electronic tester?

[131441]

Are they worth the money? Are they more accurate than dropper testers?

[PoolDoc]

What sort of electronic tester are you talking about?

If you mean one like this:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RFNxs8ByYpk/T1U0ZrvlcKI/AAAAAAAABnc/lOlnYj5VFT4/s244/Swimming-Pool-Water-Tester-KM-WT08-.jpg

they don't work at all. If you mean something like an Aquachek "TrueTest" strip reader,

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XkwbvivRpsw/T1U0bFNg9yI/AAAAAAAABn8/rQ0vRy-x48I/s800/aquachek%2520truetest.jpg

then, they work as well as test strips . . . which is to say, not very well. Strips -- we often refer to them as "guess-strips". They can give you an idea of what's in the pool, but not a real measurement.

Cheap ORP, pH, or TDS meters, like this Hanna Instruments model

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-baCoPPOmIhM/T1U0bHs6ixI/AAAAAAAABnk/FrGpOu1zzEA/s288/hanna%25201.jpg

are potentially accurate, but are not very durable, and require regular calibration against a known standard sample. Without calibration, they can give extremely bizarre readings.

PH meters like this one -- many private labels, but I can't remember who actually makes it --

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e4Fv_HGdMEg/T1U0bJuiT4I/AAAAAAAABns/Fup_qsZT0iQ/s800/lamotte%2520ph%2520meter.jpg

are quite accurate IF, and ONLY IF, you regularly calibrate it. Regularly, meaning AT LEAST once per week. Just buying the buffer solutions, to keep it calibrated, can cost you over $50 per summer. Without calibration, they are not much better than the useless Chinese device at the top!

Basically, electronic testing is a poor choice for anyone who is not forced to use them, due to color blindness!

[131441]

Thanx PoolDoc. I am gearing up for year two in the adventure I call pool ownership and still am trying to get everything set.

[Watermom]

Welcome to the Pool Forum and by the way, thanks for the subscription!