Pool App Tester alternative after pHin discontinued its product

Table of Contents

1. What was the pHin smart water monitor?
2. pHin has been discontinued
3. Introducing EcO by iopool
4. Phin versus EcO by iopool
5. pHin users get a special Iopool offer
6. Kits for testing swimming pools
7. Special Tests
8. Using Test Kits
9. Pool water testing and when to do it

What was the pHin smart water monitor?

In 2014, Hayward launched the pHin smart water monitor, tracking temperature, pH, and sanitizer levels over 1,000 times weekly. This device eliminates the guesswork in pool and spa maintenance, ensuring clean and balanced water. As a Pool App Tester alternative, it offers efficient monitoring and notification features. The app provides chemical dosing recommendations and enables users to conveniently order chemicals from retailers.

NB If you are looking for a pHin alternative for Pool Testing, we can highly recommend EcO by iopool.

Using the pHin Partner Portal, pool professionals were able to gain insight into their customers’ water chemistry data, history, and preferred chemicals to provide a higher level of service to their pool and hot tub customers.

pHin has been discontinued

A notice has been posted on the pHin by Hayword website to say they were discontinuing the product on 20 December 2021 and discontinuing the pHin app.

This has left pool users scrambling to find another solution.

Introducing EcO by iopool

You can’t go back to manual test strips after using a smart connected water analyzer. pHin is not the only solution on the market, there are other options. One of these is EcO by iopool.

Phin versus EcO by iopool

Its benefits and features are almost the same as EcO by Iopool. Both devices monitor pH, disinfection potential (bromine and chlorine), and the temperature of the water 24 hours a day. Test strips are complimentary to measure total hardness, stabilizer (CYA), and total alkalinity. These devices connect to a mobile app which is available in the Play Store for Android and the Apple Store for iOS. Each app provides instructions for dosing and adjustments to water chemistry.

Iopool’s batteries also seem to last longer, based on user reviews. In the pHin, there is a recurring issue with its energy consumption and its lifespan. Iopool’s Treatment Products appear to be cheaper as well from what we’ve seen.

Their differences are as follows:

• The eCo sensor is smaller than pHin
• Active oxygen compatible
• pHin uses WiFi instead of Bluetooth Low Energy like eCo uses.
• eCo is compatible with all salt treatments.

To provide an intuitive, intuitive, and simple interface that anyone can understand, iopool has been working hard on their modern mobile app, providing a free mobile app that is state-of-the-art.

Additionally, iopool offers a retail service within the app that allows customers to order accessories and chemicals from their webshop and deliver them to their door.

You can contact them if you have any queries about the iopool EcO probe.

pHin users get a special Iopool offer

iopool provides an exceptional discount of 25 USD to customers who use pHin devices and want to exchange their obsolete devices with EcO devices from iopool. You can request the discount by simply emailing hello@iopool.com. You will receive a custom discount code once you submit your proof of payment (this would be a copy of the pHin invoice).

Kits for testing swimming pools

The following tips will help you when testing and what to look for in test kits:

The arrival of warm weather means the start of the pool season. This is the right time to check your pool’s water. The following items need to be routinely checked in a residential swimming pool:

• pH Balance
• Chlorine Levels
• Total alkalinity
• Acid demand

Moreover, you may need to do other tests as well. You don’t have to be a science whiz to use a pool test kit if you follow the directions.

Special Tests

In most cases, homeowners will need four to five standard test kits to diagnose their problems accurately. If necessary, homeowners can also perform specialty tests:

• Biguanide tests measure the pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and sanitizer levels of pools utilizing biguanide water treatment systems.
• Salt test strips can be used to detect salt in saltwater pools. It is also necessary to test for chlorine if you use a salt-chlorine generator.
• A phosphate test kit can be used to measure phosphate levels. In a pool, phosphates can be ingested from various sources, like lawn fertilizers, which feed algae.
• To test for metals, such as copper or iron, on the surface of your pool, you can use special test strips designed for that purpose.
• DPD test kits can be used to test for chloramines (combined chlorine). When chloramine needs to be removed by shocking, ShockCheck test strips can help.
• With a SafeDip test meter, you can test TDS (total dissolved solids).

Using Test Kits

There are several types of standard kits for testing water chemistry. A kit like the 4-in-1 by Biolab Guardex, used in this demonstration, tests the pH, chlorine, acid demand, and total alkalinity of your pool water. Other available kits include two-in-one (pH and chlorine); five-in-one (alkalinity, pH, chlorine, and bromine); or six-in-one (chlorine, bromine, pH, alkalinity, hardness, and cyanuric acid).

Some kits provide results via an app or online calculator or provide test strips or analysis through the manufacturer’s website. Alternatively, you can go to your local pool supply store to get a reading. Please be aware that the bottle numbers, the vial sizes, and the chemicals used in this project are exclusive to this test kit. Make sure you follow the instructions that come with your kit.

Pool water testing and when to do it

Pool water chemistry tests cannot be scheduled according to a set schedule. It is perfectly acceptable to test all components daily, if a bit obsessive. However experts recommend the following testing schedule:

• Chlorine levels: Every two to three weeks
• PH: Twice a week or more
• Acid demand test: Whenever pH levels need to be adjusted
• Total alkalinity (TA): Weekly, unless the pH has changed, in which case the TA should constantly be tested.
• The hardness of calcium: Monthly
• Levels of cyanuric acid: Monthly
• TDS (total dissolved solids): Monthly

Thank you for reading!