Scaling UP! Nation, you know I love answering your questions, and today’s listener submitted question made me chuckle and reminisce about high school science class when we swabbed door handles, toilets, keyboards, drink fountain dispensers, and about how, when I started, I made some basic mistakes with these relatively inexpensive and extremely easy to use tests that nearly everyone in industrial water treatment community uses. Today we’re talking about dip slides

Now today I’m not covering everything there is to know about dip slides. We are going to focus on what dip slides are, how to use them so they give you accurate results, and testing for total aerobic bacteria, yeast, and mold. I could talk for days about dip slides...but something tells me you might not be as passionate about these wonderful little testing paddles as I am.

 

Bottom line: Today’s episode is going to teach you what you need to know about dip slides so you can get the most out of these helpful little plastic paddles.

Your roadside friend, as you travel from client to client. 

 -Trace 

 

Timestamps: 

Taking Scaling UP! H2O listener questions: dip slides [3:23]

What are dip slides and how to use them? [6:00]

What does a dip slide test for/understanding Sessile and Planktonic bacteria [8:30]

Interpreting the dip slide results/understanding the dots [15:00]

Testing your hypothesis/why are you running that test? [18:40]

What are the consistent procedures to follow when testing to get accurate results? [20:48]

Storing your dip slides [28:19]

James’ Challenge: Celebrate Industrial Water Week! You've earned it. [33:09]

 

Quotes:

“A dip slide can only measure planktonic, which is the stuff floating around in the water.” - Trace Blackmore 

“A dip slide will not measure sessile bacteria.” - Trace Blackmore 

“We only know what we can test for.” - Trace Blackmore 

“Dip slides are relatively inexpensive and extremely easy to use making them very popular in the industrial water treatment community.” - Trace Blackmore 

“It's up to you to decide what you are looking for, and what you need to know to make a decision on what you are going to do with those results.” - Trace Blackmore  

“Remember a test is only going to prove or disprove what you think is going on in the system. If you haven't thought about why you are running this dip slide (or any test for that matter) don’t run it.  It has no meaning.” - Trace Blackmore  

“A mesophile is the Goldilocks of bacteria. They grow best in temperatures that are not too hot and not too cold.” - Trace Blackmore  

 “Don’t refrigerate your dip slides.” - Trace Blackmore 

“There are so many things you can test for using different dip slides.  Again, ask your supplier.” - Trace Blackmore 

 

AquaPhoenix Scientific’s Dip Slide Video:

Dipslide Test 

 

Links Mentioned:

Episode 10 with Jim Lukanich

Episode 75 The One That’s All About Corrosion Coupons  

The Rising Tide Mastermind

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AWT (Association of Water Technologies)