A Guide To Maintenance The Best Weather Station
A guide on cleaning your weather station.
Most of us should know that a cleaner station can give the most accurate results and can help prolong your stations lifetime through preventative maintenance. Bugs especially our spider friends usually take up residence on our stations. Cobwebs and dirt can affect the reading of your sensors by insulating the temperature/humidity readings. Check weather station reviews.
Before taking any steps cleaning your station, put your console into setup mode so it won't impact on your readings. I often disconnect the datalogger too after I put it in setup mode but generally not needed. A full station clean can be as little as 20mins to 2hrs depending on the type of maintenance to be carried out and anemometer height.
Anemometer - can be a nuisance to clean especially if you have it mounted permanently high above the surface. It is advisable to take down and not to work at height. Dirt and grime can build up on the wind cups and make them a little heavier and unresponsive in lighter winds and overall can decrease wind gust strength.
Solution - Clean out only a calm day. Using your index finger and a damp cloth, carefully clean inside and around the cups. These are delicate so be very gentle. Clear out any bugs. Earwigs for some reason enjoy our anemometers and cobwebs build clog the inside of the cups too.
It is not necessary to take apart the anemometer but if your anemometer can unscrew from the magnet or a small metal rod, clean in and around the housing. I give this a spray of WD-40 to keep out moisture. Make sure if your anemometer has a drip ring that is not damaged and still in it's original position.
Wind Vane - Again when we clean the anemometer, we clean the vane too. Using a damp cloth, clean off any grime on the vane. Again too much dirt build up can make the vane heavy and be unresponsive to slight wind directions. If you take apart the vane, you can see a metal shaft, clean this off using a dry cloth and a little spray of WD-40 to keep out moisture.
Rain Gauge - Clean in dry weather only. The rain gauge should be inspected regularly through the year to give the most accurate results. Birds like to congregate on the gauge and use it as a communal loo especially out in rural areas. If rain is not falling for a period of time, dirt and bird dirt can build up and block the funnel and this can harden. In Autumn, leaves and other debris can also block the funnel so the funnel needs to be inspected regularly through the season. Will explain the tipping buckets in the solution.
Solution - Those of us that have gauges that can clip off, run warm water through the gauge after clearing out main debris. Wipe around with a damp cloth and leave it to dry off completely.
The tipping buckets are very delicate and care has to be taken with it. A damp and not wet cloth to clear off grime from the buckets is essential as the extra weight can tip the buckets quicker and give inaccurate results.
Located under the buckets is a reed switch and it is imperative that this remains dry.
Clean out any other debris around the internal parts of the gauge and housing before placing it back on.
For those of us who have a fixed gauge on the station housing, warm water can be passed through the gauge slowly to clean out debris but again make sure your console is in setup mode.
Station Plates and Housing - These house your temperature and humidity sensors away from direct sun. For those with solar radiation plates, it is essential to keep these clean looking as white as possible to reflect the sunlight. This should be done at least once per month for optimum results in readings.
Solution - To keep them looking clean can be done in two ways. The quickest way is to clean them as they are attached to the hosing. A wet cloth with warm water is effective. Dirt, grime and during the Spring and Summer pollen residues can build up on the plates. If the plates are getting too dirty, they will attract the sun instead of repelling it and thus increase the temperature on the plates which can lead to higher temperature readings.
The second way to clean your plates is and the most time consuming is detaching your plates from the housing. Not all station types will allow for this but for those of us that can, once a year disassemble the structure but be careful not to loose any screws, nuts and bolts on the grass. I usually bring mine indoors to do it. When you take the plates apart and remove the temp/humidity sensor which you should put in a safe place. You may find lots of spiders nesting, dead bug bits and cobwebs. These will have to be removed. Any nests that I find, using a teasers, I relocate them in the shed. Wash the plates in warm water in the sink thoroughly, rinse off with clean water and dry every inch. Reassemble the temp/humidity sensor and then the plates.
Word of caution - If this is your first time doing the above step, some stations do have lots of screws, nuts and bolts eg: 24hrs Davis FARS or daytime FARS. In the early days I first took pics on the mobile of each step I done or place the first bolts and parts close to where your working then each one further out, then work back from the outside in when putting it all back together.
Once you have your station back together, place it back in your original spot and just wait about 20-30mins to let the temp adjust to the outside conditions and then take your console out of setup mode. If you disconnected the datalogger, reconnect it first then take out of setup mode.
Solar Panel - Keep the housing and the solar panel clean by cleaning it with a damp cloth. Be careful not to damage the antenna.
Console - For those who power the console with batteries, only use the same brand of battery and never mix brands.
ISS or instrument sensor suite - This will never need to be touched but if you do open the housing on the suite for those station who can, make sure the cable entrance has a sponge to keep moisture out. Look at the PCB board for any debris but there shouldn't be any. A can of compressed air only if you find dirt. NEVER use your hands as your own body's static electricity can fry the chips if you touch them or indeed. Same as if you where standing on a the tallest object in the middle of a thunderstorm and being struck by lightning.
Never blow dirt off either as your breath contains moisture.
Cables- Always tie up loose cables that you find any where on the station. These can be damaged if they touch off another object in strong winds. The shielding or outer jacket becomes frayed.
All stations differ so use this as a guide only. Any questions just fire away.
Most of us should know that a cleaner station can give the most accurate results and can help prolong your stations lifetime through preventative maintenance. Bugs especially our spider friends usually take up residence on our stations. Cobwebs and dirt can affect the reading of your sensors by insulating the temperature/humidity readings. Check weather station reviews.
Before taking any steps cleaning your station, put your console into setup mode so it won't impact on your readings. I often disconnect the datalogger too after I put it in setup mode but generally not needed. A full station clean can be as little as 20mins to 2hrs depending on the type of maintenance to be carried out and anemometer height.
Anemometer - can be a nuisance to clean especially if you have it mounted permanently high above the surface. It is advisable to take down and not to work at height. Dirt and grime can build up on the wind cups and make them a little heavier and unresponsive in lighter winds and overall can decrease wind gust strength.
Solution - Clean out only a calm day. Using your index finger and a damp cloth, carefully clean inside and around the cups. These are delicate so be very gentle. Clear out any bugs. Earwigs for some reason enjoy our anemometers and cobwebs build clog the inside of the cups too.
It is not necessary to take apart the anemometer but if your anemometer can unscrew from the magnet or a small metal rod, clean in and around the housing. I give this a spray of WD-40 to keep out moisture. Make sure if your anemometer has a drip ring that is not damaged and still in it's original position.
Wind Vane - Again when we clean the anemometer, we clean the vane too. Using a damp cloth, clean off any grime on the vane. Again too much dirt build up can make the vane heavy and be unresponsive to slight wind directions. If you take apart the vane, you can see a metal shaft, clean this off using a dry cloth and a little spray of WD-40 to keep out moisture.
Rain Gauge - Clean in dry weather only. The rain gauge should be inspected regularly through the year to give the most accurate results. Birds like to congregate on the gauge and use it as a communal loo especially out in rural areas. If rain is not falling for a period of time, dirt and bird dirt can build up and block the funnel and this can harden. In Autumn, leaves and other debris can also block the funnel so the funnel needs to be inspected regularly through the season. Will explain the tipping buckets in the solution.
Solution - Those of us that have gauges that can clip off, run warm water through the gauge after clearing out main debris. Wipe around with a damp cloth and leave it to dry off completely.
The tipping buckets are very delicate and care has to be taken with it. A damp and not wet cloth to clear off grime from the buckets is essential as the extra weight can tip the buckets quicker and give inaccurate results.
Located under the buckets is a reed switch and it is imperative that this remains dry.
Clean out any other debris around the internal parts of the gauge and housing before placing it back on.
For those of us who have a fixed gauge on the station housing, warm water can be passed through the gauge slowly to clean out debris but again make sure your console is in setup mode.
Station Plates and Housing - These house your temperature and humidity sensors away from direct sun. For those with solar radiation plates, it is essential to keep these clean looking as white as possible to reflect the sunlight. This should be done at least once per month for optimum results in readings.
Solution - To keep them looking clean can be done in two ways. The quickest way is to clean them as they are attached to the hosing. A wet cloth with warm water is effective. Dirt, grime and during the Spring and Summer pollen residues can build up on the plates. If the plates are getting too dirty, they will attract the sun instead of repelling it and thus increase the temperature on the plates which can lead to higher temperature readings.
The second way to clean your plates is and the most time consuming is detaching your plates from the housing. Not all station types will allow for this but for those of us that can, once a year disassemble the structure but be careful not to loose any screws, nuts and bolts on the grass. I usually bring mine indoors to do it. When you take the plates apart and remove the temp/humidity sensor which you should put in a safe place. You may find lots of spiders nesting, dead bug bits and cobwebs. These will have to be removed. Any nests that I find, using a teasers, I relocate them in the shed. Wash the plates in warm water in the sink thoroughly, rinse off with clean water and dry every inch. Reassemble the temp/humidity sensor and then the plates.
Word of caution - If this is your first time doing the above step, some stations do have lots of screws, nuts and bolts eg: 24hrs Davis FARS or daytime FARS. In the early days I first took pics on the mobile of each step I done or place the first bolts and parts close to where your working then each one further out, then work back from the outside in when putting it all back together.
Once you have your station back together, place it back in your original spot and just wait about 20-30mins to let the temp adjust to the outside conditions and then take your console out of setup mode. If you disconnected the datalogger, reconnect it first then take out of setup mode.
Solar Panel - Keep the housing and the solar panel clean by cleaning it with a damp cloth. Be careful not to damage the antenna.
Console - For those who power the console with batteries, only use the same brand of battery and never mix brands.
ISS or instrument sensor suite - This will never need to be touched but if you do open the housing on the suite for those station who can, make sure the cable entrance has a sponge to keep moisture out. Look at the PCB board for any debris but there shouldn't be any. A can of compressed air only if you find dirt. NEVER use your hands as your own body's static electricity can fry the chips if you touch them or indeed. Same as if you where standing on a the tallest object in the middle of a thunderstorm and being struck by lightning.
Never blow dirt off either as your breath contains moisture.
Cables- Always tie up loose cables that you find any where on the station. These can be damaged if they touch off another object in strong winds. The shielding or outer jacket becomes frayed.
All stations differ so use this as a guide only. Any questions just fire away.