PH Probe
PH Probe
So i have calibrated the probe a few times and it then reads my tank at 7.70 but i believe this is definitely wrong. I use my other tester and the PH is at 8.2 - 8.3... i get the following when calibrating:
7.01 - 540
10.01 - 817
i also set this in ragen and uploaded the code but it still seems off.
any ideas?
7.01 - 540
10.01 - 817
i also set this in ragen and uploaded the code but it still seems off.
any ideas?
Re: PH Probe
Don't have it plugged in and have tried reboot.
Re: PH Probe
What number do you get if you enter calibration mode and place the probe on your tank water?
Don't click on ok or you will screw up with your calibration numbers. Click on cancel after you collect the number.
Don't click on ok or you will screw up with your calibration numbers. Click on cancel after you collect the number.
Roberto.
Re: PH Probe
I had to calibrate mine twice. The first time I saw the spike in my PH readings when i did the calibration (in the graphs) but then my readings went back to what they were before I calibrated. I figured my tank must be low so I spent the week doing daily alk and baking soda buffering and the needle didn't move. Then I calibrated it again today. Now PH is reading 8.1. The second time seemed to take. My first numbers were 577/834 and my second set was 525/813.
Re: PH Probe
have tried calibration again and did not help... if i do the calibration and place the probe in the tank it stops at 615.
every time i calibrate i get right around 540-542 and 816-817.
every time i calibrate i get right around 540-542 and 816-817.
Re: PH Probe
They seem just fine.
What happens if you get a cup with tank water and place the probe in the cup?
What is your pH reading?
What happens if you get a cup with tank water and place the probe in the cup?
What is your pH reading?
Roberto.
Re: PH Probe
you think those numbers all look correct? just strange my other handheld probe says 8.2-8.3 and this one says 7.7-7.8... one of them seems to be wrong and that is a big difference.
Re: PH Probe
What pH reading did you get when putting the probe into the cup with tank water?
Roberto.
Re: PH Probe
can try that when i get home tonight but wont that be the same reading as the tank water in my sump?
Re: PH Probe
In theory it should, but if you have any pump leaking stray voltage, your pH readings would be affected.
What you are doing with the cup is isolating the water from any source of noise that can affect the reading, just to confirm your reading is the same.
Also, pH varies with temperature very slightly, but it should not be 0.5 difference as you are experiencing.
What you are doing with the cup is isolating the water from any source of noise that can affect the reading, just to confirm your reading is the same.
Also, pH varies with temperature very slightly, but it should not be 0.5 difference as you are experiencing.
Roberto.
Re: PH Probe
hmm i tried the cup of tank water and the probe stayed stable around 8.1... this seems a lot closer. I tested with my voltmeter and get about 9... It seems like some of my equipment makes it go up i turn off the skimmer and it went to 7 then turned off the return pump and it went to 5. Is 9 a bad number to get in my tank?
Re: PH Probe
These calibration numbers almost exactly match mine (544 and 819). Not that every ph probe is going to read exactly the same, but the range was so close, I thought I'd add to the conversation.Threedo wrote:every time i calibrate i get right around 540-542 and 816-817.
Re: PH Probe
I'm hoping its not leaking from the RA Power box im going to try another surge protector when i get home.
Re: PH Probe
ok VERY strange results now. I cleaned off my light and cords and the voltmeter now reads only 1.3 with everything running. The strange thing is with everything off the RA PH probe reads 7.71 and does also with everything running. However i can move the probe into a cup of tank water and it goes to 8.1. I tried 2 clean cups and move it back and forth and it keeps doing about the same readings... now I'm lost!
Re: PH Probe
Found it after ripping everything out of the tank... the ATO float switch i got is bad and is causing interference with the PH probe. Was only thing on since i had to leave the controller on to read the probe... never thought it could be the ATO Float switch! Makes sense though since this all started when i added the ATO which i thought it was because i didn't use the PH Probe until then so i calibrated it when i got the ATO.
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- Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:41 pm
Re: PH Probe
Just fixed the same problem with my setup this evening. Another way to diagnose this is to trip the float switch down and watch your pH climb almost instantly.
In my case I can clearly see where the epoxy failed in less than a few months. It's possible that the switch may have been bad from the start since I always noticed a pH drop when I entered feeding mode which turns off the return. I thought it was something weird with the programming, but it was probably the sump being filled over the top of the switch leading to stray current.
I've seen some threads where it is recommended that you silicone a bit of tubing over the back of the switch to prevent it from becoming submerged. I wouldn't have expected the epoxy to fail, but after seeing it firsthand I will probably try this on the next switch.
In my case I can clearly see where the epoxy failed in less than a few months. It's possible that the switch may have been bad from the start since I always noticed a pH drop when I entered feeding mode which turns off the return. I thought it was something weird with the programming, but it was probably the sump being filled over the top of the switch leading to stray current.
I've seen some threads where it is recommended that you silicone a bit of tubing over the back of the switch to prevent it from becoming submerged. I wouldn't have expected the epoxy to fail, but after seeing it firsthand I will probably try this on the next switch.