Ph Test Strips

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Permalink Reply by choppyguy on June 2, 2010 at 5:48pm

what's the procedure for using the paper strips? make a puddle and let it sit a while, then dip paper in?
remember from earlier topics that 9ph is best.

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Permalink Reply by Stephen on June 2, 2010 at 7:11pm

Choppy, well they don't say exactly when to test. I test right after I pull the dish, next to where the dish sat under the dome. I believe thats going to give me a more accurate number than doing it right after grinding or when I set the test.

You are supplied two test tabs per test site and a vial of ph balanced testing fluid and a dish with a dome. I usually buy them in a 3 pack.

I think these tabs are useless. Good for pools but not concrete testing.

Your supposed to put a few drops of the fluid on the concrete that has been prepped, let it dwell a minute then I stir it with the test tab or paper and pull it out immediately.

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Permalink Reply by ken howard on June 3, 2010 at 8:11pm

the paper/test strip is not supposed to come in contact with the concrete itself is my understanding.
I agree with you on the hard to read part, they do leave alot of room for debate on reading the strips.

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Permalink Reply by Stephen on June 3, 2010 at 8:59pm

Ken thats interesting. I never heard of the test strip coming in contact with the concrete. Why would that matter? It's kinda hard not to touch the concrete when stirring it up.

You think this test was set properly?

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Permalink Reply by Bob Higgins on June 4, 2010 at 8:17am

Stephen, the only reason I recommend pH testing be done over the area to be tested BEFORE you place the kits, is to determine whether or not the surface was properly cleaned.

I was at a facility several years back, where I pH tested areas where they conducted moisture tests, none of the areas were properly prepared, due in most part to deep surface absorption of a curing compound, the 108 tests conducted, had to be completely discarded and they had to start over...as you may imagine, there were quite a few people not very pleased.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Higgins on June 4, 2010 at 8:13am

the problem with test strips..is they will usually test the predominant material, and temperature has a HUGE influence on what the pH will test (most salts become increasingly soluble with temperature increases, while others become MORE soluble as the temperature decreases, and others will be mor or less soluble within a temperature limit.

Add the complication of dewpoint, which can add a "distilled" pure water (in turn exposing the area to be tested) for an undetermined time.

As far as stability of the dyes used in the indicator strips, I would ask the manufacturers themselves, what the effective life of these are, it isn't unlimited..and I have NO idea what or IF there is any form of quality control with ANY of them...

I take pH "tests" as simply a way to determine if anything alarming is going on or if the prepared area is sufficiently clean from surface contaminants.

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Permalink Reply by Stephen on June 4, 2010 at 1:36pm

Good point about testing before Bob, thanks. I'll start doing that. I also do the water drop test...but not where I am dropping the dome. ;)

I think before and after just to document. I do take pics of everything I do with time date stamp and email to the clients.

As for the life of the dyes in the indicator strips....even those bottles you get for your pools have a use by date on them (least the ones I use) . Why not the ones in the kits?

I guess I could use the pool ones if I'm in a bind eh? ;)


P.S. Another issue is the ones in Talor kits have limited amounts of color matching on them as compared to the hydration paper ones I have.

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