bluelab pH Pen Guide

Contents page
Features 2
Quick guide 2
Before use 3
To operate 3
Important - pH pen probe care 4
Cleaning 5
Battery replacement 5
Calibration 6
Error messages 6
Troubleshooting guide 7
Technical specications 7
Product guarantee 8
Cleaning kit 9
Contact details 9
Care and use guide
a handy solution made easy
www.getbluelab.com

Features
Backlit LCD display Low battery warning
Hold reading function Fully waterproof
Fully guaranteed for 1 year Auto off function
Double junction probe
(not replaceable)
Automatic Temperature
Compensation (ATC)
Successful calibration indicator Selectable units for
°C and °F
Power button / hold
Short press to turn on.
Short press to hold reading.
Long press to turn off.
Calibrate button
See calibration section.
Units button
Hold until units flash then
short press to change units.
Screen will change back
when no buttons have been
pressed for 3 seconds.
Quick guide
Storage
cap can be
placed onto
loop while
being used.
Low battery warning
Appears when
batteries are low.
Check mark/tick to
indicate successful
calibration
Disappears 30 days after
calibrating probe as a
calibration due reminder.
ATTENTION
If it dries, it dies!
Storage cap
The probe must not be allowed to dry out. Always place storage cap back onto
probe tip after each use and ensure it contains either water or pH 4.0 solution.
Keep your probe tip wet
at all times to avoid permanent damage
English
2

1.0 Before use begins
Hydrate in water for 24 hours before you start using the pen.
Calibrate the pen before you start using the pen.
See section 6.0
2.0 To operate
Turn pen on
Press power button. The last measurement is recalled
for 3 seconds.
To turn pen off
Press and hold the power button until OFF is
displayed.
NOTE: The pen will automatically turn off after
4 minutes to conserve battery power.
Measure pH
Remove storage cap, place probe in solution and wait
for reading to stabilize.
To hold reading
If you want to “hold” the reading on the screen, short
press the power button. To exit the hold function
press the power button again.
To change temperature units
Hold down the units button for 3 seconds until the
temperature units start flashing. Short press the units
button again to cycle between °F and °C. To exit this
mode don’t press anything for 3 seconds.
NOTE: You can change units while in hold mode by
holding down the units button.
Rinse and replace storage cap
To ensure accurate pH readings always rinse the
probe in clean fresh water before replacing the cap.
The cap is tight to ensure a good seal and should click
when on correctly.
1 second alternating displays
Power button
English
3
1
1
2
2
3
4
5

3.0 IMPORTANT - pH pen probe care
pH 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. To ensure you receive a long life from your pen,
please ensure you follow the guide below.
Storing the pH pen
When storing the pH pen, the probe tip must be kept moist.
To prepare the probe for storage, place a small amount of clean water (never
distilled or deionised water) or pH 4.0 solution into the wetting seal inside the
storage cap. Then place the seal and cap over the probe tip.
Long term storage
For long term storage, place the pen upright in a glass of tap water with the
storage cap off to ensure constant hydration.
If the probe has been accidentally allowed to dry out:
The probe must be ‘hydrated’ for 24 hours in fresh clean water (never distilled or
deionised water). Following this; carry out a calibration to check if the probe has
already suffered permanent damage.
DO NOT let the probe tip dry. IF IT DRIES IT DIES!
DO NOT knock the pen; this will break its external glass bulb or internal
glass tube.
DO NOT touch the glass bulb with your fingers as this will contaminate
the glass.
DO NOT plunge a cold probe into a hot liquid (or visa 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.
Temperature probe
Glass bulb
Wick
Storage cap
Wetting seal
English
4

4.0 Cleaning
To ensure accurate readings the probe needs to be rinsed in water before
replacing the storage cap and cleaned regularly using the following instructions.
Rinse probe tip under fresh water.
Fill small container with clean water.
Add a small amount of Bluelab pH Probe Cleaner or
mild detergent (dish washing liquid).
Gently stir the probe tip in the mixture.
Ensure that you do not ‘knock’ the pen on the side of
the container as this may cause damage to the glass
probe. Rinse well under fresh running water to remove
all traces of the detergent mixture.
If the probe requires removal of heavy contamination:
Gently brush around the glassware with a few drops
of Bluelab pH Probe Cleaner or mild detergent
(dishwashing liquid) and a soft toothbrush.
Rinse well under fresh running water to remove all
traces of the detergent mixture.
Calibration of the probe is required after every clean.
See the pH calibration in section 6.0. Place storage cap
back onto the probe.
Detergent
5.0 Battery replacement
The pH pen is powered with 1 x AAA alkaline battery. Do not use rechargeable
batteries. A low battery warning is indicated by a battery symbol appearing on
the screen. Only remove the battery cap when the batteries require changing.
Battery life is expected to be 350 hours.
To remove old battery
Undo battery cap fasteners. Remove battery cap and tip out the
old battery.
Check for corrosion
Flat batteries may leak and cause corrosion. Check battery
contacts and the battery for any sign of corrosion. Battery
contacts should be cleaned first if corrosion is found before
proceeding to step 3.
Fit new battery
Insert the new batteries positive (+) end down into the body.
Ensure waterproof battery cap seal is clean
Seal will fail if any dirt is present.
Replace battery cap
Tighten fasteners on battery cap until there is no space left
between the cap and body. This ensures the unit remains
100% waterproof.
Waterproof seal
English
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
4
5

7.0 Error messages
The following error messages appear for the following reasons.
6.0 Calibration
pH calibration is required before first use to ensure that the first reading is
accurate. Calibration is also required when:
•The check mark/tick has disappeared from the LCD screen (30 days after last calibration)
•The reading is different from what you expected
•After cleaning
•After changing the batteries
pH 7.0 and pH 4.0 solutions are required for calibration. You may also calibrate using pH 7.0
and pH 10.0 solutions if your readings will normally be higher than 7.0 pH.
Excluding first use, YOU MUST CLEAN the probe before
calibrating. See section 4.0.
Rinse probe in fresh water and place in pH 7.0 solution.
Wait for reading to stabilize.
Press the cal button until CAL is displayed.
Release button. When CAL 7 is displayed, 1 point calibration
is complete.
Rinse probe in fresh water and place it in either pH 4.0
or pH 10.0 solution (use pH 10.0 solution if you expect to
measure above 7.0 pH).
Wait for reading to stabilize.
Press the cal button until CAL 4 or CAL 10 is displayed.
CAL 4 or CAL 10 should be displayed (depending on what
solution you are calibrating in). The check mark/tick is
displayed when a 2 point (or 3) calibration is completed.
NOTE: For a three point calibration repeat the steps using 4,
7 then 10 solution.
pH 4.0
or
pH 10.0
pH 7.0
Hold until
Hold until
Temperature
over range
pH calibration
failed
pH over range
Hardware error
pH under range
Temperature
under range
English
6
1
2
3
4
5

8.0 Troubleshooting guide
Trouble Reason Correction
Drift - readings
slowly varying
Glassware not clean Clean glassware and calibrate
Wick contaminated
or blocked
Soak probe in water for 24 hours and retest.
Do not measure proteins or oils with this unit.
Replace unit.
Glassware aged Replace unit.
Displays similar pH
reading in all buffers
no matter what the
buffer value is
Glassware broken Replace unit.
Unsuccessful
calibration
Buffers inaccurate Replace buffers.
Glassware not clean Clean glassware.
Glassware aged
(glassware will not
clean)
Replace unit.
Probe not hydrated Soak probe in water for 24 hours and retest.
Noisy - readings
jumping
Contact zone not
immersed
Lower pen into solution at least 2cm/1”.
Displays pH 7
for all buffers
Broken glassware Replace unit.
Incorrect sample
reading following
successful
calibration
Ground loop (often
occurs in process
systems)
Verify by removing the sample from its
environment and measuring in a glass
beaker. May require electrical circuitry to be
checked in system.
Wick blocked Soak probe in water for 24 hours and retest.
Do not measure proteins or oils with this unit.
Replace unit.
9.0 Technical specications
Range 0.0 - 14.0 pH
Resolution 0.1 pH
Accuracy ± 0.1 pH @ 25°C
Temperature compensation Automatic
Operating temperature 0 - 50 °C, 32 - 122 °F
Calibration Manual calibration, 2 or 3 points
Units pH, °F and °C
Power source 1 x AAA alkaline battery
Limitation of Liability
Under no circumstances shall Bluelab Corporation Limited be liable for any claims,
losses, costs and damages of any nature whatsoever (including any consequential loss)
that result from the use of, or the inability to use, these instructions.
English
7

Bluelab pH Pen product guarantee
Bluelab Corporation Limited guarantees this product for a period of 1 year
(12 months) from the date of sale to the original purchaser. The product
will be repaired or replaced, should it be found faulty due to component
failure, or faulty workmanship. The faulty product should be returned to
the point of purchase.
The guarantee is null and void should any internal parts or fixed external parts
be tampered with or altered in any way, or should the unit have been incorrectly
operated, or in any way be maltreated. This guarantee does not cover reported faults which are shown
to be caused by any or all of the following: contaminated measuring tip (see instruction manual
for cleaning instructions), broken glassware or drying of the pH probe glassware, flat or damaged
batteries or batteries that have been incorrectly inserted, or damaged battery contacts or connections
caused by incorrect battery replacement or ingress of moisture from incorrect positioning of the
battery cap and waterproof seal.
NO RESPONSIBILITY will be accepted by Bluelab or any of its agents or resellers should any
damage or unfavourable conditions result from the use of this product, should it be faulty or
incorrectly operated.
Register your guarantee online at: www.getbluelab.com
Or ll out the form below and post, email or fax to:
Bluelab Corporation Limited
8 Whiore Avenue, Tauriko Industrial Park, Tauranga 3110, New Zealand
Fax: [phone] Email: suppor[email protected]
Product details
Product name
Serial number
Date purchased
Purchaser details
Purchaser’s name
Address
City
Country
Email (optional)
Purchased from (Dealers details)
Purchased from
Address
City
Country
Phone number
(optional)
1
year
B
L
U
E
L
A
B
R
E
P
A
I
R
O
R
R
E
P
L
A
C
E
M
E
N
T
y
ear
ea
ea
B
L
U
U
E
E
L
L
A
L
B
R
E
P
A
P
P
I
R
O
R
R
E
P
L
A
L
C
C
C
A
E
E
E
M
M
M
E
E
E
N
T
P
R
O
D
U
C
T
G
U
A
R
A
N
T
E
E
English
8

If you need assistance or advice - we’re here to help you.
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Email: suppor[email protected]
Looking for specifications or technical advice?
Visit us online @ www.getbluelab.com
Bluelab Corporation Limited
8 Whiore Avenue, Tauriko Industrial Park
Tauranga 3110, New Zealand
› Full colour instructions
› 500ml pH4 and pH7 Calibration solutions
› Decanter vessels
› Bluelab pH Probe Cleaner
› Toothbrush
Bluelab pH Probe Calibration
and Cleaning Kit contents:
Bluelab cleaning kits
The instrument is only as accurate as the probe is clean!
Probe cleaning is one of the most
important parts of owning and
operating any Bluelab meter,
monitor or controller.
If the probe is contaminated
(dirty) it aects the accuracy of
the reading displayed.
The probe surface is where the instrument
takes the reading of the solution. The
information is sent back from the probe to
the electronic brain of the instrument.
A calculation is then done in the
instrument’s brain or micro computer and
a reading is displayed. If the information
sent back from the probe is inaccurate
due to probe surface contamination then
the reading will be inaccurate.
Cleaning the probes is a very easy task
and will prolong the life of the probes.
English
9
Instruction Manual English 620305_V01_260811
© Copyright 2011, all rights reserved, Bluelab Corporation Limited