improving test kit accuracy

[beelezebubba]

i'm sure a lot of the pros here have similar tricks up their sleeves, but if you're using any of the titration style api test kits, you can increase their accuracy by about 100% by getting a 1 mL syringe with .01 mL increments and using that as a dropper instead of the bottle.

a drop is about .04 mL, so every .02 mL on the syringe corresponds to a half drop, and you'll be able to test calcium in 10ppm increments instead of 20, or dKH in .5 degree increments instead of whole degrees. every little bit counts, and knowledge is half the battle. go joe!

 

[Matt W]

Scale of test can also be increased. Test sample volume can be double, etc.

 

[beelezebubba]

that's another good idea, and possibly much simpler

 

[dannyp02908]

Most of the titration style tests tell you to double the sample for double the resolution.

 

[beelezebubba]

yeah i don't know why i didn't think of that before lol.

still, just a different way of doing the same thing. tho you would burn through test kits at twice the rate.

 

[Matt W]

I believe for KH, 0.1 N HCl with bromophenol blue as indicator. You can buy from places like VWR, etc. Ca test kits I haven't figured out yet. Anyone know of resources-links for this?

 

[beelezebubba]

thanks matt, for like 10 bucks worth of hcl from home depot you could supply the entire club with alk test kits. might look into that when i run out. ca would be great to figure out. if anyone's got any links i'd love to see them as well.