# noob question how to clean the ph pen



## JTDS2011 (Jun 15, 2021)

hey whats up everyone looking at my ph pen it seems to build up some crystals and residue faster then my old one and i have had this one only a month. my question is how do you clean the ph pen meter area from crystals or other things without ruining the pen or messing up PH calibrations? anyone have any tricks at all?


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## pute (Jun 15, 2021)

I use a baby toothbrush.


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## Bubba (Jun 16, 2021)

Mine just says to swish it around in distilled water, then put the cap back on with 3 or 4 drops of cold tap water.

Never saw any crystals on it however. It is APERA brand.

Bubba


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## WeedHopper (Jun 16, 2021)

pute said:


> I use a baby toothbrush.


Must be Hippies toothbrush.
I don't use pens anymore. I have one but im sure its screwed up after so many yrs of storage. I use my pool kit with the red solution. Never had a problem.


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## pute (Jun 16, 2021)

WeedHopper said:


> Must be Hippies toothbrush.
> I don't use pens anymore. I have one but im sure its screwed up after so many yrs of storage. I use my pool kit with the red solution. Never had a problem.



Actually Hopper is right.  I still use my pen but why???.....I have been doing things the same way for over 10 years.  I really don't need to check the PH....I know where it is.  I still check but never have to adjust anything.  Really as waste of time.  I remember years ago looking at a commertial grow for a dispensary and in talking to the grower he said he never adjusts the PH.  Now I know why....he know exactly where it is and what he is doing. 

I will probably continue checking but not necessary.


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## Bubba (Jun 16, 2021)

As long as you dont get a curve ball change that doesnt make itself obvious. But if you do it the same time after time, curve balls are seldom.

I noticed with distilled water from my distiller will many times need adjustment.  And of course, nutes will alter it, but if using same stuff over and over....becomes a drill.

Now with the new RO machine, I find my tap water, once RO'd comes out perfect, about 6.7.  This works straight up, but some adjustment with cal mag or nutes.  

I like this RO thingie.  WAY, WAY quicker than the distiller.

Bubba


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## pute (Jun 16, 2021)

I use an R/O filter so it is the same every time.


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## Bubba (Jun 16, 2021)

pute said:


> I use an R/O filter so it is the same every time.


Does adding nutes or even cal-mag cause need for adjustment?  I'm wondering about the AN "PH perfect" nutes....allegedly no adjustment is required at all....

Bubba


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## pute (Jun 16, 2021)

Bubba said:


> Does adding nutes or even cal-mag cause need for adjustment?  I'm wondering about the AN "PH perfect" nutes....allegedly no adjustment is required at all....
> 
> Bubba


That is what I use.  When I mix veg nutes it comes out at 6.2 and flower 5.8.  The run off is the same.  On a soil less medium I am good anywhere between 5.5 and 6.5.  I will still check out of habit but like I said waste of time.

Oh, when I just water....cal/mag, epsom salt and molasses it is right at 6.0.


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## WeedHopper (Jun 16, 2021)

The nutes can change the PH of your solution. That's why i never check PH until i have my nutes mixed in my water. Once i have done that a few times i dont check the PH because i already know what its going to be.
I really truly believe ppl get way to technical sometimes growing weed. But to each his own.


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## Bubba (Jun 16, 2021)

perfect.  I should have bought this RO thing a long time ago.  No constant running of distiller.  I can run off plenty in a short time.

Bubba


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## Bubba (Jun 16, 2021)

WeedHopper said:


> The nutes can change the PH of your solution. That's why i never check PH until i have my nutes mixed in my water. Once i have done that a few times i dont check the PH because i already know what its going to be.


That's what I notice, my nutes (NUKEHEADS right now) I have to adjust up.  Since I got screwed by funky distilled PH, I PH'd the water before and after nutes.  It is hard to get the distilled water with nutes and cal mag back up past 6.3.....sometimes as many as 40 drops to a gallon!

The RO water is easier to adjust for whatever reason, and everything seems to love it.

Bubba


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## WeedHopper (Jun 16, 2021)

You would be better off with tap water. I dont like distilled water.


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## Bubba (Jun 16, 2021)

I've used it for decades.  Never had a problem.  In the early days, I didn't know from PH.  I built a small shallow water culture as outlined on Overgrow.  Individual Containers, about 22 x 28 or so, manybe 8 inches deep.  Two curtain bubblers, and nutes made for Tomatoes. I discovered tap water where I was did not work at all.  This lead me to distilled water.  I could get away with 1/2 tap and 1/2 distilled.  Worked great.  Those little containers  were capable of 4 oz every 8 weeks (White Widow) under a 150 watt HPS over it.

Bubba


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## Bubba (Jun 16, 2021)

Must be location dependent, but I have never had good results with tap water.  It is dam scary what is in water.  My father was an engineer for an outfit that built waste water treatment plants.  I guess he would know. I will not drink tap water, nor do my pets.  I do use it to wash the car with. 

If you smelled the yuk at the bottom of my distiller after a run, you wouldn't drink it either.

Bubba


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## pute (Jun 16, 2021)

I only drink R/O water.  However, I am lucky living at base of the Rocky Mountains.  Our water is much cleaner than most places.  Rocky Mountain spring water is a good start before it goes into a treatment plant. But, I still don't drink water right out of the tap. 

Hopper is right though the tap water here is fine as long as you let it sit for a day or so to mitigate the chlorine.  A couple of my friends think an R/O filter is a waste of time here.


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## WeedHopper (Jun 16, 2021)

Totally agree with your friends.


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## ROSTERMAN (Jun 16, 2021)

best way
order the same exact pen from amazon and when new one arrives send old one back as defective
most of them are crap out of vagchina anyway.


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