New batteries affect scale reading! ....NOT true!

LivingtheLeanDream
LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have read in the forums on loads of occasions that the scales can give completely different readings when the battery is low/needing changed....

So I thought I would experiment recently when my scale was showing the low battery light. I was the same weight with the low battery warning as I was when I put the new batteries in!

Myth busted! :smiley:

Ok, now I've got that off my chest you may all carry on with your days :smiley: Make it a good one :smile:

Replies

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Uh no, myth not busted. A low battery can cause false readings/cause reading to change after stepping off and stepping on again. That does not mean that everything the battery is low it will automatically cause false readings. It depends on the scale and how low the battery is.
  • drapc
    drapc Posts: 1 Member
    It would depend how the bridge (or other measuring) circuit is designed within the scales but it would have to be an incredibly poorly designed pair of electronic scales to not regulate the voltage (I have no doubt such poorly designed scales are sold somewhere and probably very very cheap)
    [an incredibly flat battery could cause some measurement issues in system with only average design]

    Digital scales are just load cells with a mechanism to read the deflection and conversion into something meaningful for a human (kg or lb)
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Uh no, myth not busted. A low battery can cause false readings/cause reading to change after stepping off and stepping on again. That does not mean that everything the battery is low it will automatically cause false readings. It depends on the scale and how low the battery is.

    Yeah exactly... the idea is that low batteries can cause inaccurate readings, not that low batteries will always cause inaccurate readings!

    Though at least you know your scales probably don't have this problem :D
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
    My scales told me on Tuesday that I was 71.2kgs. Wednesday they said 47.3kgs. New batteries and omfg I was 71.2kgs!
    So unless I magically lost over 20kgs overnight, I think my scales were off. So I changed the battery. It fixed mine.
    Yours sound super cool though
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    mrsfitzyv8 wrote: »
    My scales told me on Tuesday that I was 71.2kgs. Wednesday they said 47.3kgs. New batteries and omfg I was 71.2kgs!
    So unless I magically lost over 20kgs overnight, I think my scales were off. So I changed the battery. It fixed mine.
    Yours sound super cool though

    That would have been awesome lol. Must share secret to losing 20kgs over night
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    My scale has said the exact same thing for 2 months straight, every week. I was thinking it was the battery but because it says what I want it to say I'm leary of changing them...LOL I'm in maintenance so the same # week in, week out is really good!

    Here's to living in the danger zone.
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    mrsfitzyv8 wrote: »
    My scales told me on Tuesday that I was 71.2kgs. Wednesday they said 47.3kgs. New batteries and omfg I was 71.2kgs!
    So unless I magically lost over 20kgs overnight, I think my scales were off. So I changed the battery. It fixed mine.
    Yours sound super cool though

    That would have been awesome lol. Must share secret to losing 20kgs over night

    Lmfao
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    DemoraFairy wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    Uh no, myth not busted. A low battery can cause false readings/cause reading to change after stepping off and stepping on again. That does not mean that everything the battery is low it will automatically cause false readings. It depends on the scale and how low the battery is.

    Yeah exactly... the idea is that low batteries can cause inaccurate readings, not that low batteries will always cause inaccurate readings!

    Though at least you know your scales probably don't have this problem :D

    yeah my cheap scales that cost me just over a tenner 3 yrs ago obviously do the job :smiley: (and the first time the battery has needed a change too :smile: )
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    ps I was secretly was hoping a battery change would equal a loss as thats always a bonus :smiley:

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