Keep Your PH Meters Accurate With PH Calibration Solution

So your hydroponic setup is ready to go. It's time to start balancing your pH. You pull out your handy pH meter and get it ready to use, but wait! Is the meter calibrated? Digital pH Meters not only can, but WILL, fall out of calibration. Uncalibrated meters will give you incorrect measurements. If you do not know the correct starting pH it is very easy to add the wrong amount of Up or Down. In extreme cases this can even kill your plants.

So lets see how you can calibrate your meter correctly. This should be done at least once a week. You will want two calibration solutions. A digital meter that calibrates on a single calibration solution is not a very good meter. The pH of the two calibration solutions should be be 7 and 4.

You will need three very clean glass or plastic containers that are big enough dunk your pH probe into. One container holds water for rinsing the probe before calibration. The second for the pH 7 solution and the final container for the pH 4. Check your pH meter for cracks, algae, salt buildup, or dirt on the probe. If your probe needs it clean with a damp cotton swab..

1. Fill one of your containers with plain fresh water
2. Fill one with pH 7
3. Fill one with pH 4
4. With your meter off rinse the pH electrode probe in a bath of pure fresh water.
5. Turn your meter on
6. Place probe into pH 7 solution. Some pH meters take a while to get a correct reading. Just let the meter sit long enough that the reading stabilizes. This usually takes about 30 seconds. The pH reading can flucuate, give or take.01 Some meters beep or tell you when you they have spent enough time in the ph Calibration Solution and are ready to give an accurate reading. Stirring the solution can help the pH probe calibrate. It also encourages CO2 to get into your solution. Try stirring for about 30 seconds, you can use the pH probe itself, but be very careful since they are easy to break that way. Then let it sit and get your pH reading.
7. Once you have your reading, adjust your pH meter to 7. The exact way to calibrate each machine is a little different. Just check the instructions that came with your meter.
8. Rinse your probe in fresh water
9. Place probe into pH 4 solution. Then let it sit and get your pH reading.
10. Once you have your reading, adjust your pH meter to 4
11. Your pH meter is calibrated

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