I check my weight each morning on an old inexpensive Counselor
floor model digital scale. I was surprised a few days ago to see
that in only 24 hours I had lost 84 pounds. I immediately re-weighed
and was mildly relieved to realize that I had actually lost only 71 pounds.
For some reason I don't believe the accuracy of this scale.

But before replacing the 9v battery (that would be too easy), I'm
trying to decide whether the problem is more apt to be battery,
mechanical or something else. Any ideas?

(Can you tell that I'm anxious to take this thing apart?)

Have you replaced all of the caps and checked the B+?

Nor would I...but I have to ask where did you get that scale? Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig?

I know...My bad

Ken

P.S. Impressive weight loss either way. Hopefully you didn't loose it in 24 hours.Yikes

Best
Ken

Lol.

Other than replacing the (precious few) caps in a digital scale, there's NOTHING you can do. The heart of the scale is an electromechanical transducer that converts physical pressure into electrical resistance. You can't repair it.

Make sure you have not moved the pound/kilo switch, if it has one....

My scale was acting up also. I thought I weighed too much so I took my shoes off and held them in may hand. I still weighed too much! Thankfully, it's under warranty

Have had the same problem. With me it it is not being able to see the numbers or having one to many. Sometimes a combination of all above
Stan Ski

a weak battery can cause off the wall readings.. spend 1-2.00 to replace the battery, then concern yourself with potential issues. Now most digital scales have a 3 volt lithium battery in them, like a 2025 or 2032 and are LCD rather then LED.. which makes them twice as reliable as older models.

Troubleshooting a scale? I'd rather just shoot mine.

You'd have to use a pretty big barrel and a fair bit of wadding.

As for the original question:
In a word, battery. Then, if it still behaves poorly, trash. Welcome to the disposable age. I'm with Nick on this one. Some are piezo sensors. There's pretty much no practical way of fixing a crushed piezo. If that's what's wrong with it, perhaps you're not loosing weight after all!

Thank you for your replies.

This morning the scale read 179, which I think is close
to accurate. If the goofy readings continue, I'll try a new
battery. If that's no cure then I'll dump it.

I found a receipt for the thing dated 17 July 1990. So
it's really not that old. Or is it? (I think there are a few
things in our refrigerator that old.)

Remind me not to eat dinner at your house

At what time did this happen? Gravity's stronger in the afternoon, ya know.
-Ed
(thought that was pretty much common knowledge, even skunked ol' Nick on that one!)

My Grandson (the one in the avatar) is age 2 now and a few weeks ago he toddled into the bathroom of my Daughters house. He was laughing and having a good time when he suddenly got quiet, that's the time to investigate. She found him standing on the scales and the display was stuck on EEE. We've removed and replaced the battery and everything we could think of but it still persists with EEE. He has also managed to change the onscreen display on our TV to French.

Randy,
Is your grandson still under warranty?
Don

No warranty, they forgot to send in the warranty card. He's grown quite
a bit since the avatar picture was taken.

Nice looking boy !



Future engineer

EE = engineering exponent
EEE = ??????????????????

Alternatively, if you preferred to shoot at them, I have some 12 ga door breaching rounds that should do the trick.


Yep. Battery.

We still have some electronic scales around the house, but the only ones that get any use these days are my postal ones. Even my digital reloading scales have been replaced with a balance beam setup, for better accuracy (I tend to load rounds where there's tenths of a grain between the starting load and the max).

The wife has a nice set of 1950s doctors' scales, with the movable weights, that are the best scales we've ever had, for figuring out our own weights.

Jogged my memory. Anyone remember those scales that you put a penny in ??