Features at-a-glance
- Complete setup
- All required materials are included with the test kit, such as the glass vials, plastic pipette, reagent packets, and Checker® disc.
- High resolution
- Readings from 0 to 0.7 mg/L are determined to 0.02 mg/L resolution.
- Readings from 0 to 3.5 mg/L are determined to 0.1 mg/L resolution.
- Replacement reagents available
- There is no need to buy a new kit when reagents are exhausted. The HI38018-200 reagent set can be ordered to replace the reagents supplied with the kit. This reagent set comes with 200 packets of HI93701-0 free chlorine reagent.
Significance of Use
Disinfection is a process of killing disease-causing organisms (or pathogens). Chlorine (Cl2) is a very desirable disinfectant because, when mixed with pure water, it reacts to form hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). HOCl (free active chlorine) is the most effective form of chlorine for disinfection of pools, spas, and drinking water.
Drinking water municipalities add elemental chlorine to the water supply as chlorine gas, liquid sodium hypochlorite, or dry calcium hypochlorite. In water these form free chlorine ions, which destroy disease-causing pathogens, reduce odor, eliminate bacteria and help to remove unwanted elements. The USEPA requires that residual disinfectant is present in finished drinking water to ensure there is disinfectant available throughout the distribution system, with chlorine acting as one of the disinfectants that provides said residual. However, the EPA has also set a maximum contaminant level of 4.0 mg/L for free chlorine due to potential health effects above this level.