Dry gas meter calibration

Dry gas meter calibration involves comparing the meter’s cumulative volume output against a traceable reference flow standard at defined flow rates. The calibration confirms the meter factor (the ratio of actual to indicated volume) and identifies any deviation from the manufacturer’s specification. UKAS calibration provides a certificate with the calibrated meter factor and measurement uncertainty, which is required by many environmental monitoring and regulatory frameworks.

Dry gas meters used in environmental sampling are typically required to be calibrated before and after each sampling campaign, or at intervals specified by the relevant environmental monitoring standard. In laboratory use, annual calibration is common. Where dry gas meters are used as check meters in regulatory emissions monitoring, the calibration frequency is often specified by the applicable regulatory protocol.

A meter factor is the correction that must be applied to a dry gas meter’s indicated reading to obtain the true volume. A perfectly accurate meter would have a meter factor of 1.000. In practice, meters drift over time, and the meter factor changes. UKAS calibration determines the current meter factor so your readings can be corrected to give traceable, accurate results. Using an uncorrected or out-of-calibration meter factor introduces systematic error into all volume measurements.

Labcal holds UKAS accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and our calibrations are traceable to national measurement standards. For specific regulatory frameworks such as MCERTS or Environment Agency protocols that specify particular calibration requirements, contact us and we will confirm whether our scope of accreditation covers the relevant criteria.

Labcal calibrates dry gas meters across a flow range of approximately 0.5 L/min to 150 L/min. Most laboratory and environmental sampling dry gas meters fall within this range. If your instrument operates outside this range, contact us and we will advise on suitability.