Free Pool and Spa Water Testing in North Carolina

Where can I get free pool water testing near me?

You can get free pool water testing near you at any of our 5 Epic stores in North Carolina. Bring a sample from your pool, hot tub, or swim spa. We run it, print a report, and tell you which chemicals to add. Walk in during store hours. Most tests take a few minutes.

After your test, ask about ongoing hot tub water care, browse chemicals in store, or explore new spas at Epic Hot Tubs. If the report points to equipment trouble, Epic Spa Repair can diagnose and fix it.

How free water testing works

Fill a clean plastic bottle with water from about elbow depth. Rinse the bottle with that same water first. Cap it and bring it to the store the same day if you can. We run the sample on our test station and hand you a written report.

The report covers sanitizer, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and the other readings that decide whether the water is safe to swim in. If you want us to treat the water at your house instead, book pool cleaning, hot tub water care, or swim spa service on the same visit.

Free water testing locations and hours

All 5 stores are open 7 days. Walk in during the hours below. You do not need an appointment for the test.

Triangle stores (Raleigh, Durham, Sanford) use 919-737-2422. Charlotte-side stores (Pineville and Cornelius) use 704-336-9900. Or send a message and we will point you to the closest store.

What the free water test checks

Pool and spa water goes wrong in a short list of ways. The test tells you which one you have.

• Sanitizer (chlorine or bromine). Too low and bacteria grow. Too high and the water burns skin and eyes.
• pH. Out of range and the sanitizer stops working. Surfaces and equipment take the hit.
• Total alkalinity. This is the buffer that keeps pH from swinging.
• Calcium hardness. Too low and the water eats plaster and heaters. Too high and you get scale.
• Cyanuric acid on outdoor pools. This stabilizer keeps sun from burning off chlorine.
• Metals and phosphates when the water is stained, cloudy, or will not hold sanitizer.

A strip from the hardware store can miss half of this. The in-store test is the one we use to write a chemical plan.

How to take a water sample

Use a clean plastic bottle. Do not use a bottle that held soap, juice, or old chemicals. Residue throws the test off. Dip to about 18 inches, fill it, and cap it. Bring it in the same day. Heat and time change the reading. If you cannot come in the same day, keep the bottle out of the sun and do not leave it in a hot car.

After the test

We sell the pool and spa chemicals on the report, so you can leave with what you need. If you would rather not dose it yourself, our techs handle weekly and biweekly routes for Raleigh pools, Charlotte pools, hot tubs, and swim spas.

Call 919-737-2422 for Raleigh, Durham, and Sanford. Call 704-336-9900 for Pineville and Cornelius. Or use the form at the top of this page.

Who this free test is for

Bring a sample if the water is cloudy, green, foamy, or stings your eyes. Bring one after a heavy rain, a drain and refill, or a long stretch where nobody tested. Bring one if you just bought chemicals and the water still will not clear. The report tells you what to add and what to stop adding.

We see the same pattern on backyard pools in Raleigh, Cary, and Apex, and on hot tubs in Durham and Chapel Hill: people add more chlorine when the real problem is pH or alkalinity. The test stops that guesswork. On the Charlotte side, Pineville and Cornelius get the same report. Lake Wylie customers usually use the Pineville store.

If you already have a weekly or biweekly route with us, you do not need to haul a bottle in. The tech tests on site. This page is for owners who want a read before they buy a jug, or who want a second check between visits. Read more about the team on our about page.

Frequently asked questions

Updated August 2026.