Bluelab EC Cleaning and Calibration Kit

A complete set for cleaning and checking an EC probe: cleaner, cleaning tool, two sachets of reference solution, a pot and instructions.

Why an EC electrode needs a tool

A pH probe is cleaned with a liquid and otherwise left alone. A conductivity sensor is different, and that is why this set contains a small instrument of its own.

An EC sensor measures between two metal electrodes. What comes out of the measurement depends on the distance between them and on their surface area. As long as both stay constant, your reading is right.

That is exactly where the trouble is. Nutrient salts dry onto the electrodes, limescale from hard water sets on them, and a reservoir with algae adds biofilm. That film changes the effective surface area, and therefore the reading. A fouled sensor usually reads low, which provokes the wrong response: you conclude you are underfeeding and add nutrient to a solution already at strength.

On many probes those electrodes sit in a narrow opening a cloth cannot reach. Hence the cleaning tool, which can get in there without damaging them.

The order of work is always the same: clean first, then test. The other way round you test the fouling along with it and learn nothing.

Technical Specifications:

• Contents: instructions, 1 plastic pot, 2 sachets of 20 ml Bluelab EC 2.77 reference solution, Bluelab EC electrode cleaner, Bluelab EC electrode cleaning tool
• Brand: Bluelab
• Use: maintaining and checking EC probes

Frequently asked questions

How often should I clean an EC probe?
With daily use in nutrient solution, monthly, and sooner as soon as you see readings that do not match what you expect.

Can I just use washing-up liquid?
Better not. Detergent leaves a film behind, which causes precisely the problem you were trying to solve.

Do I need to recalibrate or retest after cleaning?
Yes, always. A clean probe reads differently from a dirty one, which is the point.

Is this set for my pH probe as well?
No, this one covers the EC side. There is a separate pH set, and a combined set covering both.