Salifert Calcium test kit

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Just looking into water treatment and having read about recommended Ca kits Decided to purchase the Salifert Ca Profi test.
However, It does not appear to work.
I emailed the supplier :
I have tried this kit with my local tapwater and Tesco Ashbeck mineral water and it does not work.
When the crystals are first added they produce a blue colour with a pink tinge. Adding 0.4 mils Ca-2 solution just turns it more blue. Dripping further solution, shaking and waiting makes no difference. It remains stubbornly blue.

I believe the kit is faulty or very old Stock.

They replied :
I don’t quite understand your email? We are Marine Aquatic specialists and we only sell products that are for salt water testing they are not made to test anything other although some may work others won’t as they are not made for that purpose solely to get accurate readings with salt water therefor not sure why you are testing tap water and mineral water with this test?

I can also assure that you also do not have old stock as we sell many of those tests kits on a daily basis with no issues whatsoever and stock is rotated daily when new stock arrives and will have very good expiry date on the top of the box most likely with 07/2027 or something similar. I do hope this clears things up for you.

Has anyone any thoughts on this ? It is very difficult to find out further info on Salifert, although several sites state for fresh or pondwater.

I'm hoping to get a refund or working exchange.

Best Regards

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[Eric]

May well be as they say, relative to sea water Ashbeck water contains virtually no calcium. Can't say for your supply, but I would suspect that is similarly soft.
Just watched a video on YouTube to see the chart had a range from what I could see of zero to 500ppm Ca in 10ppm increments. What you describe is what you might expect for that particular kit with a water that may well contain less than 10ppm calcium.

[Eric]

[attachment=0]SalCaKit.jpg[/attachment)

It would appear that a modest level of calcium will turn the mixture pink, then the reagent negates calcium's influence to become blue, but there wasn't enough calcium in the waters you have so far tested to achieve a permanent pink.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPdwMsITykU

[picclock]

Sorted !!
Thanks for your time and information. I redid the tests using 1 drop at a time with no initial 0.6mL or initial drips.
Tapwater , 0.82 on syringe, kit says 90ppm, water board says avg value 90.5 ppm. Very nice correlation. Tested Ashbeck water, and it was in the right area, but really too low to measure accurately.

Cheers

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[Eric]

Glad to hear that. Salifert kits are made for the aquatic market, not brewing, but their KH/Alk kit is better and cheaper than any commercially available brewing equivalent. As you found, the Salifert Calcium kit is only totally suitable for waters with highest levels of calcium found in British water supplies. 90ppm calcium goes hand in hand with high alkalinity.
You might wish to consider obtaining a KH kit as an alternative (or even an addition) to having a pH meter, with buffers to calibrate, that you might throw acid into the mash until seeing your targeted reading.

Good luck