PH meter is wonky?

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Stephs2125

Stephs2125

Silver Supporter
Apr 18, 2017
83
SE Michigan
Pool Size
32000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Hello! I got my test kit last summer and ordered the one with the PH meter. I’ve never really felt it was very accurate and have struggles to trust it.
This summer I decided to try again and I am attempting to recalibrate it and it’s just rapidly and randomly changing numbers (number scale is all over the place). I’ve tried adjusting with the screwdriver and it’s not moving/changing anything.
How reliable are these things? Am I wasting my time?
 
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The industry standard accuracy for pH meters is <= 0.3 pH. Yours may be more accurate; you’d have to reference the specs. If you’ve had a pool for awhile, you know that 0.3 pH can be a pretty big swing. That’s the difference between an unacceptable 6.9 and an acceptable 7.2.

I personally prefer the drop test using the proper pH indicator solution. While it can introduce some subjectivity and user error, I think proper use of it will give most pool owners the best shot at repeatable accurate results.

Are you using a manufacturer-provided calibration solution for the meter? What’s the model of the unit?
 
+1. I've read MANY reports all saying the same thing, that the user spends more time checking the meters to see if they need calibrating, and calibrating them, then actually using them while trusting them.

The tech geek folks love them as it suits their needs to fiddle with gadgets. I love them for that and I salute anyone who wants to play with one.

And for some who really struggle with the colors, they plusses may outweigh the minuses. But I have yet to see any need to buy my own.
 
The cheap pH meters aren't worth the money. This is a classic case of you get what you pay for. The only way to guarantee an accurate pH reading is to use something like this

https://www.amazon.com/Bluelab-PENP...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Or this

https://www.amazon.com/Temperature-...r&qid=1653403133&sprefix=Ph+m,aps,953&sr=8-21

If you notice, the first one is $75 and the second one is around $270. Knowing better, I bought a $15 stick meter last year. It broke this year, acting exactly like yours.

The drop test is good enough for our purposes.
 
Last edited:
WONKY…….
you don’t see that word used in a sentence too often, I like the way your mind works. As far as the PH meter calibration that alone is a big reason why they are not used more often in the pool industry, not much help with your questions but I had to comment on your choice of words.
 
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Thanks everyone! This was the meter that came with the test kit, so I have no idea if it is considered a good quality one or poor quality one, I would hope since it came with the kit as recommended on this forum that it was at least decent, and it may well be - but I think I agree with you all that the fussing you need to do to get an accurate reading just isn’t worth it. I will go back to the drop/color test in the comparator that also came with the kit. I get a little anal over the colors and I like things to be exact (yeah, the OCD is real 🤪) and I find myself second guessing/stressing the colors on the PH test. But I’ve not (yet) had issues with any pool I’ve owned so I guess I’m doing OK interpreting the colors!

Thanks again!
 
Stephs2125 said:
This summer I decided to try again and I am attempting to recalibrate it and it’s just rapidly and randomly changing numbers (number scale is all over the place).
Click to expand...
Before you throw it out, I might suggest that that behaviour is typical when the battery(ies) are low/bad. Replace the batteries and see what happens.
 
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Well if you bought it with the test kit, they sell that one for $18. So my guess is not high quality. The cheap ones usually require calibration before every use.

I have a pH sensor plumbed into the pool. But it was $175 without the electronics to monitor it. However, I only have to calibrate it every 6 months, and it is super accurate.

I struggle with the red differences on the drop test and was bored so I put in the pH tester.
 
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