For any ozone monitoring system, calibration is key to ensuring accurate, reliable gas measurements. Sensors can drift over time, affecting performance and potentially compromising safety or process accuracy. To prevent this, it’s essential to follow manufacturer-recommended calibration procedures, typically performed annually, to maintain sensor precision.
Importance of Regular Calibration
Why Calibration Matters:
Over time, sensors can lose their sensitivity or become less accurate due to environmental factors, wear, and tear, or contamination. Regular calibration restores the sensor to its original performance, ensuring that your gas measurements meet regulatory and safety standards.
Calibration Frequency:
- Annually: Most ozone sensor manufacturers recommend calibration at least once a year.
- Semi-Annually: We advise performing a field or factory calibration every six months to check sensor accuracy.
- Monthly Bump Test: A simple bump test should be done at least once a month to ensure the sensor is functioning correctly in between calibrations.
Common Sensors Requiring Calibration
Ozone monitors and gas sensors often require routine calibration to ensure they are working properly. Some of the most common types of sensors that need calibration include:
- Ozone sensors for environmental monitoring
- Industrial process gas analyzers
- Oxygen monitors
Calibration Costs
Calibration costs can vary depending on the device, type of sensor, and level of service required. Here’s a breakdown of general calibration fees:
- Ozone Sensor Calibration: $150
- Analyzer Calibration: $300
- PM Sensor Calibration: $330
- Genie Calibration: $265
- ATI Calibration: $205
These prices may change based on labor and parts requirements, so always confirm the current rates.
How to Request Calibration Services
To request calibration, follow these steps:
- Fill out the Calibration Service Request Form available on our website.
- Email the completed form to [email protected] to receive an RMA number.
- Once you have an RMA number, mail the items with the RMA form included. Be sure to provide any relevant information like serial numbers, sensor issues, or error codes.
Please note, sensors that fail calibration will not be returned for liability reasons.
NIST Traceable Calibration Standards
We use only NIST traceable gases and equipment for calibration, ensuring the highest standard of accuracy. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) sets the benchmarks for weights, measurements, and calibrations. Every gas sensor calibration is traceable to NIST, giving you confidence in your sensor’s accuracy.
Calibration Certificate
After calibration, you’ll receive a Calibration Certificate documenting the process. This certificate provides critical information, such as:
- Date of calibration
- Calibration standard used (NIST traceability)
- Next calibration due date
This documentation is essential for compliance and quality control.
Field Calibration
For customers with multiple sensors or remote installations, field calibration may be a practical option. This process involves calibrating the sensor directly in its installed environment using calibration gases. It’s especially beneficial when sending sensors off-site for calibration is impractical.
Field calibration can be performed by Gas Sensing or other service companies, and ensures minimal downtime while maintaining sensor accuracy.
Bump Testing: Quick Sensor Check
Bump testing is a quick way to verify that your sensor is responsive. This test exposes the sensor to a small amount of the target gas, ensuring it reacts properly. While not as precise as a full calibration, bump tests are a simple way to confirm sensor functionality. For critical applications, ATI’s Auto-Test Generator can automate this process and notify you of sensor issues before they become critical.
Conclusion
Regular ozone monitor calibration is essential for maintaining accuracy and safety in your ozone applications. Whether you choose factory calibration, field calibration, or monthly bump testing, ensuring your sensors are in top condition will help protect your processes and people. For more information, or to schedule your calibration service, contact us today!
You can find more information here: https://www.oxidationtech.com/services/ozone-calibration.html
