Is my PH reader broken?

[JB42]

Hi

Just bought a new ph reader, nothing fancy just a cheap prong style one. I just brought it home an thought i'd ph everything, like you do.

I ph my coco at root level an the PH was 6.8 a bit high but not too worried at the min, then i ph'd my water an it was like 7.5, a bit high but I can lower it to feed as i would like it at 5.8 for the coco.
So I added a bit of vinegar to lower the ph but when I did it raised the PH of the water to like 8-9!!! I thought vinegar was acidic, so I added some sodium bicarbonate to lower it as a test and it did, but that shoud raise it shouldnt it.

So now I'm mega confused, is the cheap ph reader i got reading backwards, because as far as i know vinegar is acidic not alkaline.

Help someone please its hurting my brain

 

[JB42]

Yeah a bit of testing but seems broke, it must be if vinegar(Lots of) is raising the pH of water, right?
Think i should just take it back it does seem to have a bump on the side maybe its been dropped.

 

[PrairiePoet]

Yes, vinegar should be lowering the pH. Seems really strange.

 

[Steve McStoferson]

you want to use lemon juice to lower it if you don't have any ph down, I use baking soda to raise it if I don't have the ph up/down on hand, but lemon juice always works to lower it