Are they worth using and are they accurate for you ? I have been eyeballing these on Amazon and was just curious.
Anybody using digital tds and or ph meter ?
- Thread starter schatz
- Start date
- May 23, 2015
- 24,704
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
pH is fine for extra confidence on the drop test but you should get a good one that at least allows a two-point calibration. Also, storage and care of the pH meter is critical - they all need to be stored wet in a specific solution (saturated potassium chloride, typically) to keep the tips from drying out. With proper care and calibration, a good probe can last a few years. Cheap ones will die in a few months.
As for TDS, why?? Salinity is best measured using a K-1766 kit which is an exact chemical measure of chloride ion (Cl-) content. Using an electronic TDS probe measures everything that is conductive in the solution, not just sodium or chloride ions. Thus, you have to calibrate the probe to properly measure TDS AND then use a correction factor to determine salt level. The correction factor needed depends on the specifics of your pool water as there are lots of different ions in solution that are not typically found in drinking water (which is where electronic TDS probes get the most use). The K-1766 has a standard accuracy of +/-200ppm but that can be made more accurate by simply using a larger test volume of water. An electronic TDS probe is going to have a +/-400ppm accuracy, best case scenario.
pH - Yes
All other electronic probe - No
As for TDS, why?? Salinity is best measured using a K-1766 kit which is an exact chemical measure of chloride ion (Cl-) content. Using an electronic TDS probe measures everything that is conductive in the solution, not just sodium or chloride ions. Thus, you have to calibrate the probe to properly measure TDS AND then use a correction factor to determine salt level. The correction factor needed depends on the specifics of your pool water as there are lots of different ions in solution that are not typically found in drinking water (which is where electronic TDS probes get the most use). The K-1766 has a standard accuracy of +/-200ppm but that can be made more accurate by simply using a larger test volume of water. An electronic TDS probe is going to have a +/-400ppm accuracy, best case scenario.
pH - Yes
All other electronic probe - No
ph meter yes. this is the one i have; multipoint calibration. i ordered it over the winter, when i started using it this spring it had dried out but easily reset upon calibration. great customer support.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012UMLMJS/
i got it because i was not confident in my readings nor the pool store results. it confirmed my own readings. maybe that's why i like it. hehe.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012UMLMJS/
i got it because i was not confident in my readings nor the pool store results. it confirmed my own readings. maybe that's why i like it. hehe.
I have both. The cheap pH meters only work about as long as their batteries last, so buy cheap and replace yearly or buy expensive and replace electrode yearly.
I also have a TDS meter that I know to subtract about 400 points off to get a fair salt number, but it is only a rough number...
I am a geek, so I buy one of everything just to try.
I also have a TDS meter that I know to subtract about 400 points off to get a fair salt number, but it is only a rough number...
I am a geek, so I buy one of everything just to try.
Thanks for the info guys, I will probably just get a cheap ph meter and replace when batteries go bad and go ahead and get a TDS meter to test my R/O for when its time to change filters and my wife makes colloidal silver so I guess it might come in handy for that. Thanks again guys.
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