How to Troubleshoot Bench Scales
If you work with bench scales in your business, it may be important for you to know how to troubleshoot your scale when certain issues arise. Looking after your product can prolong its lifespan and provide more accurate results. In this article we will go over troubleshooting techniques for your bench scale for the common issues that you may encounter.
Basic troubleshooting steps
When troubleshooting potential issues with your bench scale, there are things you can do that don’t require much work to figure out what the issues are. Here is a list of basic troubleshooting steps you can follow to figure out the issue with your bench scale. Troubleshooting can be broken down into a visual inspection and then a more detailed hands-on inspection. Each issue that occurs can be categorized into a type of issue (weight, power, electrical).
No Power to scale
There may be times when your scale may not have power, or the indicator is not working properly or displaying any figures. There are several reasons as to why you are experiencing this issue, but solving it will come down to proper troubleshooting. When this happens, there are a few steps listed to help figure out why your scale does not have any power.
Check power to the outlet and ensure that the unit is plugged in
Check cables and grounds for broken or frayed cables
Ensure that the scale is plugged into an outlet with power
If the scale is portable, make sure the battery is fully charged and connected
Incorrect Weight
Issues where the weight is inaccurate can be frustrating and time consuming to figure out possible causes. With incorrect weight readings, there are a few different causes. Be sure to inspect the outside of the scale and platform as well to make sure that there isn’t anything obstructing the scale from operation.
Check for objects leaning against the scale
Check for debris under platform
Make sure that the platform is secure and void of any extra play
Check to be sure scale is in the desired units
Weight Fluctuates
When your weight measurement is unable to settle on a consistent number, then you are dealing with weight fluctuation. If you experience this issue, then there could be a few factors that are causing your weight measurements to fluctuate.
Make sure the scale is not on a vibrating surface
Ensure that there are not any drafts hitting the scale
Make sure there aren’t any devices causing radio interference
Honorable Mention
The troubleshooting tips listed above are quite common during bench scale ownership. Even though they can cover a lot of issues that may arrive, here are a few honorable mentions of troubleshooting tips that you can follow for more unique issues you may experience. A good method to try is by checking the troubleshooting tips included in the scale manual. Most product manuals will include a section with various troubleshooting tips which may provide a quick fix.
In the case of a scale that is portable, there may be an issue of the battery simply not being charged. The first thing to do is to check and see if there Is any power to the scale. If your scale is without power and is running on battery power, then check and make sure the battery is actually charged. Sometimes we don’t realize that our scale can be unplugged accidentally or that the battery is not left on the charger without us realizing it.
Most scales will have a level bubble or some way to ensure that the scale is level. Sometimes the inaccurate weight readings can be from the scale just slightly off balance. So the first thing you should do is make sure your scale is level by checking the level bubble. Adjust the feet on the scale if needed and then check the bubble indicator to make sure everything is level and on balance.
Another tip that can help is the possible error codes that can show up on your scale’s display screen. A good idea is to keep a small notepad and take note of any error code that may show up on the scale’s display. Keeping a notepad with the error codes with fixes listed can help you develop a “quick fix” guide to avoid long down time. The good thing about error codes on your scale is that they can give you useful information on issues such as calibration errors, low battery power or if there is an obstruction on the platter that is keeping the scale from recording an accurate weight. Recording these codes in a notepad with an accompanying fix is a great way to minimize confusion when you encounter issues.
Conclusion
Building a good set of troubleshooting skills takes time and patience. Through dealing with various issues that will arise while owning a scale. Following the above suggestions and also keeping a small log or notepad which contains the issues along with fixes will be a great way to streamline your troubleshooting process. Be sure to check out our Learning Hub for various articles concerning bench scales. For a more detailed article regarding bench scales, check out the article “Bench Scale Basics” and the article “DIY Bench Scale Tips”.