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Using Your Taylor Test Kit

Step-by-step Taylor K-2006-style testing for FC/CC, pH, TA, CH, and CYA with the correct reagent IDs and sequence.

Hub: Water Testing · When to use: You need accurate results from a FAS-DPD liquid test kit and want to avoid bad readings.
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Using Your Taylor Test Kit

A Taylor K-2006-style walkthrough with the correct reagent IDs and test order for FC/CC, pH, TA, CH, and CYA.

Most important correction

For a K-2006-style FAS-DPD chlorine test, use R-0870 powder and R-0871 titrant. Combined chlorine is checked by adding R-0003 after the FC endpoint.

1

Collect the sample correctly

Accurate testing starts with a representative sample and clean cells.

Collect water elbow-deep, away from skimmers and return jets.
Rinse the test cell with pool water before filling to the test mark.
Test the sample promptly, especially for chlorine.
2

FAS-DPD free chlorine (FC) and combined chlorine (CC)

This is the highest-priority test for routine chlorination, OCLT, and SLAM work.

Fill to 10 mL for 0.5 ppm/drop resolution or 25 mL for 0.2 ppm/drop resolution.
Add R-0870 DPD powder until the sample turns pink.
Titrate with R-0871 one drop at a time, swirling between drops, until the sample turns colorless. That is FC.
Add 5 drops of R-0003. If the sample turns pink again, titrate with R-0871 to colorless. That second result is CC.
Practical notes
  • • If the sample does not turn pink, FC is effectively zero for that test size.
  • • Retest if the endpoint flashes and returns slightly pink immediately.
3

pH test

Use the comparator and phenol-red reagent correctly before making acid or aeration adjustments.

Fill the pH cell to the mark.
Add the phenol-red reagent called for by your comparator and kit instructions.
Mix gently and compare the sample color against the scale in bright, even light.
Stop conditions / cautions
  • • Very high chlorine can distort phenol-red pH readings. If the number seems impossible, cross-check after chlorine normalizes or use the manual guidance.
4

Total alkalinity (TA)

For the K-2006-style TA test, the standard reagent sequence is R-0007, R-0008, then R-0009.

Fill the sample to the TA mark required by your Taylor instructions.
Add 2 drops of R-0007, then 5 drops of R-0008, and swirl.
Add R-0009 dropwise, swirling after each drop, until the color changes to the endpoint shown in the instructions.
Multiply drops by the test equivalence for your sample size.
5

Calcium hardness (CH)

Use the CH reagents in the right order to avoid confusing the test with TA chemistry.

Fill the sample to the CH mark required by the instructions.
Add R-0010 buffer, then R-0011L indicator, and swirl.
Titrate with R-0012 until the sample reaches the blue endpoint specified by Taylor.
Multiply by the test equivalence for your sample size.
6

Cyanuric acid (CYA)

This is a turbidity test, so consistency matters more than speed.

Mix pool water and R-0013 in the Taylor mixing bottle to the indicated marks.
Cap and shake for the time required by the instructions.
Pour the cloudy mixture into the view tube while looking for the black dot disappearance endpoint in bright light.
Repeat once if the reading is borderline or lighting was poor.
Practical notes
  • • Do not backwash or clean the filter right after adding stabilizer until it has dissolved and mixed per the product instructions.
7

Retest and storage rules

The right follow-up matters as much as the right test sequence.

Retest before large chemical additions when a number is surprising.
Write results down immediately or log them in Poolometer.
Store reagents indoors away from heat, freezing, and direct sunlight.
Replace aging or questionable reagents before assuming the pool is the problem.

Standards & Resources

Taylor K-2006 product page

Use Taylor’s official kit page and downloads for the current instruction sheets and reagent list.

Taylor pool and spa chemistry guidebook

Taylor’s guidebook expands the instruction sheet and is the right reference when a reading looks unusual.

Checklist

  1. 1Collect a proper sample before you trust any result.
  2. 2Run FAS-DPD FC and CC using R-0870, R-0871, and R-0003 in the correct order.
  3. 3Use the correct Taylor reagents for pH, TA, CH, and CYA instead of bottle-color memory.
  4. 4Retest suspicious numbers before dosing and replace old reagents before blaming the pool.

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