09/28/2026
In our last video we tested a strip in the lab. This time we took it to a real pool with Jim from our service team, and he dipped two strips from that pool.
Same pool, same bottle of strips, two different answers.
Jim dipped the first strip the way most people do when they're in a hurry, swishing it around in the water. The colors came out faded and the pH, chlorine and stabilizer pads were close to impossible to read. Moving the strip around washes the chemicals off the pads before they can react.
Then he dipped a second strip straight in and straight out. The colors were solid and easy to match.
How to get a strip reading you can trust:
-> Dip straight down and pull straight up. Don't stir.
-> Wait 5 to 15 seconds before you read it.
-> Don't wait much longer, because the colors fade and the reading drifts.
The good strip showed a pool that needed its pH raised, with chlorine around 5 and stabilizer running high. That's a different treatment than the bad strip would have told you to use.
Not sure what your strip is telling you? Bring a water sample to 4801 N Navarro for a free BioGuard SpinLab test.
If you want exact numbers, bring a water sample to 4801 N Navarro. The BioGuard SpinLab test is free and takes a few minutes.
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