Top 6 Questions You Should Ask When Buying a pH meter
- What type of connector does the meter use?
- Is it a BNC or DIN?
- Is it proprietary or can other manufacturers’ probes be used with it?
- What is the replacement cost for a pH electrode?
- What accessories are included with the meter?
- What is the complete cost of all accessories needed to operate the meter?
- What type of after sales support is offered?
- If something goes wrong with the meter, can it be fixed locally?
- What is the general turnaround time for repair?
- What makes the company different from other companies that manufacture similar products?
- What additional types of features are offered? (GLP data, PC connectivity (USB vs RS 232), calibration timeout, number of calibration points, ISE concentration readout, incremental methods for ISE and mv readout of concentration during calibration process).
Types of pH meters currently being used in readers’ labs:
| Benchtop - Multi Parameter | 24% |
| Benchtop - pH only | 41% |
| Portable - Multi Parameter | 10% |
| Portable - pH only | 22% |
| In-line - Multi Parameter | 1% |
| In-line - pH only | 3% |
Methods to measure pH used by survey respondents:
| Glass-electrode method | 54% |
| Indicator methods | 19% |
| Metal-electrode methods | 11% |
| Hydrogen-electrode methods | 7% |
| Unknown | 7% |
| Other | 2% |
| Antimony-electrode method | 1% |
| Chemical inventory | 7% |
| Other | 1% |
Nearly 22% of respondents plan on purchasing a pH meter in the next year. The reasons for these purchases are as follows:
 | Replacement of an aging system | 65% |  |
 | Addition to existing systems | 23% | |
 | Setting up a new lab | 7% | |
 | First time purchase of a pH meter | 1% | |
 | Other | 4% |
Top 10 features/factors respondents look for when purchasing a pH meter
| Resolution and accuracy of the meter | 80% |
| Ease of use | 80% |
| Low maintenance/easy to clean | 77% |
| Availability of supplies and accessories | 68% |
| Auto calibration with temperature compensation | 58% |
| Detachable electrode probe | 50% |
| Heavy-duty and waterproof | 48% |
| Multi-level LCD display | 48% |
| Longer-lived refillable electrode type | 46% |
| Service and support | 45% |
For more information on pH meters, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/ph-meters
