New TDS Meter - reading of 21 from Calgary Water?

[wayner]

Just got a TDS meter from jayson (Milwaukee Brand) calibrated at factory, I tested last night, I have a Kent RO/Di unit, cartridges haven't been changed in 8 months, all of them, I placed the meter in my holding container and got a reading of 1, then i placed the meter in a glass of Tap Water and got a reading of 21, Is this possible?, City of Calgary water at 21?,

The other thing I don't understand is that I haven't changed the sediment filter which you think would be Brown by now, it's still pretty white, does Calgary have that good water?

[Canadian Man]

Wayner,

I thought the same thing about my sediment filter."This thing still looks white" But once you get a new one in there you will see the diffrence.

Our water isnt that bad though, The sediment filter dosent get as brown as many other places in Canada or USA.

I cant help ya with the TDS meter as I do not have one :?

[EmilyB]

TDS varies throughout the city. My runs about 145 from the cold water tap. Western Pump calibrated my TDS meter for me last week and their digital TDS meter measured their tap at over 200.

TDS is listed on this site (http://www.gov.calgary.ab.ca/cww/water_quality/report/pages/table.html)as between 153 and 308 in Calgary.

[wayner]

Emily:

Then I guess my new TDS meter needs to be calibrated?, I live in the S.E., from what you've posted, I doubt very much that I should get a reading of 21 coming out of he tap. it seems it should be a lot higher?

Now I'm wondering about my RO/Di water.

So would you say a reading of 21 is just about impossible?

Thanks for the info.

[wayner]

Emily:

I forgot to ask, what type of tds monitor do you have?., I have the Milwaukee which is suppose to be calibrated at the manufacturer.

Any idea how I'm suppose to know if calibration is needed?, I guess a reading of 21 for Calgary tap water is a pretty good indication, considering your reading is much much higher.

How much did Western Pump charge for calibration, also do they sell the sediment filters & the 1 micron carbon Blocks?

Thanks

[EmilyB]

Emily:

I forgot to ask, what type of tds monitor do you have?., I have the Milwaukee which is suppose to be calibrated at the manufacturer.

Any idea how I'm suppose to know if calibration is needed?, I guess a reading of 21 for Calgary tap water is a pretty good indication, considering your reading is much much higher.

How much did Western Pump charge for calibration, also do they sell the sediment filters & the 1 micron carbon Blocks?

Thanks

I have the Hanna handheld, and I just got it. Supposedly it was factory calibrated as well, but I began to suspect something was wacko when my readings went all funny. I got some calibration fluid from a hydroponics store, but the thing never even read close to what it was supposed to, so I took it with me to Western Pump. The spa guy just basically did it because I wondered if they might do that there. He just set mine to match his reading from his tap.

All you should really need is calibration fluid to do it yourself (so you can help me figure out how to do mine... :lol: )

Western may have had sediment filters, but the only carbons they had out were 10 and 20 micron. I waited around for fifteen minutes to talk to the apparently one and only guy who knew anything about them, but gave up and left. :roll:

[wayner]

Thanks Emily:

Well I took a reading again tonight, Calgary Tap Water read 214 & RO/DI water read 1, I guess I screwed up last night and missed the last digit, I presume this is more like it.

One thing I don't get though is that I haven't changed the sediment filter, cardon, or di resin in 8 months, and still getting a reading of 1.

[EmilyB]

I only got a reading of 2 from the output (post DI) after six months, and there is MAJOR water consumption going on here....
:wink: (water changing tanks totalling over 350g at 20-30% every two weeks). I've read to change at 1. I wanted to check my membrane mostly, and still get 95% rejection from it, so I don't think that was the problem.

But my last DI cartridge, color changing variety, only lasted weeks. :? Very strange. So, I'm going back to the non color changing, which I had first of all.

I'm just kind of stumbling into this as well. Running my TWP again now while I wait for my DI refills. :roll:

[wayner]

I just received my resin & re-usable container from Jayson, this week-end I'll change all 3 sediment,carbon, & DI, this should brinng it down to 0, I guess., pretty sure the membrane is ok, i ordered an extra one just in case.,

It's almost been a year so I guess it's due, I'll try to stick to the 6 month schedule for carbon & sediment filters.


On Reef Central, alot of people don't change their resin till it hits 10 or 12

Thanks for the help.

[EmilyB]

Yikes, 10 or 12 :shock:

As I say, mine was 2 and I was noticing. You can test your membrane before replacing it. It should last years. Just take out the DI and test the RO water.

I'm waiting on my DI resins etc from Jayson as well.

:)