pH Meter - Suspicious Readings and Testing

We used our pH meter included in the package from the Plant the Moon Challenge for the first time, and the results were a little suspicious. So we did some testing on and off camera and found out that the meter was not giving accurate readings.

For others who may be using this pH meter (the Model 1845 Rapitest Digital Soil pH Meter), here are our results:

Substance (pH): Meter Result
Potting Soil(5.5): 7
Compost(6.5): 7
RO Water (5.9): 6.1
Vinegar (2.5-3): 5.1
Tap water (7.5-8): 6.7
Buffer solution (4): 4.8
Buffer solution (7): 5.8
Buffer solution (10): 8.9

Very inconsistent across the board. If you want to do good soil testing and don't have the money for a very expensive pH meter, we recommend using distilled water and pH litmus paper instead, as most sub-$100 meters are likely going to give you pretty poor readings.

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