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Digital PH tester questions

  • Thread starter swords
  • Start date
I'm interested in getting a digital Ph tester kit to experiment with leaching the lime from my homemade grout rocks for some wet vivariums and was looking at this one:

Milwaukee PH Tester

Now my question is that it comes with one packet of Ph calibration stuff, does the packet make a whole bottle of stuff and I just dip the tip into the calibration solution and replace the cap? I read something about storing the Ph calibration fluid in the cap so the tip never dries out?


I know some of you are gadget hounds so hopefully you can give me some tips here.

Thanks! :)
 
You generally dip the tester in an already-prepared calibration solution -- much like the NaCl that is included with some TDS meters . . .
 
It includes the solution, which is in a packet form.

My question is do I transfer this solution to a vial with a lid for storage or is the solution only good for one use/test?
 
Neutral calibration solution usually lasts a while if you use it for storage, but I've always used the liquid stuff. Not sure about dried... Seems weird to me, since I imagine getting the ratio of water-to-powder wrong would skew your calibration points.
~Joe
 
I've sent a question to the company to see if this packet contains powder or liquid. The picture of the packet says buffer "solution".

If it is infact liquid, and I place it in a jar I will be able to use it to recalibrate the pen tester over and over? Does the liquid expire?
 
If you want to reuse the buffer solution, you'll need to make sure it's kept in an air-tight container. Evaporation will make future calibrations unreliable. Buffer solutions typically expire within a year, depending on the buffer. I use standard buffers in the lab I work in almost every day. You can prolong the life of your buffers if you keep them in the fridge, protected from light - just make sure you bring them back to room temperature before you calibrate! pH calibrations depend heavily on temperature.
 
The seller just got back to me this morning, it's liquid. I have plenty of air-tight vials/tiny jars in the garage to store it in.

So I'll need a new packet of solution in a year, not bad, it seems cheap enough. Is that a year from the time I open it or is there normally a date on the packet stating an expiration date?

What is the "optimal" Ph testing & calibrating temp? My household room temp is generally 72*-82*F depending on the room.
 
Ok so I have my Ph meter in hand now and the only instructions say:

"Do not use distilled or deionized water for storage purposes"

So what do I use? Plain tap water and put it in the cap? The card doesn't say. :(

The cap of the unit is dry now but there is a note that my unit was tested at the factory on January 3rd 2010, so shouldn't there be water in the cap now since it was technically "used" by testing it?

The only other instructions are how to calibrate it with the solution and tiny screwdriver it came with.

Do I have to calibrate it before each use? The instructions card is not informative...
 
  • #11
Thanks! You'd think the package would tell me to visit their website for more info! LOL
 
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