Thermometer Calibration

[Absoll]

Does anyone know if thermometers used for monthly water temperature checks need UKAS calibration or is traceable to national standards acceptable ?
I have not been able to see any reference in ACOP L8 or HSG274.

Thanks

[Sparky]

All I can say is the thermometer I just is NOT calibrated in any way. It’s made by Fluke and can measure water temperature either by flow or pipe to name a couple.
I had looked through our Legionella and water risk management and at no point does it say monthly recorded temperatures must be carried out by a calibrated thermometer.
Never had any issues upon inspection from the LA or water management company. Appreciate this may not help you particularly but that’s my 2 penny’s worth....

[Absoll]

Thank you, the trust I work for go above and beyond on a lot of the H&S systems we have in place.
It would seem that traceable UK standards would be acceptable.

Fortunate as UKAS calibration costs enough that I could buy a new Comark kit (fluke) with certification every 12 months and it would be cheaper.

[OXSET]

I just use a cheapo probe with the right standards to it. Legionella lads will tell me if I’m going wrong, if I am then it goes in the bin and a fresh one is ordered.

£20 a year over however many hundreds the super duper ones cost to buy and then send off to calibrate

[daleski]

I get my one calibarated along with my PAT tester each year by test-meter.co.uk . I think it's worth doing to make sure i am getting accurate readings especially where Legionella is concerned but i'm not aware of a specific requirement in the Legionella Acop L8 to prove callibration. the specialist contractor (Envirocure) that we use for Legionella works/risk assesment allow for 3 degree centigrade tolerance when measuring temperatures. Hope this helps.

[Nail]

Stick it in a pan of boiling water.

[jholden]

You could calibrate it yourself. Stick the probe into, or if it's an inferred type point it, at water that's on a rolling boil. Look at what the temperature is reading, if it's plus or minus 100 degrees centigrade, then either add or subtract what ever that difference is from the readings you take.

Before any science buffs start, I know water will only boil at 100 degrees centigrade at sea level! If you want to be really accurate, check what the altitude is wherever you are, and look up what temperature water boils at that altitude, e.g. our school is 144 meters above sea level, so the actual boiling point of water is 99.54 degrees centigrade, then as before add or subtract the difference from the readings you take.