How do you clean a PH pen

[Loc Dog]

I have those cheap yellow PH pens with an adjustment screw. Next to the bulb is a little white stub, but now they are black. How do you clean that? I am concerned since I constantly have to adjust it, and have put in fresh batteries.

I watched video on the newer pens with calibration button, but they use packets and have to make the solution yourself, and can not use the GH reference solutions I already have. Do others prefer the newer models??

 

[Creeperpark]

I just use a soft toothbrush with mild dish soap and tap water to clean my pH meter. You can buy cleaning fluid from the grow store that's even better. The pH meters today are easy to use with cal. buttons to calibrate. I like using the calibration fluids much better instead of calibration powders. They both work fine, it's just easier to use the liquid because the powders have to have distilled water and precise measurement.

 

[Loc Dog]

I just use a soft toothbrush with mild dish soap and tap water to clean my pH meter. You can buy cleaning fluid from the grow store that's even better. The pH meters today are easy to use with cal. buttons to calibrate. I like using the calibration fluids much better instead of calibration powders. They both work fine, it's just easier to use the liquid because the powders have to have distilled water and precise measurement.

That is why I prefer the pre-made solutions. From the video I saw, it looked like the pen had to be tested with their specific values, which are not the ones GH sells. Instead of 7 it is looking for 6.87. I must have about 8 of them in box somewhere from when i moved, most never used. Got obsessive when I only tested 7 and batteries were dying, and was way off right before they died.

 

[Growenhaft]

I clean my devices with a dishwasher tab. and soft brushes as they are also used for cleaning straws and pipes. in a glass with very warm water I put the pen in and add half a tablet... after about 1 hour, the black deposits can be easily removed by the storage liquid with the brushes or microfiber cloth.probably a shorter time than 1 hour would be sufficient...

 

[Ringodoggie]

Ditto on the soft toothbrush. I just use water on mine.

Don't forget to keep the sensor (the bulb) wet. It's better not to let it dry out.

 

[Loc Dog]

Ditto on the soft toothbrush. I just use water on mine.

Don't forget to keep the sensor (the bulb) wet. It's better not to let it dry out.

Is just having the cap on enough to keep it wet??? Have heard that in videos and wondered if I should fill cap with distilled water.

 

[Ringodoggie]

Is just having the cap on enough to keep it wet??? Have heard that in videos and wondered if I should fill cap with distilled water.

Most manufacturers recommended storing the tips in water. My Blue Lab has a little screw on cap that holds a tiny bit of fluid. I have a cheapo $12 unit that works so awesome that I actually use it over the Blue Lab. And, yes, I just keep the cap on that one. I rinse it after use and store it kind of wet but I don't use any kind of water or fluid in the cap. And, it's been working for about a year.

 

[Hammerhead]

Use a Soft Toothbrush to get any film/particles off the probe ball. No need for soap or other cleaning agents. Using Potassium Chloride Solution (KCl) as your storage solution is the best option I recommend. You could use PH4 cal solution until you get some KCI.

It is also important that you do not store the pH electrodes in distilled or deionized 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. Tap water should only be used to keep the tip wet until the proper storage solution is acquired. It is never used as a storage media. As I said use PH4 or KCI only!!.

If you are not using your prob always!! put it back into KCI until you need to use it. There are some PH probes that let us keep them in constant use. The probes we use are not made for this. If you do this it will shorten the lifespan..

This is what I use.. Any KCI is fine.

Potassium Chloride, High Purity Crystals, Reagent , 1 lb. | eBay

This is the HIGHEST purity Potassium Chloride you will find! This is for laboratory and scientific use only! Item is NOT regulated by the DOT.

www.ebay.com

KCl Solution making your own KCI recipe.
53 grams of Potassium Chloride into 8oz of RO water

 

[Three Berries]

FWIW I just compared the last of the GH 7.0 buffer from last December to a new quart I just got and there was no difference in the reading with my Apera ph20.

I let one dry out 24 hrs and it is toast.

 

[Three Berries]

Use a Soft Toothbrush to get any film/particles off the probe ball. No need for soap or other cleaning agents. Using Potassium Chloride Solution (KCl) as your storage solution is the best option I recommend. You could use PH4 cal solution until you get some KCI.

It is also important that you do not store the pH electrodes in distilled or deionized 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. Tap water should only be used to keep the tip wet until the proper storage solution is acquired. It is never used as a storage media. As I said use PH4 or KCI only!!.


KCl Solution making your own KCI recipe.
53 grams of Potassium Chloride into 8oz of RO water

Probably a good K nute supplement too! I already use MgCl and CaCl.

 

[Loc Dog]

Are new all digital cheap PH testers crap. Have had nothing but headaches, and still can not calibrate it. Are the ones with adjustment screws better????

 

[mme_oscar]

Hello,

Hammerhead is spot on! Don't use distilled water to keep probe wet but kcl and never let your probe dry out.
Avoid sudden (big) temp swing as it can break the probe.
To clean my pens, I use soft toothbrush and mild detergent as well. I also soak overnight my probe monthly in weak HCl solution (0;1 mol).

If you have black stuff in your probe that could be algae. I have never manage to resucitate a probe full of algae.

Also some cheap pH meter don't have temperature compensation. It may be harder to calibrate or even to take maesures.

If I were you I'd gently clean my pen. Then I'd soak my pen overnight in weak HCl, then mild cleaning, then overnight in kcl to "load" up the probe. After all this I'd try to calibrate my ph meter. If it would fail I'll consider my probe dead.

 

[YellowCanaryConsulting]