Testing your pool water in New Zealand
Test your pool water yourself with strips or a drop-test kit, and take a sample to a pool shop when something looks wrong. Test strips are quick and cheap; a liquid drop test reads closer. Both give you the same four numbers that matter: free chlorine or sanitiser level, pH, total alkalinity and, on a salt pool, salt level.
What to look for
A 4-in-1 or 5-in-1 kit covers free chlorine, pH, total alkalinity and hardness, and sometimes cyanuric acid (stabiliser). A kit that only reads chlorine and pH will not tell you why the chlorine is not holding.
Strips are read against a colour chart in about 30 seconds. A drop test counts reagent drops until the colour turns, and is less sensitive to a faded chart or a wet bottle. Strips have an expiry date and go off once the tub has been opened; check it before you trust a reading.
Compare price per test, not price per pack. A 25-strip tub tested twice a week lasts about three months.
Several New Zealand pool retailers test a water sample free in store. That is worth doing at the start of the season and any time your own readings and the water disagree.
What we sell: nothing, yet
We have no supplier for test kits yet, so there is nothing here to buy and no price. Tell us what you need and we will email you once, when there is.
When a supplier is signed, this page will list real products at real prices and name who supplies them, who dispatches them and how long it takes. Until then there is no product grid and no price on this page, because there is nothing we could actually send you.
Questions
How often should I test my pool water?
More often in summer and after heavy use or rain than in winter. Most owners test at least weekly through the swimming season, and after any big swim day or storm.
Do you sell test kits?
Not yet. This page is a buying guide with no products on it. When we have a supplier we will list real products with real prices, and this page will say who supplies them.
Can you tell me how much chemical to add?
No. A dose depends on the product's own label and on your pool's actual volume and readings, and we have no supplier and therefore no labels. Follow the label on the product you own, or take a sample to a pool shop.