How to Use a Pool Test Kit to Check Water Quality

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $20

The beginning of warm weather means the beginning of pool season. That means it's time to start checking your water quality. In a typical residential swimming pool, this means you need to routinely check for:

Pool test kit

​The Spruce / Ana Cadena

  • pH
  • Chlorine
  • Total alkalinity
  • Acid demand

And there are other tests you might need to do, as well. Don't worry if you didn't ace chemistry in school; pool test kits are fairly easy to use if you follow the directions. 

Special Tests

Standard test kits will accurately test for the four or five principal tests most homeowners need. There are also specialty tests that can be conducted in certain circumstances:

  • Biguanide water treatment systems, found on some swimming pools, require biguanide test strips to check the sanitizer levels, pool pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness levels. 
  • Test for salt on saltwater pools using a salt test strip. if you use a salt-chlorine generator, you will also need to test for chlorine. 
  • Phosphates can be tested using a phosphate test kit. Phosphate can enter a pool from a variety of sources, such as lawn fertilizers, and they can lead to algae that feed on the phosphates.
  • If pool water stains the surface of your pool, you can test for metals such as copper or iron using special test strips designed for the purpose. 
  • Chloramines (combined chlorine) can be tested with a DPD test kit. ShockCheck test strips can tell you when shocking is needed to remove chloramine. 
  • TDS (total dissolved solids) can be tested with a SafeDip test meter. 
Water test kit
​The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Tip

Discoloration on the walls of a pool often indicates the presence of algae, which requires more frequent testing and super-chlorinating (shocking) the pool.

Working With Test Kits

Standard kits for testing water chemistry come in several different types. The particular kit used in this demonstration, the 4-in-1 by Biolab Guardex, tests your pool water's pH, chlorine, acid and base demand, and total alkalinity. Other available kits are 2-in-1 (chlorine and pH); 5-in-1 (chlorine, bromine, alkalinity, pH, and acid demand); or 6-in-1 (chlorine, bromine, pH, total alkalinity, total hardness, and cyanuric acid).

Other types of kits include test strips or provide analysis through the manufacturer's website or an app or online calculator. You can also get a reading by taking the kit to your pool supply store. Be aware that the bottle numbers, vial sizes, and chemicals in this project are unique to this particular brand of test kit. Follow the instructions for your kit; usually, you can find them online.

When to Test Pool Water

There is no set guideline for when to conduct various tests on pool water chemistry. Some people test all components daily, and this is a perfectly acceptable schedule. However, many pool experts suggest the following schedule for testing:

  • Chlorine levels: Two or three times each week
  • pH: Two or three times each week
  • Acid demand test: Whenever pH levels need adjustment
  • Total alkalinity: Weekly, unless pH has changed, in which case you should always test the total alkalinity (TA)
  • Calcium hardness: Monthly
  • Cyanuric acid levels: Monthly
  • Total dissolved solids (TDS): Monthly

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Four-way pool water test kit​
  • Sink to wash test kit
  • Towel to dry test kit

Materials

  • Pool water sample

Instructions

  1. Take a Water Sample

    Dip the plastic tester into your pool, making sure you draw water from a depth of at least 18 inches for an accurate "catch." Water chemistry near the surface of the pool may not be typical of the water deeper in the pool. 

    Water test sample
    ​The Spruce / Ana Cadena
  2. Check the Vial Levels

    Make sure the vials are filled to the marked "fill" line on the column. Proper readings require a precise ratio of pool water to the testing solution. 

    Check vial levels
    ​The Spruce / Ana Cadena
  3. Test for Free Chlorine and Residual Chlorine

    Add five drops of solution No. 1 to the column for testing chlorine. In this kit, the chlorine indicator solution happens to be Ortho Tolidin.

    Note: Some test kits use dissolving tablets rather than a liquid testing solution.

    Chlorine water test
    ​The Spruce / Ana Cadena
  4. Mix the Solution

    Place the caps on vials, and invert or turn the vials upside down several times to mix the solution with the pool water.

    Mix water test solution
    ​The Spruce / Ana Cadena
  5. Compare the Colors

    Wait a few seconds, and then compare the color in the vial with the color standards indicated on the plastic tester. This will give you a reading of the free chlorine level.

    Wait a couple of minutes, and compare the colors again to determine the residual chlorine level. 

    Note: Some kits have two separate tests for free chlorine and residual chlorine, each requiring different solutions or tablets. 

    Compare color in vial to color tester
    ​The Spruce / Ana Cadena
  6. Test the Pool's pH Levels

    After rinsing the tester clean, fill the large tube to the top solid line with pool water taken from a depth of 18 inches. Add one drop of solution No. 4 and mix it by gently swirling the tube. This solution is sodium thiosulfate, a chlorine neutralizer. Add five drops of Solution 2, a phenol red indicator, and mix by gently swirling. Compare the color with the pH color standards on the plastic tester to determine the pH level of your pool water.

    Note: Don’t perform this test if the residual chlorine is above 3.0, as you will not get an accurate pH reading. The residual chlorine must first be adjusted to normal levels. 

    Test pool ph levels
    ​The Spruce / Ana Cadena
  7. Test for Acid Demand

    Using a sample of the water from the pH test, add the acid demand titrant. Count each drop—making sure to swirl between drops—until the color matches that of the 7.4 indicator. Refer to the acid dosage chart to determine the correct amount of acid to add to your pool to balance the pH.

    Note: Don’t perform this test if the pH is above 7.5 and the chlorine residual is above 3.0. The residual chlorine must first be brought to proper levels before testing for acid demand. 

    Test for acid demand
    ​The Spruce / Ana Cadena
  8. Test for Total Alkalinity

    After rinsing the tester clean, fill the large tube to the lower dash line. Add one drop of No. 4 solution and swirl. Next, add one drop of solution No. 5B, a total alkalinity indicator, and swirl. Add No. 3 solution, drop by drop (make sure to keep track) until the color changes to clear, light yellow, or light green.

    Finally, multiply the number of drops of solution No. 3 you used by 10 to determine the total alkalinity.

    Note: Don't perform this test if the residual chlorine is above 3.0. Chlorine must be in normal ranges before testing for TA (total alkalinity). 

    Test for Alkalinity
    ​The Spruce / Ana Cadena 
  9. Rinse and Dry the Tester

    After testing, rinse your plastic tester in a sink (never in the pool), then dry it completely. Pack up the kit and store it in a cool, dry place, away from children.

    Rinse and dry pool tester
    ​The Spruce / Ana Cadena  

Tips for Testing Pool Water

  • Don’t buy more pool chemicals than you’ll use in a season because they can lose effectiveness over time. The test solutions (reagents) typically last about one year.
  • Avoid test strips. Test strips are available to conduct individual tests simply by dipping the strips into the pool water and "reading" the color. However, these may not be as accurate because there is more room for error.
  • When you run out of testing solutions, you can purchase replenishment bottles rather than buying an entire testing kit. 
  • Comprehensive kits are available that offer the testing solutions and materials required for nearly any chemical test you might need. These deluxe kits can cost around $100. 
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Chan, E. T. A Guide to Swimming Pool Maintenance and Filtration Systems: an Instructional Know-How on Everything You Need to Know about Swimming Pools. Partridge, 2015