Stop ignoring your coolant pH levels - I learned the hard way

I used to just top off my coolant reservoir when it looked low and change it twice a year. Last month a job came back with surface rust on a 304 stainless part and I traced it back to my coolant sitting at pH 5.8 for over 3 weeks. Now I check it every Friday morning with a $30 meter I got from Grainger. Has anyone else had a weird corrosion issue that turned out to be a fluid chemistry problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_kelly27d ago

Tried the cheap test strips first and ended up convincing myself my coolant was fine when it was basically turning into acid (not my finest moment). That $30 meter hurts way less than remachining a rusted part for free. Now I'm that guy with a notebook full of pH readings and a weird amount of pride about it.

the_dylan27d ago

Haha yeah the notebook of pH readings is a vibe I get completely. I did the exact same thing with test strips and my coolant was basically swamp water.