Hi All,

 

My partner owns a business selling and renting scales of all types.  Scales
have many different calibrations and sensitivities.  For example a scale
used to measure items weighing thousands of pounds will have an accuracy
level to the pound or 10 pounds or even 100 pounds.  Different scale types
with different needs have different sensitivities.  ALL scales should be
calibrated and checked as soon as they are taken out of the box.  Even brand
new.  Scales are calibrated at the manufacturer; however, they frequently
lose their exact calibrations in transit/shipping – something I didn’t know.


 

A neonatal scale (like the Tanita BLB12) is designed to measure to the 1/10
of an ounce or 2 grams.  That is very accurate.  If the scale is not
measuring correctly as in Heather’s post – 25 gram difference with a 2
minute gap or on Jack’s with a 100g difference between scales then the
calibrations were not correct and the scales both need to be appropriately
calibrated immediately.  This type of weight discrepancy is not normal.
Options:  Calibrate it yourself, have it calibrated by someone like my
partner who is licensed to service scales (and they do need to be licensed
at least in the USA), or send it back to the company and get a new one.

 

One of the more interesting things I have learned about scales is that
calibrations can be different depending on what part of the world you live
in and it’s gravity.  Different parts of the planet have different gravity
calibrations.  The gravity in New York may different in California so the
scales must be calibrated accordingly.  There is actually a calibration
technique to do that.  We purchased a Detecto neonatal scale and it was not
calibrated properly for CA gravity.  Put a 5 pound weight (one specifically
certified by the govt for scale calibrations) on the Detecto and it measured
something like 5.5 pounds.  Put it on the Tanita (that my partner had
calibrated for me) and it weighed 5 pounds exactly.  We recalibrated it
(well, my partner did) and it weighed appropriately.  Digital scales when
calibrated correctly will all weigh a certified weight exactly the same.
Period.  If they don’t, recalibrate.  If it still doesn’t weigh correctly,
send it back.  And those barbells that say they weigh 5 pounds, 8 pounds,
etc:  are rarely the exact weight they say they are – so you cannot use
those to calibrate your scales or to determine if the scale is accurate!  I
know – I tested them!  :-)

 

Note - Things that skew the scales weights that have nothing to do with
calibrations:  Ceiling fans that are on and blowing a breeze can affect the
weights; air systems that are running (heat or cold) and blowing on the
scale; blankets that are hanging off the edge and touching something else
while weighing and then get moved and are then not touching; Things like
this can make up to ½ ounce differences in scale readings, so I am ALWAYS
very careful to note if there is a fan on and to either have it turned off,
or move the scale somewhere else.

 

Hope this helps!

Warmly,

Jaye

 

 

 

 


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