# Bluelab PH pen problem!!!



## waterdawg (Mar 14, 2013)

I bought a Bluelab pen 3 months ago to replace an Oakley that had quit. Now the new one is basically stuck on 7. I have tried cleaning it and recalibrating and it will do that but the next time I try it, same thing! Has anyone had issues with thier pens and is there others that are better. Thanks for any help as I need one today and dont want to throw another $100 at crappy meters. FYI I store it in 4 solution, but missed a 24hr period .


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## waterdawg (Mar 14, 2013)

Just an update! The hydro store gave me a replacement today so all good! But if anyone has had issues with thiers pls let me know as I still need a spare and also it was an oakton that I had not an oakley...lol.


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## Soupsah (Mar 14, 2013)

waterdawg said:


> I bought a Bluelab pen 3 months ago to replace an Oakley that had quit. Now the new one is basically stuck on 7. I have tried cleaning it and recalibrating and it will do that but the next time I try it, same thing! Has anyone had issues with thier pens and is there others that are better. Thanks for any help as I need one today and dont want to throw another $100 at crappy meters. FYI I store it in 4 solution, but missed a 24hr period .


 Are you saying you store your pen in solution with ph of 4? I just rinsed after use with tap water and put cap back on. I believe the directions says to store with tap water only.


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## Doobius1 (Mar 14, 2013)

The Bluelab directions must state to store it in ph 4 solution because thats how I store mine


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## waterdawg (Mar 15, 2013)

They state that both is acceptable. The guy at the hydro store said they have had to replace a few in the last couple of months. Now i guess I'll try a hanna .


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## Nizza (Mar 15, 2013)

let it dry out it dies
also you should always rinse after using to avoid salt buildup
and also occasionally brush it with the bluelab cleaning kit and 2 point recalibrate it with the 7.0 and 4.0 buffer solutions


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## Soupsah (Mar 16, 2013)

waterdawg said:


> They state that both is acceptable. The guy at the hydro store said they have had to replace a few in the last couple of months. Now i guess I'll try a hanna .


 Yup I looked at my directions and it does say either is fine. The testing element inside is very fragile. I've had two break on me. One was from a drop about two feet onto carpet and the other was my newbie partner not putting cap back on and it dried out. Both were replaced for free on the spot at store so I'll keep buying blue labs. Their truncheon is pretty solid so far.


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## goodguys3 (Jul 27, 2013)

here you'll get all the details including video. http://www.getbluelab.com/shop/Bluelab+pH+Pen.html


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## machead (Jul 27, 2013)

Happened to mine too. 

Took back to shop an they swooped it.

I know have brand new one spare.


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## Mr. Outdoors (Jul 27, 2013)

Also if you try to PH plain R/O water with little to no ppms, the R/O water will take the minerals out of the pen tip and will cause it to stop working.


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## Doobius1 (Sep 14, 2013)

Heres my latest. I dropped by Blulab and broke the bulb. Contacted the company and they sent out new one. It was coming from New Zealand so I couldnt wait weeks so bought another one. So the new one arrives yesterday and I proceed to soak it for 24 hours. Today I turn it on to calibrate and its stuck on 7....even in 4solution. Oh well.. No biggie right? I gotta a spare,just 3 weeks old. I turn it on and its stuck reading Or, which indicates nutirant solution is over. Its locked up too. Put it in 4 solution still reads Or. 2 pens. Neither works, 3 resevoirs to maintain and Saturday night to boot. I bet I have over a grand in my ph pen boneyard


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## Nizza (Sep 14, 2013)

wierd every blue lab i've gotten has worked great and i've had the sets for 1 year now


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## Malevolence (Sep 14, 2013)

Mine fucked up and I didn't get a new one or a replacement. I had to drop it off at the hydro store and have it mailed in for 2 weeks where they just calibrated and cleaned it and mailed it back to me... except it's still fucked up and drifts around for 10 minutes before stabilizing. I won't be dropping $110 on a ph pen again.


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## waterdawg (Sep 14, 2013)

My bluelab is still working! The bulb had dried up over the summer but soaked it in 4 for a few days and works great. I talked to a tech at Oakley once and he had me put the pen in really hot water and leave it there untill water reached room temp. This did work actually after an extended dry period. Not sure if it willl work on the Bluelab. The only reason I would by another Bluelab is the warranty that the shop offers and they're a local small business that needs support.


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## dbkick (Sep 14, 2013)

if you deal directly with bluelab warranty issues are a breeze. I got a couple of guardians that had a known problem with an led segment going out.
All they wanted was a picture of the led segment and the serial on the back, I had a new guardian in about 4 days direct from NZ and all they did was ask me to toss the defective one (which is actually still 100 percent useable so.....


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## Doobius1 (Sep 14, 2013)

My first pen that I dropped and broke I had for over a year, worked perfect. Strange that the next 2 had probs right away and one right out of the box. Ive emailed the company and am confident in their customer service. Just sucks being without a pen


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## max420thc (Sep 15, 2013)

Ive got a blue lab ph that ive had OVER a year just keep it stored in fresh clean water and i have another one for back up.Ive had the one ph meter so long ive changed the battery's in it at least 3 times.


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## pSi007 (Sep 15, 2013)

Doobius1 said:


> 2 pens. Neither works, 3 resevoirs to maintain and Saturday night to boot. I bet I have over a grand in my ph pen boneyard




GIVE THIS SHIT UP!!! I have tried cheap pens, waterproof pens, warranteed shit, ect... I now use fresh water pH kits for aquariums. If you are not color blind, it works perfect. I use 33% volume and use only 1 drop per test. It instantly tells me and *IT NEVER NEEDS CALIBRATION*, it is always 100% correct and VERY close to where it needs to be. After a person gets used to it, I can read it down to 0.1 accuracy, standard accuracy is 0.2. The pH range for the aquarium pH test kit (fresh water) is 6-7.6. For hydro and solutions at or around 5.8, I use aquarium tests to get it to 6, I only use my pH pen 1x to go slightly lower than 6.. BTW, my res always tries returning to pH 7, it`s the organics - i don't get acid spikes which cause my pH to drop from 5.8.

I get over 700 tests for $6.

http://www.amazon.com/API-Freshwater-PH-Test-Kit/dp/B000255NAK/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1379247891&sr=8-9&keywords=aquarium+test+kit


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## ASMALLVOICE (Sep 16, 2013)

I have had mine for 4 months, both the ph pen and the ppm pen and I am happy so far. I store my ph pen in an upright position, in the house and it gets cleaned/rinsed after every use and I put nothing but 4.0 in the cap. I turn it on, before I remove the cap to use it and it has read 4.0 every time. I have calibrated it once ( before first use) and have checked it with 4 and 7 bi-weekly and so far, so good. Only time will tell if they are a good investment.

Peace and Great Grows

Asmallvoice


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## blacksun (Sep 18, 2013)

Doobius1 said:


> Just sucks being without a pen


As pSi mentioned, the drops are boss.

_Never_ need to second guess the calibration ever.

Shows 6.0 (perfect for hydro) and 6.5 (perfect for soil) _exactly_.

Can buy a lifetime supply of drops with the cash it costs to buy a single blue lab meter.


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## Malevolence (Sep 18, 2013)

I have been using the drops again but just got my pen fixed, so back to the blue labs. Only thing I don't like about drops is adjust.... check.... adjust.... check...


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## waterdawg (Sep 20, 2013)

Christ i must be color blind lol. I tried the drops thought things were just great! Buddy came over with bluelab and i was running around 4.5! Just couldnt get the hang of the drops! Use em for the hot tub though ....&#128526;.


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## Malevolence (Sep 21, 2013)

Drops should be yellow with a slight orange hue for 5.8.... yellow is 6.0; at least the general hydro ph drops work that way. It comes with an orange vial for testing, but I use a clear shot glass.


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## waterdawg (Sep 21, 2013)

It was a few years ago that i tried the drops so Im sure they have improved. Probably a good backup in case of dead batteries, broken pen, etc. i will check into them next time i slither into the grow shop. Christ i hate going to that place!!! Feel like I'm being filmed lol.


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