Take the routine into the laboratory
Choose a practical monthly task sheet for a physical instrument folder or an electronically completed laboratory record.
Annual servicing is one important control—not a year-round maintenance strategy.
Pipettes experience repeated tip loading, seal movement, aerosol exposure, chemical contact and handling throughout the year. Their condition needs maintaining between calibration and service events through inspection, compatible cleaning, functional checks and timely response to leakage or inconsistent delivery.
ISOISO 8655-1:2022 ↗
Pipettes experience repeated tip loading, seal movement, aerosol exposure, chemical contact and handling throughout the year. Their condition needs maintaining between calibration and service events through inspection, compatible cleaning, functional checks and timely response to leakage or inconsistent delivery.
ISOISO 8655-1:2022 ↗
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Pause and investigate when you see:
Small changes can become preventable failures when they are allowed to persist.
Dripping or loss of liquid columnLiquid falls from the tip, the aspirated column drops or bubbles appear without a technique-related explanation.
Inconsistent deliveryReplicates, channels or routine check results vary more than expected under controlled conditions.
Stiff, rough or incomplete travelThe plunger catches, binds, returns slowly or requires unusual force at either stop.
Poor or uneven tip fitTips loosen, leak, load unevenly, eject inconsistently or require excessive force.
Volume or display concernThe setting changes unexpectedly, cannot be locked, is difficult to adjust or an electronic warning appears.
Drop, immersion or internal contaminationThe pipette is dropped, submerged or exposed internally to liquid, aerosol or corrosive vapour.
One care standard · three OEM perspectives
Apply the routine to your instrument
Start with the cross-platform routine, then use the emphasis relevant to your installed system.
Exact commands, parts, intervals and acceptance criteria remain model- and method-specific.
Evidence and source library
Metrology standards and OEM material supporting this cross-platform practical guide.
ISO 8655-1:2022 · General requirements and user recommendationsCurrent terminology and general requirements for piston-operated volumetric apparatus. Apply the controlled standard.
View ISO record ↗ISO 8655-2:2022 · PipettesMetrological requirements and maximum permissible errors for air-displacement and positive-displacement single- and multichannel pipettes as complete systems.
View ISO record ↗ISO 8655-6:2022 · Gravimetric reference measurement procedureReference procedure for determining delivered or contained volume. Calibration frequency and interim checks remain risk- and use-based.
View ISO record ↗Laboratory quality context · ISO/IEC 17025:2017 | ISO 15189:2022Apply where relevant. These standards support suitable equipment and valid results but do not prescribe this guide's exact frequencies.
Reference standardsEppendorf
Research plus operating manual ↗Cleaning and inspection of pipettes ↗Standard operating procedure for manual pipettes and dispensers ↗Rainin / METTLER TOLEDO
Pipet-Lite XLS+ operating instructions ↗Pipet-Lite XLS+ document page ↗Rainin pipetting handbook ↗References are provided for transparency. ISO 8655 controlled current editions remain authoritative. Calibration and verification intervals depend on risk, use, liquid, environment and laboratory requirements. Cleaning, disassembly, lubrication, autoclaving, adjustment and service boundaries are model-specific. Always apply the validated method, risk assessment, current OEM manual and laboratory SOP.
Lab Optimise practical laboratory guides
A growing cross-platform collection for laboratory care between planned maintenance visits.