Tips on opening Hanna packets and getting all the reagent?

[SchrutesReefs]

I flick the bottom with my finger a few times. Sometimes I just tear along with dotted lines, without scissors, to live dangerously.

But seriously, I don't know why they don't make them like Hach, small foil pouches that just cut the top off. So much easier.

Like some Ramen noodles!

 

[Rmckoy]

I found them to be a little bit of a pain when I started using the phosphorus kit .

cutting along the line , folding the packet to make a funnel seams to be the easiest but there are still times I miss a little powder .

i question every time how accurate they are . One day the rest will read 12ppb
The next exactly 24 hours later will read 8
Is this testing error or missing some reagent ?

 

[steven325]

This technique works for me. Folding the corners.

I second this! Hasn’t failed me yet!

 

[KrisReef]

First I remember that I paid over $0.50 for the cheap foil container that has the reagent I need to get into the tiny vial. That fact helps me to focus my efforts as the time it takes to complete this test is worth about $3.4K whereas the cheap dust in the foil, if not delivered into the vial will waste a lot of my day that I will never get back and will also not provide the reliably correct number unless I can execute this focused task correctly.

(I take a drink from my chilled glass filled with the appropriate beverage to calm me for the task.)

Using my thumb in index finger, I grasp the corner of the foil square by grabbing it where I am going to cut and then bang the little crumby foil packet against the kitchen countertop trying to drive all of the reagent dust into the opposite corner. I then maniupulate the foil packet on the edges trying to force the walls apart so that the reagent dust is free to move about inside. I repete the cursing and bashing of the foil against a counter top and perhaps the edge of a chair or any other object of furniture where i can fling and slap the packet while hoping to move all of the precious dust into the bottom where it belongs

I then carefully cut the packet and watch to see if any dust flys out during from the incision and toss the packet in the trash if I do see any unwanted reagent dump. If it opens clean, I press the foil from the edges to form a pointed dust ramp and then dump the dust into the vial (that I am holding with a paper towel to keep my finger prints from messing with the optics). I flick and tap the back edge of the foil as I dump to ensure that the packet is empty. I put the cap on and start the two minute timer and shake for 30 seconds and then look into the foil to see if it actually all dumped clean. If there is still dust gathered in the bottom in an annoying clump I reopen the vial, reaim the foil packet and tap and dance around and then reseal and shake and get everything dissolved and loaded into the Checker by the two minute mark. Then I press the Hanna 3 minute timer and finish my cold beverage as I wait for the precise value of my phosphate ppb to appear on the meter.

 

[taricha]

This move - tapping sides with scissors is a nice trick.
It's not crucial that all the powder go in the vial. if you miss 10% of the powder, it won't change your result by 10% - you'll barely change the result. The reagents are present in excess and capable of forming color for way way more PO4 than can be read by the tester.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Packet

Once I saw the scissor-tap hint, I've done it every time since.
Also to re-iterate, if you get 80 or 90% of the powder, it won't make a measurable difference in the test result. There's enough reagent to form color way above the test range.

 

[BanjoBandito]

You can get a "FLASK FUNNEL" (used for filling up flasks) to help "catch" all that powder and require a lil' less precision. Pretty sure you only need about 70% of reagent anyway, Hanna has stated they "overfill" the reagents to be on the safe side.

 

[brentlee6969]

Maybe I'm stupid, but I have serious issues getting all the reagent powder out of a Hanna packet. Seems like every time I try, some portion of it falls on the table, sides of the vial and/or is stuck in the packet. Anyone have any foolproof tips? I miss leveled spoonfuls like the other test kits :-(

If you watch how they do it in the hanna videos that I'd the best way I've found. It gets almost all of the reagent.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

personally I find the lack of technology in this hobby is incredible. For such an expensive hobby, they should really make better products. Like, why couldn't they put this stuff into multi-shot cylinders or disks or something like that? Something like an asthma puffer that you click and turn it to the next one, or something like a pez candy dispenser. I don't understand why we need to fool with these tiny little paper packets. But the other option is complicated messy tests that I can never figure out the color difference. Sorry, rant over.

 

[reddevilant]

I recently just started grabbing a post it note or other small piece of paper and just folding/twisting it in to a little (and free lol) funnel. Worked perfectly.