Bluelab Soil pH Pen - Manual (Page 5)

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5
4.0 IMPORTANT - Soil pH Pen probe care cont.
The soil pH probe does not last forever
• Probes do not last forever. They age through normal use and will eventually fail.
The lifetime of a probe depends on the environment it is used in and the way it
is treated.
• Always loosen the cap before removing or replacing the storage cap/dibber.
• This probe is suitable to use in temperatures between 0 - 50 °C / 32 - 122 °F only.
• Chemically aggressive, abrasive or oily samples will reduce the life of the probe.
The Soil pH Pen probe requires cleaning at least once a
month and prior to calibrating
Cleaning the glassware is critical to obtaining accurate measurements.
The calibration check mark will disappear from the soil pH pen screen 30 days after
the last successful calibration to remind you it is time to clean and calibrate again.
Storing the Soil pH Pen
The probe tip must be kept wet - if it dries, it dies!
To prepare the probe for storage, place enough Bluelab pH Probe KCl Storage Solution,
to cover the probe tip, into the storage cap/dibber. Never use RO, distilled or deionized
water. Place the loosened cap over the probe tip and tighten (see section 2.0).
Long term storage
For long term storage, sit the Soil pH Pen upright, ensuring the storage cap/dibber
contains enough Bluelab pH Probe KCl Storage Solution to cover the probe tip .
Check each month to ensure the liquid has not evaporated.
If the probe has been accidentally allowed to dry out:
The probe must be ‘hydrated’ by soaking for 24 hours in KCl storage solution,
refer to section 3.0 for details. Following this; carry out a calibration to check if
the probe has already suffered permanent damage, see section 11.0.
DO NOT let the probe tip dry. IF IT DRIES IT DIES!
DO NOT exert sideways force, drop or knock the pen. This will break its
external glass bulb or internal glass tube.
DO NOT touch the glass bulb with your fi ngers as this will contaminate
the glass.
DO NOT plunge a cold probe into a hot liquid (or vice versa). Sudden
temperature changes can crack the glass and permanently damage the pen.
DO NOT immerse in oils, proteins or suspended solids that will leave a
coating on the glass bulb.
DO NOT remove or place the storage cap/dibber back onto the probe
without fi rst loosening the cap, as you could reduce the life of the probe.
DO NOT store, soak or rinse the pH probe in RO (Reverse Osmosis),
Distilled or Deionized water. Pure water changes the chemistry in the
reference, causing the probe to die.