Hand held Ph meter probe care

[Bobo Bolinsky]

Just got a new Milwaukee MW100 hand held. My first. How should the probe be stored? Dry or in distilled water better? My Blue lab pen died soon as the tip dried.

 

[Mikell]

KCL storage solution, do not use distilled water. It will muck up the solution inside the probe.

I'm a smart ass, and can't hold this one back - If you just bought it, it must have come with some paperwork. Decode this paperwork, and the care instructions are revealed. Magic.

 

[Bobo Bolinsky]

thanks, will do, very short "paperwork" nothing about storage

 

[Mikell]

Oooh do I love the taste of my foot....

 

[MrHamilton]

definitely not distilled

definitely not distilled

As said above, store it in KCL(potassium chloride solution) or electrode storage solution. If not an option, the 6.87 or 7.01calibration buffers will work. Straight tap water is better than nothing. Allowing the junction to dry out repeatedly will greatly shorten the life of your meter.

 

[Bush Dr]

It doesn't matter as long as it's wet and the ph is not wildly off 7

I assume you calibrate your Blue Lab every month, do the same with this

BTW As this is in the soil section why are you using one, soil doesn't need the ph played with?

 

[Scottish Research]

My last hand help worked great for a while, then it stopped reading correctly, so I threw it against the wall in anger.

 

[Bobo Bolinsky]

thanks everybody, I did just go to the 'store' and pick up a jug of storage solution. The sales person said nothing abut storage when I got it yesterday. Kidz these daze!

 

[Bobo Bolinsky]

It doesn't matter as long as it's wet and the ph is not wildly off 7

I assume you calibrate your Blue Lab every month, do the same with this

BTW As this is in the soil section why are you using one, soil doesn't need the ph played with?

I hadn't really checked my Ph since my pen died, maybe 2 years. I SHOULD HAVE. My well for years tested about 7.8-8.0, and I robotically added Ph down to compensate. But last 2 grows I had problems, this one for sure. From what looked like serious nute burn to deficiencies. WTF. Just did my tap test as well as run off. The tap is now 7.0 and my run off is 5.6. Gaaaa! That is why I should have tested before now.

 

[FlowerFarmer]

My last hand help worked great for a while, then it stopped reading correctly, so I threw it against the wall in anger.

Only will use the cheap ones these days. Check out the Milwaukee pH600. These are around $35 in the hydro shop. You can get knock off ones on amazon for around $12.

All pH meters fail in time. They all need to be kept clean and stored wet (NOT in RO or distilled or de-ionized water).

Even if you do all of the above and take extreme care of it.. it will eventually fail. Double junction probe pH meters need to be considered a disposable. For that reason I suggest something cheap... if you get your 6 months - 1 year out of it.. great. You got your money worth.

Screw the bluelab pH pens. Switched to them after Hanna... they are OK. The probe is not replaceable and mine failed quickly even taking the proper precautions.

Next one took a very mild tap when I was pulling it out of the rez. Never was the same after that.. wont turn off. turns right back on and acts really wonky.


I'm sticking with super cheap pH meters and my bluelab truncheon for EC from here on out. That is a product they got right.


my 2c

 

[zerocool21]

i only use normal tap water to store my probes 50-100tds. i will not use a cheap ph pen never had luck with them constant drift daily not waterproof housing making condensation on the screen just pita, after 4 in a few months never again not worth my time as mine is valuable. i prefer my hanna over my bluelabs. hanna has replaceable ph probes $50ish lasted over 2 years (thats impressive) and it was used befor i got it, also has ec/tds in one unit if you prefer that. i do have blulabs for backups atm, only had 1 faulty probe that was taken care of.

 

[DemonTrich]

for my HM pen I use a ph pen storage solution. was 11.00 for a big bottle that should last a lifetime.

 

[Granger2]

FYI- Some of the storage solutions are Pfthalates. Do NOT use them. Toxic to you. I use 4.0 standard. Use to use 7.0 standard, but grew slime. No slime with the 4.0. Good luck. -granger

 

[PinkFan]

It doesn't matter as long as it's wet and the ph is not wildly off 7

I assume you calibrate your Blue Lab every month, do the same with this

BTW As this is in the soil section why are you using one, soil doesn't need the ph played with?

hey Bush Dr my local hydro shop recomended i ph my soil to ph5.8 - ph6.2, the soil i bought is canna terra pro and canna terra & flores nutrients. the shop sold me the bluelab ph combo meter too.my water is ec0.2 when i add veg or flower nutrients ph is ph4.0 ?..so i will try doing a plant with no ph'ing thanks Pinkfan

 

[Iamnumber]

Hi!

Just got my first ph (and ec) meter today. They left out the storage solution. What should I do now? I mean.. meters are stored dry before sale .. so how bad 1-2 weeks would be? Or should I take a drive to local store to get on?

 

[Mikell]

Buy calibration and storage solution. EC meters can dry, clean as per instruction. pH meters are garbage if they dry.

 

[dr-dank]

Hi!

Just got my first ph (and ec) meter today. They left out the storage solution. What should I do now? I mean.. meters are stored dry before sale .. so how bad 1-2 weeks would be? Or should I take a drive to local store to get on?

any meter/probe I have bought came wet. Little bubble thing on end filled with 4.0 storage.

If i got one dry and could return it, I would.


Regards

 

[Iamnumber]

Ty for answers.

I got side-tracked by the missing storage solution

RTFM ... it says 'soak in storage solution for two hours to activate electrode' *blush*

 

[slownickel]

Milwaukee anything

Milwaukee anything

Haven't had much luck with anything that they make. Their ORP meter was garbage right out of the box.