Why isn’t calcium on the strip? Now I need to purchase a second strip. Will not buy these again.
These test strips are the only option for testing MPS. If that's not a concern, a better product is TB1029 6-in-1 Test Strips, which test 6 parameters, including hardness.
We've been using these test strips for over 10 years for our 6 person spa in Vermont and two person hot tub in Florida. They give a quick reading and are very easy to use. They seem to be accurate as the pH and total alkalinity values match my other test strips.
These are very disappointing, especially considering that they're made by Hach, whose water sample chemical reagent kits are widely regarded as the best. I only bought these to measure MPS, since I use Cleanwater Blue and non-chlorine shock, and these are about the only test strips I've found that measure MPS. With that said, though, the pH and TA values read significantly lower than my other two reagent kits read. Very disappointingly, the first item listed in the instructions is a warning that the MPS reading ""may be high if chlorine or bromine are present"". So, if you're like 99% of pool or spa owners who use any chlorinating or brominating agent, these will read artificially high. The edges of all of the squares fade almost immediately, and the centers stay a darker color than the perimeter, basically like the reagents on the pads get washed away. The strips themselves are also very narrow, which makes them a bit tricky to grasp. Regarding the MPS tab itself, the color on the strip never matches the printed comparison charts, so they're completely useless for what I purchased them for.
Use these strips to check our hot tub. They work great and are very accurate. Everything I buy from Spa Depot is awesome and get to me much quicker than I ever expect. Thank you all.
We have used this product for years and are very happy with it and SpsDepot