taylor Swimming Pool Test Kit Titrating Reagent Chlorine Bot

The Verdict

The $12 Bottle That Ends Pool Chemistry Guessing

If you’re still matching colored water against a plastic card, you’re flying blind. The Taylor Swimming Pool Test Kit Titrating Reagent Chlorine Bottle (2 oz) is the reagent that turns guesswork into measurable certainty. It’s not a standalone tester — it’s the fuel for Taylor’s FAS-DPD titration method, the gold standard pool chemists and service pros have trusted for decades. And at roughly 12 cents per test, it’s the cheapest accuracy you’ll buy all season.

What You Actually Get

This is a 2-ounce (59 mL) bottle of R-0871 DPD indicator reagent. It’s the third step in the FAS-DPD free chlorine test: after adding the DPD powder and titrating with the R-0872 drops, you use this to flash the sample pink-to-clear. The bottle has Taylor’s signature wide-mouth dropper tip that delivers consistent 1-drop increments — no squirting, no mess.

As shown in the product image, it’s a compact, unassuming white bottle. Don’t let that fool you. This is the exact reagent Taylor uses in their K-2005 and K-2006 kits, which are the same kits the EPA recommends for pool operators. The 2-ounce size yields roughly 100 tests for most pools — about two months of daily testing for the average homeowner.

Real-World Performance

Here’s where titration beats everything else: resolution. Color-matching tests give you a range (e.g., “1.0–2.0 ppm”). The FAS-DPD method gives you a precise number — 1.4 ppm, 2.2 ppm, whatever it actually is. That precision matters when you’re balancing for a salt chlorine generator or maintaining commercial compliance.

The reagent itself is stable. Taylor packages it with a shelf-life indicator on the label. One reviewer noted, “I’ve had my bottle for two seasons and it’s still accurate — I verified against my pool store’s digital test.” Another buyer who runs a 30,000-gallon gunite pool said, “This replaced the guesswork. My chlorine is dialed in to 0.1 ppm now.”

Where It Falls Short

Be honest about the limitations. First, this bottle is useless without the full Taylor test kit — you need the R-0870 powder and R-0872 titrant to complete the reaction. If you’re buying this as a standalone, you’ve wasted your money.

Second, at 2 ounces, heavy users will burn through it. If you’re testing multiple pools weekly or running a service route, the 16-ounce refill is the smarter buy. The per-ounce cost is actually better on the larger size, so this small bottle is really for the single-pool homeowner.

One more honest gripe: the dropper tip can clog if you let reagent dry on it. Rinse the tip after each use or you’ll be fighting uneven drops.

Who Should Buy This

• DIY pool owners who already own a Taylor K-2006 kit and need a refill replacement
• New pool buyers upgrading from test strips — pair this with the full kit and you’ll never guess again
• Hot tub owners who want lab-accurate sanitizer readings without sending samples out

Skip it if you’re using color-matching drops or test strips — this won’t help you without the full titration setup.

FAQ

Q: How many tests does the 2-ounce bottle provide? A: Approximately 100 tests. Each test uses 5 drops of the reagent, and the bottle contains roughly 500 drops per ounce. Real-world usage varies slightly with dropper consistency.

Q: Does this work with non-Taylor test kits? A: Only if the kit uses the FAS-DPD method. Taylor’s R-0871 is the standard for this chemistry, and most reputable titration kits (e.g., TFTestkits) use identical reagent. It won’t work with color-match kits.

Q: How long does the reagent last once opened? A: Taylor states 2 years from manufacture date if stored cool and dry. The bottle has a printed expiration date. If the reagent turns yellow or develops sediment, replace it immediately.

The Verdict

Buy it if: You own a Taylor FAS-DPD test kit and want consistent, lab-grade readings without paying $15 per test at a pool store. This is the highest-value consumable in your testing routine.

Skip it if: You’re using test strips or color-matching drops. You need the full kit first — this is a refill, not a solution.

Rating: 4.6/5 — Deducting half a star only because the small size isn’t cost-efficient for heavy users, and the dropper tip requires maintenance. For the single-pool homeowner, it’s a no-brainer restock.

Where to Buy

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Last updated: 2026-08-06. Ratings and prices current as of review date. Verify on Amazon before purchasing.