Every so often customers or potential customers will contact us and ask the question how do I know if my scale is accurate? The answer to this question can be several choices. For example, if you happen to have a certified test weight nearby… That can make answering the question very easy! However, most folks are not going to have a certified 50 lb test weight laying around.
When you are looking at the scale accuracy, ideally you will have something to test or compare weight with. For example, maybe you have two or three food scales at your facility. It can be pretty easy to compare weights across different scale platforms.
How do I Know if My Body Weight Scale (Bathroom Scale) is Accurate?
Most individuals are not going to have certified test weights in their home. And, most individuals aren’t going to have three or four different bathroom scales around the house to compare weights with. So, you have several choices to consider.
You could take your scale to a local scale company and have them check and certify the scale using traceable test weights. This may seem like an extreme thing to do with something like a bathroom scale but it can be a fairly reasonable thing to do.
Or, you can place an item on the scale that you basically know weighs a certain amount. Or, you could check your weight on a high quality digital scale either at the doctors office, veterinary clinic, or at your work location. You could also weigh something on this scale that would ideally maintain the same weight throughout the day.
Ultimately, it kind of depends on how important the accuracy is to you versus how much money you’re willing to pay or how much effort you will have to put forth to get your scale(s) checked, especially if we’re talking about something as inexpensive as bathroom scales.
Scale Accuracy
When it comes to standard industrial style scales that we specialize in like our counting scales, shipping scales, crane scales, floor scales etc… we generally will tell you these scales are accurate to within 0.1 of one percent of the applied weight you put on the scale. The scales are very accurate. However, that doesn’t mean that the scales don’t need to be tested and calibrated on a regular basis.
Accuracy and Durability
Often the better quality weighing equipment tends to cost a little more and the scales tend to last longer as well. In fact, that is one of the questions we receive occasionally as well…. how long will my scale last? The answer to that often depends on how good the scale was constructed and how well are you taking care of the weighing instrument.
Recommended Scales You Need
Contact our customer service department with your requirements and we will get together a list of the top scales that we recommend for your weighing needs. And once you purchase a few of these, the question how do I know if my scale is accurate will likely be something you’ll hardly ever ask going forward.