Calibrating a refractometer...

ok guys I think my Refractometer is reading wierd numbers latley...
can anyone here explain on how to reclaibrate this great tool...

 

I am less than two months into this hobby, so hopefully someone with more experience can chime in. My refractometer had instructions to put distilled water on the glass and turn an adjustment screw until the reading was zero. I assume the specific gravity of distilled water is zero and therefore the refractometer was calibrated when the reading for distilled water was zero.

 

Yes, the SG of distilled water is 0, so when you use distilled, you should calibrate to 0. Usually, though, they recommend you use a calibration fluid (which is at an SG of somewhere in the ballpark of 1.023), since you want the reading to be most accurate around 1.025, not 1.000.

 

When i do it, i just take fresh RO look at some light and it should say 0 SG on there, but if it doesnt then i just take the srewdriver thing and turn the knob a bit to get it down to it.

Pretty simple, but calibration fluid is better.

 

Great answers, all.

 

thanks people...will pick up some distilled in the upcoming weeks..