5 Tips to ensure you have a good water testing visit
Here are 5 tips to ensure you have a good water testing visit
1 – Water bottles without names.
When it comes to water bottles to be used for testing, the one thing that can not only speed up your visit, but also make sure that your sample is not mistaken for someone else’s is to have your full name, not just your last name on the sample bottle.
We understand that you know who you are, and for some of you, we also know who you are, but to make it easier for all of us, please label your sample correctly. Especially if you dropped your sample off for testing. We try our best to make sure the results are under the correct customer but sometimes errors can occur and we want to make sure that does not happen. First and last names will assist us greatly, ensuring you receive your results in an accurate, timely fashion.
2 – Water sample bottles with a past.
When selecting a sample bottle for your pool water, please DO NOT USE glass containers of any kind. Glass has “memory” meaning it holds onto trace amounts of what was in it before, no matter how many times you may wash or rinse it. For example, that pickle bottle you just grabbed, it may have trace levels of acidity, meaning that your pH reading may be off and the water test may recommend you add more Balance Pak 200, to raise pH, when it does not need to be raised. Also, stay away from any containers which previously held juice.
DO NOT USE any container that may have held chemicals of ANY sort, as this may well send back a false result for contents in your water. If you do not have a sample bottle, please stop by and ask us for one.
3 – Bringing in a water sample within 48 hours of shocking your pool.
So, you have taken the time to follow the procedures the previous water test sheet has informed you of and you want to have your water retested to make sure it is safely swimmable.
That’s great, but please keep in mind that if chlorine levels are too high, our system will not be able to accurately determine the correct concentrations and dosages of chemicals needed.
Before you bring us a water test sample. Please wait at least 48 hours and test your pool for chlorine. If the reading is still on the high end of colour chart, then your chlorine is still too high. If the colour shown is under the darkest colour for testing, then it should be safe to take a sample (elbow deep remember) and bring it in for testing.
4 – Not having/bringing your list of products left at home.
So, you’ve taken a sample and made the trek to get it tested, that’s great! We’ve run the test and have results in hand and as we are about to go over it we turn and ask if you have the list of products from home. Oh no, you’ve forgot! The reason we ask is that we do not want to sell you any products you may not need. This is because we do not accept returns of chemicals, as there are no seals on the containers.
There is nothing worse than buying a container of product then finding out you have it already. It makes it easier on your pocketbook and storage space if we both know ahead of time what you have. It can also speed up your visit by saving us having to search your history for chemicals you may have already purchased.
Remember as well that not all containers are filled to the top, so saying that a container is “half full” may not mean that it is half of the amount that it had. As an example, if a container contains 10kg of product but is only three quarters up the side of the bucket, then half a bucket is not 5 kg but most likely a little over 6kg.
5 – Using 3rd Party Chemicals
“Oh, no worries, I have some of that at home. I bought it at Wal-Mart/Canadian Tire/Costco.”
Okay, so you may have thought you saved money by purchasing chemicals at another location but…
All pool and spa chemicals are not created equal. Concentrations vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so Big Box store chemicals are not Pool store chemicals. As an example, one litre of our algicide, Banish, is equal to 16 litres (or about 4 gallons) of algicide from Wal-Mart. These various products are ‘bulked up’ with fillers. So when you pay under $10 for a gallon of product, by the time the math is done, based on your needing more, you may have paid more for ‘watered down’ product than you would have buying our concentrated version.
Our main concern is your pool and comfort. Our testing system informs us of what concentrations you need to add of BioGuard products. Taking our water testing amounts and applying them to “3rd Party” chemicals may cause more harm than good. For optimal clarity and peace of mind, it is best to follow our instructions with our products. Why miss a moment in the pool or spa, with friends and family, by using a lesser quality product?
Please note: We reserve the right to hold back a water analysis result if any such issue occurs that we feel may be inaccurate, as we do not wish your pool water to be unbalanced. Our staff is more than happy to go through their reasoning of holding back results with you and help you to fix the issue. (i.e., high chlorine, juice container used for sample etc.)
Remember, learning to properly look after your pool and equipment is not science, its satisfaction. After all …everyone deserves a little R&R.
