Hanna PH Tester Maxing Out

[William Morris]

I have been using the Hanna PH tester for a few weeks now.
Over the past week or so it will read 8.3 or higher and sometimes max's out at 8.6.

I also have an Apera PH Meter that I trust - I have fresh 4 and 7 standards that I check the meter with.
The Apera will read at the most 8.15 or so and typically closer to 8.05.
My alkalinity is stable at 8.0 using BRS 2 Part.

I test the same time everyday and I am very careful with using the Hanna meter.

The question I have is there a standard to use with the Hanna checker aside from the one's Hanna provides - which I have and the meter reads the standard correctly.

@Randy Holmes-Farley do you have a recipe for creating a PH standard?

 

[taricha]

Check this post by Jim Welsh on two easy DIY pH standards to check a calibration against.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-alk-test-discussion-thread.186606/post-2490342
saturated Borax "will have a pH of 9.23 at 20C, and 9.18 at 25C."
saturated cream of Tartar "will have a pH of 3.56 at 20C, and 3.55 at 25C."

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Maxes out? This device cannot read higher than pH 8.6?

 

[William Morris]

Maxes out? This device cannot read higher than pH 8.6?

Yes - at 8.6 it flashes on and off - disappointing for sure.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Which model? The one I found goes to 14.

 

[William Morris]

Maxes out? This device cannot read higher than pH 8.6?

H1780 - range is 6.3 to 8.6

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, I'm definitely not a fan.

VERY strange to force pH into a colorimeter, and give an accuracy of ±0.2 pH over a small range.

For others reading this: stick to a normal pH meter.

 

[William Morris]

Yes, I'm definitely not a fan.

VERY strange to force pH into a colorimeter, and give an accuracy of ±0.2 pH over a small range.

For others reading this: stick to a normal pH meter.

On post #2 there are 2 diy standards - are these worth pursuing?
Or just stick with the traditional PH meter and calibrate with two different standards?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Unfortunately, this meter has such a small range that neither they nor most pH calibration fluids are of any use.

 

[magginoo26]

I have been using the Hanna PH tester for a few weeks now.
Over the past week or so it will read 8.3 or higher and sometimes max's out at 8.6.

I also have an Apera PH Meter that I trust - I have fresh 4 and 7 standards that I check the meter with.
The Apera will read at the most 8.15 or so and typically closer to 8.05.
My alkalinity is stable at 8.0 using BRS 2 Part.

I test the same time everyday and I am very careful with using the Hanna meter.

The question I have is there a standard to use with the Hanna checker aside from the one's Hanna provides - which I have and the meter reads the standard correctly.

@Randy Holmes-Farley do you have a recipe for creating a PH standard?

Hi! did u solve your problem regarding the hanna ph colorimeter reading of 8.6? I just bought this too and it keeps reading my reef water tank 8.6 (blinking) My other ph meter only shows 8.05.

 

[ScolyReef90]

This exact same thing is happening to me. I have the Hanna red "probe" version as well as the HI780. I just calibrated my red probe tester last week with the 7.01 and 10.01 solution and it is reading my tank PH at 8.13. The HI780 gives me a blinking 8.60. I bought the standard kit fluid that is supposed to be 8.0 for the HI780 and it successfully gave me an 8.0 reading. Tried my tank water again, right after, and I'm still getting the blinking 8.60. I highly doubt that's accurate, and I think my probe tester is correct at 8.13. It's driving me nuts though, trying to figure out why!?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I highly doubt that's accurate, and I think my probe tester is correct at 8.13. It's driving me nuts though, trying to figure out why!?

Likely bad reagents if the absorption standard reads OK.

 

[ScubaScott]

Likely bad reagents if the absorption standard reads OK.

FYI, I have had exactly the same experience. Even had Bulk Reef Supply send me a new unit (complete kit with reagent). Same result as with the original Hanna colorimeter. My calibrated Neptune Apex pH probe reads 8.24. My Red Sea pH kit (a compare the color to a card test type) says 8.2. Hanna says 8.4. Red Sea and Apex probe are consistently in very close agreement with each other. Hanna is ALWAYS significantly high. Occasionally so high that I get the blinking 8.6 "out of range" indication.

My conclusion is the Hanna pH colorimeter is junk. I am going to go by my Apex probe with occasional sanity checks using the Red Sea kit.

 

[Salted]

Another very disappointed hanna HI780 purchaser. I'm also getting the "8.6". And I'm now outside of my return window. Has anyone contacted Hanna about this issue?

 

[merkmerk73]

Yes, I'm definitely not a fan.

VERY strange to force pH into a colorimeter, and give an accuracy of ±0.2 pH over a small range.

For others reading this: stick to a normal pH meter.

I know this is old but my hanna marine kit pH test consistently comes out as 7.8

Meanwhile Red Sea reads 8.2-8.3 and Salifert reads 8.0-8.15

I think the Hanna checker is full of **** here

 

[gatsby1041]

Yea guys, most of the Hanna checkers are garbage, ok let me rephrase, they have an accuracy rating of +\_ 2.0 or 0.2 depending on the checker. I have the PH, KH, Calcium, and iodine checkers. They are all off by 1.0, 0.2 etc….always cross reference with other tests. I keep my reagents in the refrigerator, discard and replace after 6 months per Hanna’s recommendation. Replace batteries regularly. So yea what good is a discrepancy like that with reef tanks, lol you have to either spend $200+ on higher grade lab equipment with better accuracy readings(which Hanna makes) or send your water out for testing.