So I purchased a ppm reader and a ph reader a while back they came with some calibration powders
I followed directions for calibrating the ph reader to a tee dipped the pen in to calibrate it of course she was off …no matter how many times I tried the pen did not bring me to the number stated for each pack …I dried em off tried again …negative
So a couple months later I’m regretting it and could use them seeing how I’m at a new place with peroxide injectors with the well and all that
Okay so here’s the question and household items in the pantry/fridge that can help me calibrate my pen in
Is/was the PH pen consistently stored in a storage solution? What is the solution?
Purchased new?
When performing a reading does the reading stabilize?
Can you take a photo of the class bulb such that the interior liquid can be seen?
FWIW, sometimes you’ll need to ‘condition’ a new probe for at least 24 hours in a storage solution prior to use but, after months, I’d assume that this is the case.
Also, for reference, here’s an example of the stuff I use for calibration and storage:
I’d just get a new set of calibration powder and use distilled water for mixing. They’re a pain in the ass and it takes a few times to get right. Or they do make premixed calibration solution too.
Thanks that’s my last resort I was wondering like what vinegar for a acidic number of baking soda and water like home remedy’s but I think I’m just gonna get the right shit
Ok, it is likely that will have damaged the probe. When it was delivered, it should have been in a storage solution which may have been in the cap. The cap may have a small piece of sponge saturated with solution to keep the bulb moist.
It may be possible to recover the probe by placing it in a storage solution for a couple of days but I wouldn’t hold my breath if it has dehydrated.
Thanks for the photo, I can’t really tell if the bulb is full of fluid. It looks empty. There may be an air bubble in the bulb (which can also cause some confusion) but for the most part the bulb should be full of liquid. Flip it over such that the bulb is pointing down to see the fluid. There also should be some tiny electrode wires visible in the bulb somewhere.
If the bulb has spent a significant amount of time out of solution, it will dehydrate and it’s possible that the reference is blocked. Tough to recover if that’s the case.
Not stabilizing in a reasonable time frame when placed into a solution (not distilled water, something containing salts, tap water is fine to check) indicates something is amiss with the probe.
Correct storage of your pH probes can substantially increase the longevity of the probe saving you time, effort, and money. Here are a few points on how to get the most out of your probes.
Firstly, you should make sure you always keep your pH electrode moist, the best solution to submerge the probe for long and short term storage is 4M Potassium Chloride Solution (KCl). When Potassium Chloride Solution is not available, revert to pH 4 or 7 buffer solution. Potassium Chloride Solution (also known as pH Storage Solution or Electrode Storage Solution) is available from most laboratory suppliers including Westlab (Click here to view product).
It is also important that you do not store the pH electrodes in distilled or deionised water as this has little to no ions present and will cause the ions to leach out of the glass bulb and will render your electrode useless.
After storage, you may notice white Potassium Chloride crystals forming outside your electrode. This is normal and will not interfere with measurements. If this has occurred, gently wash the electrode with tap water and blot dry before use being careful not to put pressure on the electrode
pH Electrode Care
Electrode Calibration
Since glass pH electrodes measure H concentration relative to their reference half-cells, they must be calibrated periodically to ensure accurate, repeatable measurements. Our wide selection of commercial pH calibration buffers include solutions standardized against NIST-certified pH references for calibrating meters with resolution up to 0.001 pH.
Although calibration against one pH reference buffer (one-point calibration) typically ensures accurate pH measurement, frequent two-point or even three-point calibrations ensure the most reliable results. Make sure your pH system includes calibration buffers for a range of pH values.
Conditioning
pH electrodes are shipped with the electrodes moist. Prior to using your electrode for the first time, follow these three steps to condition your electrode:
Remove the protective cap or rubber boot from the bottom of the sensor and rinse the electrode with distilled or deionized water.
Place the electrode in a beaker containing one of the liquids listed below (in order of ionic ability to condition the electrode). Soak for 20 minutes.
3.8 M or 4.0 M KCL
4.0 pH buffer
7.0 pH bufferNote: Never condition a pH electrode in distilled or deionized waterÑlong term exposure to pure water will damage the special glass membrane.
After conditioning the sensor for 20 minutes, rinse the electrode with distilled or deionized water. The electrode is now ready for calibration and to measure pH.
Handling
Electrodes should be rinsed between samples with distilled or deionized water. Never wipe an electrodewiping can cause erroneous readings due to static charges. Blot the end of the electrode with lint-free paper to remove excess water.
Refillable Electrodes
The filling solution in refillable electrodes should be filled up to, but not past, the refill hole. Make sure the refill hole is left open when measuring to ensure that the fill solution flows properly through the reference junction.
Storage
Always keep your pH electrode moist. We recommend that you store your electrode in a solution of 4 M KCl. If 4 M KCl is not available, use a pH 4 or 7 buffer solution. DO NOT store electrode in distilled or deionized waterthis will cause ions to leach out of the glass bulb and render your electrode useless.
After storage, you may notice white KCl crystals forming outside your electrode. This will not interfere with measurements. Simply rinse the electrode and blot dry before use. https://www.coleparmer.com/tech-article/ph-electrode-care
Ok, that’s better and good to hear. Try conditioning the probe with a storage solution intended for PH probes 24-48 hours and then retest to see if that improves stability. Rinse but do not wipe dry. But first, verify that there is fluid in the bulb, hard to tell in that orientation.
The optimal storage solution is a similar solution as to what is in the bulb. Typically, the storage solutions that you can purchase is just that. Otherwise, the osmotic balance of ions in solution can get out of wack. Also is why you never want to store it in distilled water, it’ll leach the ions out of the internal solution.
A properly functioning probe will be fairly fast to stabilize when measuring a solution. If it’s slow to stabilize, drift wildly, or takes a really long time then something went wrong somewhere along the line.
Maybe I didn’t read hard enough, but I haven’t seen anybody mention temperature.
When you are calibrating with buffer solutions, the solutions typically include a temperature correction chart.
Some meters have a thermometer and automatic temperature correction, but it would be prudent to use an independent temperature standard and have all your buffers, distilled water, and samples at the same temperature.
All meters for pH and humidity have to be temperature compensated. If they are not they are useless. Mind you, I am not sure about horse hair humidity gauges.
Just did some reading. Seems the hair humidity meter is inaccurate below 7%. That the first accurate humidity meter was made in 1780. Read more, the hair ones read low below 30% and are just plain wrong below 75. That is enough for me, rather read pot related stuff.
