Your Hanna vial cleaning/care process

[Ferrell]

I store mine full of RO water,pour out before test, rinse with tank water, fill vial 10 ml tank water, test. Rinse in RO, fill and store. Takes less time than a nine minute Nitrate test.

 

[Orm Embar]

I may be the only one, but I rinse in tap water, shake out any excess water, and let then air dry. I do rinse with a bit of fresh saltwater on the inside right before using (as I do with all test tubes).

 

[JMetaxas]

Double rinse with RO/DI water after each test. Simple.

 

[scardall]

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/2-pack-testing-cuvettes-caps-hanna.html (2 cuvettes with caps $8) BRS
4 caps $27
4 cuvettes $21
All this doesn't add up, when I can buy 2 sets( total 4 cuvettes with caps ) at $16. OR buy separate 4 cape /4 cuvettes with caps for $48 . ???????????????
Which way do you go? hmmmmm

 

[PatW]

I rinse a few times with RODI water. I invert on a paper towel and let them dry.

 

[bluprntguy]

I usually just rinse with tap water, but I live in SF and our water is really low TDS. I have a filter for drinking water on the sink, so I'll often do a rinse with that for the final.

 

[FlyPenFly]

I have high tds tap water. I just rinse and store upside down on a towel. Same results rinsing with RODI and tap.

 

[MyCrayonsReef]

I rinse my cuvettes in tap water immediately after use filling and completely emptying the vial about 3 to 4 times. I then wrap it in a paper towel, dry the outside, and then shake it vigorously to get as much water out of the vial as possible.

I use a microfiber cloth that I got with a pair of sunglasses or an iPhone to clean the cuvette of any fingerprints before I insert it into the reader. I do this religiously!

There are a few things that I started doing that really helped produce more consistent readings:

* clean those cuvettes. I just started using Hanna Cuvette Cleaning Solution (HI93703-50) applying it to my micro cloth when I wipe it of smudges. It helps make it crystal clear.
* place the cuvette in the reader in same position during blank and reagent readings. I usually line the 10ml reading to the front and centered where I can see it going into the reader to keep it aligned.
* pay attention to the curvature on the sample when you’re filling the cuvette. Make sure the bottom of the arch is touching the top of the line.
* use the plastic tips that come with the syringe and make sure the bottom of the plunger is on the top of the 1mL line on the syringe when you’re extracting reagent.
* use high quality distilled fresh water for your Hanna calcium test. I was using water from my 5 stage RODI, and switched to using Hanna’s Deionized Water (HI70436)
* get some cheap 10ml syringes off Amazon to use to fill the cuvettes. It’s so much easier than dipping and dumping from the display or sump. Just make sure you clean them and dry them after use.

So, all of this might be a bit much, but I like to dose and mitigate water quality issues with as much accuracy as possible. If I wasn’t worried about my wife kicking me out on the streets, I would graduate from the handheld checkers from Hanna to their higher end desktop multi tester models.

Before buying the Hanna Alk checker I read some advice you also shared. Regarding where the plunger should be when pulling reagent, when you say the bottom the plunger should be at the top of the 1mL line, do you mean when the plunger first becomes flat and there's a visible black line, the first black line on plunger(there's 2 and 1 very thin black line at the bottom). I just started testing and want to make sure I'm testing correctly, if you happen to post a picture I'd be very grateful.

Also, does anyone have any advice regarding how to remove the plastic inserts that now come inside of the hanna cuvettes. Read a lot about how the cuvette needs to be clean and clear of smudges and mine was pretty dinged up out of the kit so I bought 2 new ones off BRS, but haven't been able to remove the insert that comes in them and am worried I'm going to end up putting the same damage on the cuvette trying to remove this lid, that made me buy new ones in the first place. Thanks

 

[scardall]

Before buying the Hanna Alk checker I read some advice you also shared. Regarding where the plunger should be when pulling reagent, when you say the bottom the plunger should be at the top of the 1mL line, do you mean when the plunger first becomes flat and there's a visible black line, the first black line on plunger(there's 2 and 1 very thin black line at the bottom). I just started testing and want to make sure I'm testing correctly, if you happen to post a picture I'd be very grateful.

Also, does anyone have any advice regarding how to remove the plastic inserts that now come inside of the hanna cuvettes. Read a lot about how the cuvette needs to be clean and clear of smudges and mine was pretty dinged up out of the kit so I bought 2 new ones off BRS, but haven't been able to remove the insert that comes in them and am worried I'm going to end up putting the same damage on the cuvette trying to remove this lid, that made me buy new ones in the first place. Thanks

1st question: from the bottom of plunger you use the bottom edge of the 1st seal. it be at the top of the line/amt you desire. example: 1 ml line

2nd question: I pulled on one side and then went to opposite side and repeated till it came off. or you can use a needle nose plier and do the same except pull straight up away from glass. do not touch glass with tool. Have fun I did. ha ha