need conductivity meter urgently!

[RosalieM]

Is anyone in the Tamworth area able to lend me a conductivity meter for Monday?? Or is this something that would be available in a shop rather than going through a supplier? I've just got ours out to calibrate it for the field trip and it's not working :(

[lizzieb]

If we had one, we'd be happy to loan it, but can't help you this time, Rosalie - sorry.

[RosalieM]

Discovered why it isn't working - no batteries!! So I can't even take the flat ones to get new ones and I have NO IDEA what size battery it takes! Looks like a series of watch batteries...

[judygee]

Dear Rosalie - If your conductivity meter is one of Hanna instruments (as is ours) it takes 4 of the small round batteries that go into stopwatches, calculators etc. We are using 357/303 Energiser, these replace AG13, A76, LR44 etc, etc. When not is use the electrodes need to be kept in a storage solution- or is this just for the pH meters? This is a pain in the butt as you have to keep checking the solution as it dries out very quickly! Hope this helps. Jude

[RosalieM]

THANK YOU!!! I'll take it down to battery world with this information. It is a Hanna hand held pH/conductivity meter. We usually just store it in water (I know it is supposed to be in the other stuff...) and they have actually been out of water for quite some time now. I think they are on their last legs (one I'm pretty sure is cactus - and we only have 2) and I'm thinking a conductivity sensor will be in next year's budget to go with the data loggers.

[judygee]

The fact that the electrode has dried out may have caused irreparable damage -that's how we lost one!!!! I think the Sensor for the Data logger is the way to go - wish we could afford to do the same. Judy

[RosalieM]

Well, I don't know if we can afford it but I will try!! Thanks anyway, I'll see how I go with the batteries this afternoon.

[JelJane]

Glass pH electrodes should not be stored in water as eventually the internal reference electrolyte solution leaches out of the electrode. The electrolyte solution (and storage solution) is normally ~3M KCl. Glass electrodes can sometimes be regenerated (if they are not too far gone!) by soaking in dil HCl (1M) for a few hours, rinsing with distilled water then soaking in pH 4 buffer solution for another hour. The Hanna website does have some maintenance tips for their electrodes. Hope this helps!

[RosalieM]

great - thanks!