Electronic conductivity meters are helpful tools used to measure the ability of water to transmit electrical current. Conductivity meters measure the concentration of ions in a substance and estimate the levels of total dissolved solids. Industrial conductivity meters are frequently used to monitor the amount of nutrients, salts or impurities in water.

Instruments for measuring electronic conductivity come in a variety of platforms, including portable, hand held, modular, lab, bench top, field-use and panel-mounted tools. Conductivity meters also come with a range of display options like analog, digital or even video display.

Before purchasing electronic conductivity meters, research the following:

1. What type of professional measurement and calibration is needed for your conductivity meter use?

2. What user-friendly options are offered with an industrial conductivity meter?

3. What price should I expect to pay for equipment from conductivity meter suppliers?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase conductivity meters with professional measurement and calibration features

Accuracy is critical when it comes to testing electronic conductivity. Buy industrial conductivity meters providing accurate measurements with automatic temperature compensation.

I recommend: Cole-Parmer provides conductivity meter information for their products, including range, resolution, accuracy and calibration specifications. Ben Meadows sells heavy-duty conductivity meters with manual or automatic temperature compensation and 0.8-second sampling time. Buy a handheld four-range conductivity meter with automatic temperature compensation from 0 to 70°C at Omega Engineering, Inc.

Buy electronic conductivity meters with a wide range of user-friendly options

Do your research on conductivity meter information, including a thorough examination of potential features. Determine the type of display, memory, programming and print-out capabilities most beneficial to your conductivity testing.

I recommend: Jenco Instruments offers a diverse selection of portable conductivity meters with comprehensive descriptions including user-friendly features. Siemens provides conductivty/resistivity meters that provide programming capabilities for 4 different measurements with a backlit LCD display. Purchase portable conductivity meters from Analyticon Instruments Corporation, which provides extensive features information for each product.

Invest in conductivity meters offered at competitive prices from conductivity meter manufacturers

Conductivity meters range in price from inexpensive portable units to pricey laboratory meters. Remember, however, that the price is directly correlated to the quality. If you are seeking a lab-quality instrument to be used frequently for measuring electronic conductivity, be prepared to make a significant investment.

I recommend: DirectIndustry offers more than 130 competitively priced devices for measuring electronic conductivity from a variety of conductivity meter manufacturers. Topac, Inc. provides basic conductivity meters for inexpensive prices. Technika sells three different conductivity meters ranging in price between $200-$400.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be sure your conductivity meter features a calibration reminder, which is a useful feature that reminds you when a calibration is due.