Advice on pH readings

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notmycupoftea

notmycupoftea

0
Jun 19, 2014
28
NJ
Pool Size
18000
Surface
Vinyl
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Hello,

I don't come here as often as I should or I would learn and help out where I can. I don't know if it's because my eyes are getting worse or what, but I have always had a hard time deciding what my pH really is from test strips and the drop kits. Matching a shade of color that looks like it could either be on the low side or the high side of ideal range and then I correct in the wrong direction (usually after a big rain) has been my achilles heel for many years. Every digital pH meter I have tried is either unreliable or breaks. I have on more than one occasion gone to the pool supply store for them to check my pH because I am so unsure.

Currently, my pool is crystal clear but it took almost a week to get it back after my water chemistry got off balance. Just looking for any suggestions, methodology, or if others share this same issue.

Current reading below from strips, I also use the drop kits and have the same hard time :cautious::
test1.jpg
 
drop kit and pool shown below (looking good even on a rainy cloudy day). looking at the image back inside on my computer it looks like ~7.5. I just feel like I can't consistently and confidently read the pH
IMG_4317.jpgIMG_4321.jpg
 
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Calling it a 7.5 is way close enough. Any 7.X is equally fine. Just be prepared to adjust when it gets close to swinging out of range. If you adjust early at 7.2 or 7.8 it’s no harm done.
 
What pH meter(s) have you tried? Cheap ones? or have you gotten a good one? Just curious. (I'm colorblind too, but I -love- my digital pH tester, roughly $80 on Amazon -- worth every penny)

The same pH meter can be used to also test TA as well (which is another test that can be hard when colorblind, and the AquaCheck strips for me, are always wrong on actual TA, they're not even close)
 
@jesser I also brew beer, so I would use the cheap stick ones on amazon that are like $10-15. Would you mind sending a link to which digital one you have? A friend suggested Milwaukee Instruments (Milwaukee pH Meters - Official US Site) they look great, American made but can get costly. And with every digital pH, the glass bulb doesn't last forever. It will eventually fail.
 
I bought this one. It's awesome. There's other TFP members that use it too. Worth every penny in my opinion. I found it confusing at first, but now I can measure pH in about 5 seconds flat, lol.

Apera Instruments AI311 Premium Series PH60 Waterproof pH Pocket Tester Kit, Replaceable Probe, ±0.01 pH Accuracy: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Apera Instruments AI311 Premium Series PH60 Waterproof pH Pocket Tester Kit, Replaceable Probe, ±0.01 pH Accuracy: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com
 
I also have this Apera meter, works well. I got one because I switched from using acid to doing pH control with CO2 and wanted to measure easily a couple of times a day as I got the system dialed in. I'm not colorblind, but still had difficulty distinguishing the color shadings at the higher end of the scale in the Taylor kit.
 
cptkirk said:
I also have this Apera meter, works well. I got one because I switched from using acid to doing pH control with CO2 and wanted to measure easily a couple of times a day as I got the system dialed in. I'm not colorblind, but still had difficulty distinguishing the color shadings at the higher end of the scale in the Taylor kit.
Click to expand...
I didn't even know that was possible? Is that still a manual process for you, or is it automatically controlled? (sorry, don't mean to thread hyjack so feel free to message me privately)
 

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