Bluelab's pH products are charged with reference material which expends over time and use. The average life span of a pH pen is approximately 18 months. Good care will help to maintain your pen. Follow our guides to proper hydration, regular cleaning and calibration. For the Bluelab Leap Probe, hold cap, twist one full turn, then gently remove. 2. Fill a small plastic container with clean tap water Use pH probes that are refillable and are shielded from electrostatic interference. These can be expensive and require daily maintenance but they are specifically designed for the measurement of pure water.

Both the pH pen/probe and the storage cap contain KCl (Potassium Chloride) solution. The result of a small level of evaporation of KCl is the formation of a salt crust as KCl is a type of salt. By gathering the most accurate readings possible, you can get pH right, optimising your nutrient solution. For most plants, the ideal pH range is 5.5 – 6.5. You’ll then maximise nutrient uptake, massively reducing the likelihood of encountering nutrient deficiencies. Calibrate your pH pen. Calibrate before first use and return to this guide if you need a monthly calibration refresher. Soak probe in KCl storage solution for 24 hours and retest. Don't measure proteins or oils with the pH pen. You may need to replace the pH pen. Once measured, you can then buffer your solution to the ideal pH for your plants. When the nutrient solution is the right pH, it will allow your plants to take up the maximum amount of nutrient and, therefore thrive!This salt crust is normal and will not harm the probe or meter. Gently wash the salt off under fresh running water. It is essential to ensure that your probe has sufficient KCl in the storage cap at all times to remain hydrated. How long will my Bluelab pH Pen last?

One of the defining factors of a quality pH meter is its level of accuracy. The Bluelab pH Meter, a professional-grade tool, is renowned for its precision. In this article, we’ll compare its accuracy to that of budget pH meters. Take a small sample of the water to be measured rather than measuring direct into large volumes to avoid any likelihood of electrostatic interference.

Add a small amount of Bluelab pH Probe Cleaner or mild detergent to the water. 3. Gently stir the probe tip in the mixture Get your nutrient temperature right to fight root diseases, improve growth and boost nutrient uptake further. Pinpoint your pH & temperature with a single tool — a 2-in-1 Bluelab pH Pen. Bluelab is one of the industry's best-known and most trusted brands; all of their testing equipment delivers a level of reliability and accuracy that's second-to-none. Before you can use your pen you must soak it in KCI pH Probe Refill & Storage Solution for 24 hours to hydrate the probe. A single use sachet that the meter can be stood in is provided in the box. You can also pour the liquid into a container that you can stand the meter in so that the probe is immersed for this period of time. Afterwards rinse the probe and then you will need to calibrate it. For this will you will need pH Buffer 4 and pH Buffer 7 (a single use sachet of each is provided in the box). The Bluelab pH Pen is an advanced tool designed to provide precise soil pH readings. This portable, hand-held device offers a range of features that make it a favourite among commercial growers. Let’s delve into the key features of the Bluelab pH Pen.

Single-Purpose: Unlike some other devices, this pH meter doesn’t measure moisture or light levels. If you need these additional features, you might want to consider a 3-in-1 device. This is a big no-no as it will mess with the calibration, potentially to the point where you need to get a replacement tip or – if you REALLY neglect the pen – you may need to get an entirely new one. Minimise the exposure of the sample to air as CO2 absorption can decrease pH. CO2 will react with water to make carbonic acid and shift the pH to below 7 (more acidic). Due to having no ions present, the solution cannot mediate this change (no buffering action) and the change in pH will be larger than it should be for the amount of acid present.

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Keep the glassware of the probe clean. Calibrate daily using high quality calibration solutions and calibrate to three points. Rinse the probe in DI water between uses and during calibration. Durability: Made with high-quality materials, this pH meter is designed for longevity. It can endure heavy use, making it a cost-effective investment in the long run. Waterproof: This pen is fully waterproof, allowing for direct immersion in the soil or water without damaging the device. This is a critical feature when measuring pH in wet or damp environments. Unboxing and Initial Setup: After unboxing the Bluelab pH Meter, install any batteries if required. Make sure all parts of the device are secure and undamaged.

It is common to attain different pH values even with new probes that calibrate perfectly when attempting to measure the pH of these solutions. This is because water has a low ionic strength as all the ions have been removed (low conductivity). Bluelab pH probes rely on ions within the water for the probe to take a proper reading and so solutions with little or no ions can be difficult to gauge an accurate pH measurement from. It could be the fact that I’m partially colorblind, but I felt that basing my plant’s health off of what shade of “orangish yellowy red” my pH vial or strip was showing me was probably not a good idea in the long run, especially if I wanted to get serious about the quality of my grows.

Clean pH probe heads regularly to ensure accurate readings

Budget pH meters, like the Sonkir Soil pH Meter or the XLUX Soil pH Meter, are more accessible to growers due to their affordability. They provide a general idea about your soil’s pH, which can be sufficient for non-specialist gardening needs. However, their accuracy tends to be lower than that of premium options like the Bluelab pH Meter, often within ±0.5 pH units. For the Bluelab Soil pH pen, unscrew the dibber from the storage cap until you see a gap. Then gently remove the storage cap from the probe. (Don't pull the cap off until your have unscrewed it, as this will cause permanent damage.) This step was so unbelievably easy I actually was able to do it in the hydroponics shop! I ended up purchasing the Bluelab calibration kit just so I would be able to do it at home as well. To calibrate, the steps are pretty simple: Ensure the sponge in the pH Pen storage cap contains KCl Storage Solution, or fill the pH Probe cap with enough KCl to cover the sensor so the probes remain hydrated. Storage solution is used to ensure a pH probe is kept in idealconditions during storage, while the probe is not in use. Read more about KCl solution.