 automatically switches from pH to EC/ TDS mode and vice versa with results being displayed clearly via an LCD panel.
The product measures in four scales (mS, µS, 0.5ppm and 0.7ppm) and includes two selectable non-linear EC to TDS conversion factors, making it one of the most advanced handheld TDS/EC meters available.
As with any product aimed at the professional, accuracy is a must and the COM360 offers users precision results as follows: +/- 0.1 pH, +/- 2% EC/TDS and +/- 1 °C/°F. One-touch automatic calibration is also included to pH 4.0, 7.0 and 10.0 plus digital fine-tuning is available to any point within its range.
Powered by two AAA batteries, the COM360 weighs in at only 110g and joins a wider range of HM Digital handheld water testing products offered by the company.
RELAX AND LET AQUACHEK® PRODUCTS DO THE WORK!
The Pocket Pro and Pocket Pro+ testers from AquaChek ® use sensor technology to deliver quick, accurate results for electrochemical parameters in a broad range of water applications.
The family of 12 testers offers convenient portable solutions for pH, ORP, conductivity, TDS, salinity and temperature, delivering results you can be confident in.
The Pocket Pro+ series offers all the benefits of the Pocket Pro standard testers, plus convenient backlight and replaceable sensors.
Users can have confidence in results thanks to easy calibration steps and builtin diagnostics for pH testers which take the guesswork out of calibrating the sensor to keep it in optimum condition. Save time and money with easy-to-replace AAA batteries plus a convenient sample cup make maintenance and measurements simple.
For ease of use, the large LCD screen is simple to read; backlighting is included on Pocket Pro+ models, allowing measurement in almost any lighting environment.
These durable meters come with a one-year warranty and can be easily calibrated with a few clicks of a button. Calibration solution is included with each meter; additional solution can be purchased separately.
When it comes to spa water, the AquaChek ® TruTest ® Spa Digital Test Strip Reader eliminates all the guesswork required with interpreting colour results by combining the ease and accuracy of the company’s test strips with advanced digital technology. It’s so simple – just dip a test strip in the spa water, insert into the test strip reader and get fast, accurate digital results in seconds. The TruTest Digital Test Strip Reader is also ideal for customers who aren’t comfortable distinguishing colour. Tests are for total bromine, pH, and total alkalinity but if chlorine Designed for testing convenience, the Pocket is being used, try the Pro+ from AquaChek® blue AquaChek ® TruTest ® allows measurement in almost any lighting Digital Reader.
CHAUVIN ARNOUX LAUNCH LONGPROBE PH TESTER
Test equipment specialist Chauvin Arnoux launched last year its new CA10001 portable pH tester which is fast and easy to use in a wide range of applications, including swimming pools, spas, water treatment, hydroponics, agriculture, life science, drinking water applications, aquariums, food and beverage manufacture and many more.
It is currently the only long-probe pH tester (120 mm) available on the European market and it boasts an IP65 (‘waterproof’) ingress protection rating, two key features that make it equally suitable for use in the field and in the laboratory.
The CA10001 requires just one click to calibrate and one click to measure, allowing users to obtain accurate pH values in moments. User convenience is further enhanced by a multi-parameter LCD screen that shows temperature and pH value simultaneously, and by automatic temperature compensation of the displayed pH value. pH can be measured over the range 0.00 to 14.00 with a resolution of 0.01 pH, and the automatic temperature compensation is effective over the range 0 to 60ºC.
Lightweight, portable and featuring a highly ergonomic design, the CA10001 is primarily intended for spot measurements and rapid testing of pH. It is calibrated simply by immersing it in a pH buffer solution and clicking once on the CAL key. Then, after it is immersed in the test sample, one further click is all that’s needed make the measurement. Because of its long pH electrode, the CA 10001 is ideal for measurements in small diameter receptacles such as vials or test tubes.
Chauvin Arnoux ‘s CA10001 requires just one click to calibrate and one click to measure, allowing users to obtain accurate pH values in moments
CLEAR RESULTS EVERY TIME WITH PALINTEST
As a long-term distributor of Palintest water testing products to the wet leisure industry, Golden Coast provides a range of photometers, electrochemical sensors and visual test kits to provide pool and spa owners with clear indications of water quality.
Historically, visual testing kits have been popular for use with domestic pools. They offer cost-effective, easy-to-use methods to test a range of parameters. But digital products have been on the rise for some time, due to their much greater accuracy and the ability to test for varied chemicals, including chlorine, bromine, alkalinity, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid and pH levels. “Palintest offers sophisticated products for commercial or domestic pools,” said Adam Clark, Sales Director at Golden Coast. “Visual testing kits are cost effective and easy to use, but digital photometers like the Palintest Pooltest 3 and 6 are also gaining popularity as they can test for varied chemicals, including chlorine, bromine, alkalinity, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid and pH levels. “For service engineers and managers of commercial pools, the Pooltest 9 and 25 have Bluetooth connectivity for easy data download and sharing. This allows multiple users to take readings which can be monitored and tracked from a central hub.”
As an authorised Palintest service partner, Golden Coast offers an all-inclusive photometer maintenance programme that covers repairs, calibration, software upgrades and cleaning, to ensure equipment stays in top condition.
For service engineers and managers of commercial pools, products such as Palintest’s Pooltest 25 have Bluetooth connectivity for easy data download and sharing
FOR FURTHER DETAILS:
1 Stop Spas
01522 300737
www.1stopspas.com
Chauvin Arnoux UK
01924 460494
www.chauvin-arnoux.co.uk
Hach Lange
+800 227 4224
www.aquachek.com
Golden Coast
01271 378100
www.goldenc.com
Lovibond Tintometer
01980 664800
www.lovibond.com
Water i.d. / Pool i.d.
01722 322566
www.water-id.com / www.pool-id.co.uk
