I read some years ago somewhere, it might have been in OG or Acres USA, but they conducted tests by many different labs. They sent the same soil samples to several different labs, and they all were different. None that you could call reliable. They tested for pH and nutrients. I have had the same results. I do not test for soil pH anymore. I use plenty of compost and grow plants that prefer a ph 6.5 to 7.0 and acid loving plants in the same soil and cannot tell the difference.

Living on well water is a little more complicated and requires more maintenance than municipal water cause you have to keep the water nice and safe. I'm curious, no test for bacteria? Good that you have your own lab test... Hit the Yellow Pages and call at least three local water treatment pros. Make sure you call at least one of the big dogs like Kinetico or Culligan for comparison and at least a couple independent pros. DON'T TELL THEM YOU HAD YOUR WATER TESTED. Give each an opportunity to offer suggestions and provide you with a quote to meet your water treatment needs. IGNORE ANY THAT DON'T TEST YOUR WATER THEMSELVES as they can't speak intelligently to water treatment without knowing what needs to be treated. Ask lots of questions. Softening the entire house or just the water heater (bad idea)? Warranty, parts & labor or just parts, how long and on exactly what? Install, permits required, licensed plumber? Routine maintenance and costs? Do they stock parts? Response time for emergency (water leak) calls? If they don't explain things to your satisfaction that is a good indicator of how you'll be treated after the sale. After they've gone use your water test to compare with theirs. Are all your treatment needs being addressed? Ask your neighbors if they have any water treatment experience. They might tell you who's good or who to avoid. Come back here and post the specific recommendations and hardware components with the costs and we'll give you our opinions.

Tresw...you can get just a Taylor CYA test thru the Taylor Technologies website. The kit K-1720 measures CYA from 20-100 and sells for $47.45. The kit K-1721 measures CYA from 30-100 and its price is $22.05. Personally, I think the 30-100 range would be just fine. From time to time you'll want to check your calcium hardness too and you'll need a test for that. Also salt, if you have a SWCG. When you're ready for another full kit, I'd recommend the one I've linked below. It's based on the one I got from PoolForum (kit no longer available) and I think it's perfect. Once you've got this type of kit, you can just order Taylor reagents as you need them for whatever test is running out. Sandy Here is a link that might be useful: Trouble Free test kit

Hi Goldenbeach-- Yeah-- they're pretty much making it up. While this may be an industry practice, it is not the manufacturer's recommended procedure. Check this out. I found similar instructions online for your product, coincidently when I did the search for mine. Again, recommending acid wash and some other very specific instructions during the application process. I will go back and see if I can find that link and post it for you if you don't already have that info. Here's for the product we used: http://www.aquavations.com/docs/CS%20Product%20Data.pdf I previously read this but had to research it again to find the document. I asked the construction manager if they were going to do an acid wash, and was under the impression they were going to do it per manufacturer's recommendation as stated in the document in the above link. I knew I would have to "gently brush" for "about 2 weeks" and was also told I couldn't use the heater during that time. No problem considering we were doing this in mid-September due to many (unnecessary) delays. If I were a violent type (which I definitely am not) I would say something like "I am just about ready to wring someone's neck!" I am approaching the end of the 28 days and the pebble exposure is still less than ideal. But then again, my I can barely type and lifting my arms is painful, particularly my right one after another daily routine of 4 hours + of rigorous brushing! The reason I am making to effort tonight again is because I realize there is very little recourse from the manufacturer if your plaster company is not a "factory trained & authorized" installer. Even if they are there is too much if a chance that your PB or mine won't do anything to make it better as this would involve additional cost on their part--probably the incentive for them not to do it the manufacturer's recommended way the first time around. The product (no matter how good it is itself) is going to suffer from this type of exposure technique IMHO. I was totally caught off-guard on this one thinking I had asked and gotten the answer I needed that it was going to be "acid-washed". I would have never agreed to this alternative procedure due to my age and health condition it has been a real pain in the neck . . . and every other body part --literally!!! I addressed this disappointment with the plaster applicator at about the 2 week mark and was told they might be able to do something about it in the Spring (he would check with his boss). So far, no update on that. I am not holding my breath-- neither am I waiting for anyone to take any action to improve the situation and have just continued to do what I have figured out results in some improvement. Again, E-mail me if you wish to compare notes. I try to do my homework ahead of time and I hate being blind-sided. I feel mislead about the process by the PB and will be letting them know that again I expect on day 29!. The day of the plastering I was told by the sub that he wasn't going to do the full exposure with acid because it would streak the darker blue colored plaster. I don't know if there is any credence to this, but there are no caveats in the manufacturer's instructions. I did notice a change in the color of the plaster anyway as it is curing it is getting darker and often appears grayer. This is not so much of an issue for me but the inability to even get in the sub 60 degree water and trying to get to the bare or under-exposed spots in virtually unreachable locations is killing me (almost literally)!!!