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Ph meter calibration

DaveWatkin

Member
Joined
26 Oct 2020
Messages
223
Location
Aberdeen, UK
This might be a silly question but I was wondering from the lab experienced people out there, if I am just measuring a Ph drop does it matter if my meter is calibrated?

All I care about is the value delta, not particularly the values so if I had a baseline solution (degassed tank water) and my tank once CO2 is believed to be stable and measured both with an uncalibrated meter would the delta still be significant or is calibration needed to ensure the ranging of the meter as well as the value reporting?
 
I am no lab person, but PH measurements done from any PH instrument need calibration, no matter the price of the instrument. PH pens and probs will drift so if you want to have reliable information you need to calibrate it. In fact I calibrate my PH pen each time I use it because I do notice variations from one measurement to the next.
 
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Thanks for the quick replies. Thought it might be the case, just being lazy haha
If you want to be lazy then rely on the colour of the drop checker. Otherwise, get a probe that has two-point calibration (4.01 and 7.01 because you will be measuring acidic pH), and then save some money buying big bottles of buffer solution because you should be using them every time you use the probe. Regular calibration will also tell you when the electrode is reaching the end of its lifetime.
 
As others have mentioned you need a calibrated probe to get an accurate delta as the slope will also be influenced if calibration is off.
 
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