Temperature Calibrations Matter
Reasons for Temperature Calibrations
Accuracy is important, and temperature measurement is no different. You would be upset that your equipment was reading incorrectly if your heater or air conditioner were +/-5° off from the temperature you specified. Accuracy issues with any of your measuring tools have the same effect. For a patient with a fever or while attempting to cool down medications that must be kept at a certain temperature, this error could be disastrous. Temperature calibrations are your solution!
Temperature calibration – what is it?
Temperature calibrations are compared to standards in the same way that other calibrations are. Since water has a known freezing point of 32°F, temperature calibration can be done by placing a probe or thermometer in a cup of ice and some water, and reading the result close to 0°C. Although the cup of ice method is one way to calibrate temperatures, other standards, like a dry bath or other precise temperature controller, are frequently used instead.
Read more: ASTM E967 Test for Temperature Calibration of Differential Scanning Calorimeters and Differential Thermal Analyzers
Calibration is done to verify the precision of your measuring devices, and while it may be crucial for some applications, it may not be for others. For instance, your pie will likely turn out looking the same if you bake it in your home oven at 422.5° rather than 425°. While storing vaccines, however, you must adhere to stringent temperature limits like 36°-44°F; if your reading is outside of this range by +/-2.5°, the vaccinations may no longer be effective by their standards.
