When to Replace your Lab Balance

Whatever the industry, it is extremely important that your lab balance is displaying the most accurate and precise measurements. However, sometimes lab balances can no longer provide us with the consistency that we require.

At Precisa, we understand that needing to replace your lab balance can be an inconvenient, costly and daunting prospect. That’s why we have put together this handy guide to help you figure out if your balance really needs replacing, how to look after your balance and how to choose a new balance to meet all of your needs.

Signs that your balance may need replacing

• Your balance can no longer hold calibration and frequently needs re-calibrating after very few uses.
• Your balance needs constant maintenance.
• The results displayed on your balance are unstable, drifting up or down and jumping for no apparent reason.
• Your weighing requirements have advanced, requiring new balance features such as updated communications interfaces, data storage or integration to a computer.
• There are definitive signs of corrosion in the pan or at access points such as the communications interface.

Possible solutions (alternatives to replacement!)

• Try consulting the instruction manual for your balance for a solution to the problem.
• Consult a service technician for expert advice. They will be able to rule out problems such as warped load cells, malfunctioning internal calibration motors and software issues.
• Drift could be being caused by static electricity or instability, which can be fixed using an anti-static device such as an ioniser.
• Drift could also be caused by vibration from nearby equipment, which can be solved using an antivibration table.
• Corrosion can sometimes be fixed by cleaning the balance and addressing the possible causes of rust such as excess moisture.

How to look after your balance to extend its lifespan

• Clean your balance regularly, wiping it down gently after each use and removing any dirt, without applying too much pressure.
• Don’t overload your balance, as it can cause permanent damage to the delicate internal mechanisms.
• Always let your balance warm up before use.
• Keep a maintenance log of any tasks performed on your balance so you can easily identify what has been done and what needs to be done.

Which balance should you choose next?

If you decide you need to replace your balance, there are a variety of different things that need to be considered when choosing a new one. For example…

• What is the heaviest and lightest sample that you will need to weigh?
• How many decimal places in grams do you require for the displayed weight?
• What size are the samples that you will be weighing?
• What features will you require – do you need to integrate the balance to another device such as a computer or printer? Do you require data storage?

At Precisa, we offer an extensive product range, with a variety of different capacities and sizes to meet almost every analytical weighing requirement.

Why not browse our product range.

Get in Touch

If you think your balance may need professional maintenance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of the Precisa team. Our fully qualified and experienced service engineers would be delighted to offer you their services.

Furthermore, if you think your balance may need replacing completely, we are available to offer advice and guidance, assisting with the transition to the perfect brand new precision balance to meet your needs.

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