โFeb-23-2017 07:47 AM
โFeb-25-2017 08:27 AM
โFeb-25-2017 05:05 AM
SCVJeff wrote:Lynnmor wrote:Explain?
If I drew battery acid and placed it in the meter, and then washed it off, there is a 100 percent chance that I would have ruined clothing or worse.
You realize that a Refractometer takes ONE DROP on the glass? Any other device will have significantly more runoff than that. A simple faucet rinse eliminates all of it
โFeb-24-2017 11:08 PM
Lynnmor wrote:Explain?
If I drew battery acid and placed it in the meter, and then washed it off, there is a 100 percent chance that I would have ruined clothing or worse.
โFeb-24-2017 05:31 PM
LIKE2BUILD wrote:The_real_wild1 wrote:
Makes sure you clean it with water after using it. Especially with def.
Exactly. DEF will leave crystalline deposits so flushing with water is a must after measuring a sample.
Get DISTILLED water from a store. You can usually get it for 99 cents/gallon. Do not use Deionized (DI) water because it is highly polarized from the ion exchange process and can attack some metals. Distilled water has been boiled to remove salts and metal ions and the steam condensed over chilled coils. It is a much better water to use for flushing devices like this refractometer, topping off batteries, or diluting full strength engine coolant.
KJ
โFeb-24-2017 04:17 PM
โFeb-24-2017 03:34 PM
brulaz wrote:I have only had one go out of calibration. It was a shop refractometer so it gets abused. Always good to check.
So how do you guys calibrate these things for, say, battery sp.gr. ?
They do have to be calibrated every once and a while, right?
โFeb-24-2017 03:32 PM
pigman1 wrote:otrfun wrote:Thanks a ton for that info.pigman1 wrote:If your refractometer can measure a battery's specific gravity (and the freeze point of antifreeze), I'm guessing it should be able to measure DEF, too. The refractometer only measures the concentration percentage of soluble solids dissolved in the water. The concentration percentage of usable urea is within the concentration percentage range of battery acid's specific gravity.
First class. I have one that measures battery specific gravity and antifreeze freeze point but the DEF feature is a worthwhile addition. Thanks.
According to my refractometer (with a urea scale), a sample of DEF will read approx. 1.31 on the battery specific gravity scale if the urea concentration is 32.5 percent (ideal). Approx. 1.33 if the urea is high at 34 percent, and approx. 1.29 if the urea is low at 31 percent. I believe the urea concentration percentage tolerance for Cummins is +/- 1.5 percent or 31 - 34 percent.
I was going to copy the Amazon blowup picture of the reading glass and use that as an estimating tool for the DEF. I'm curious because I installed an additional DEF 15 gal tank at the very rear of the rig and engine, just under the rear fiberglass cap. We use it when going to Alaska (bulk DEF is hard to impossible to find in Canada and Alaska) and the fill on it is set up so I can fill from the driver side instead of the OEM passenger side fill. The DEF does get quite warm behind the engine, but we've had no problems with it so far in over 40,000 miles. Be nice to know if I'm changing the concentration though.
Thanks again for the post and the follow up.
โFeb-24-2017 03:31 PM
โFeb-24-2017 03:03 PM
โFeb-24-2017 10:33 AM
otrfun wrote:Thanks a ton for that info.pigman1 wrote:If your refractometer can measure a battery's specific gravity (and the freeze point of antifreeze), I'm guessing it should be able to measure DEF, too. The refractometer only measures the concentration percentage of soluble solids dissolved in the water. The concentration percentage of usable urea is within the concentration percentage range of battery acid's specific gravity.
First class. I have one that measures battery specific gravity and antifreeze freeze point but the DEF feature is a worthwhile addition. Thanks.
According to my refractometer (with a urea scale), a sample of DEF will read approx. 1.31 on the battery specific gravity scale if the urea concentration is 32.5 percent (ideal). Approx. 1.33 if the urea is high at 34 percent, and approx. 1.29 if the urea is low at 31 percent. I believe the urea concentration percentage tolerance for Cummins is +/- 1.5 percent or 31 - 34 percent.
โFeb-24-2017 08:00 AM
The_real_wild1 wrote:
Makes sure you clean it with water after using it. Especially with def.
โFeb-24-2017 04:36 AM
โFeb-23-2017 11:43 PM
โFeb-23-2017 05:45 PM