I have owned several different spas over the past 35 years and have always struggled with the amount of time it took to mange the several different chemicals and check the 4 or 5 things on a ph stick. I am no stranger to reading these types of dipsticks/ however I always thought it was very difficult to read the colors correctly, and then calculate the chemicals you were to add, and then waiting the 30 minutes or so to recheck. I t was cumbersome and I was always surprised when I finally got it right. Two weeks later I was doing the whole process all over again. Finally I found a chemical system that is better than I ever could have imagined. It is so easy to use and I never have to fool around with rechecking and adding various chemicals. The water feels silky and is not drying to the skin. The water stays pristine and I have not had a problem with cloudiness of foam in the entire three years I have been using it. I have gotten all of my friends to switch to Silk Balance because I get tired of hearing them grumble about managing their spa chemicals.