Here's a clear, lab friendly routine you can use between annual calibrations to stay confident in your data:

1.
Start with the right environment

2.
Let everything equilibrate

Place pipettes, tips and test liquid in the test room 2 hours before starting so everything reaches room conditions.

Note the date, ambient temperature and air pressure (a local weather station online is fine if you don't have a barometer).

3.
Perform a quick leak test

• Pre‑wet the tip by aspirating and dispensing the nominal volume 3×.
• Aspirate again and hold the tip about 2 mm below the liquid surface for 30 s.
• Then dispense fully.
  If the liquid level drops or you see bubbles, the pipette is leaking and needs service or calibration.

4.
Run gravimetric measurements

At both 100 % and 10 % of the nominal volume:

• Tare the balance with the container.
• Load a new, pre‑wetted tip and dispense along the inner wall, wiping off residual liquid.
• Perform at least 4 measurements per test volume (for multichannel, typically first and middle channel).
• Convert mg to µl using the appropriate Z‑factor, then calculate:
  • Mean volume
  • Accuracy (systematic error)
  • Precision (coefficient of variation, CV)

5.
Decide what to do next

Compare your accuracy and precision with the manufacturer's specifications:

• Out of spec? The pipette needs calibration.
• Within spec? Your pipette is performing as intended, and your routine check is complete.

Building this simple check into your lab workflow helps:

• Catch performance drift early
• Protect data quality
• Reduce repeat experiments and wasted reagents

Pair routine checks with solid handheld pipetting technique, and you massively cut down on avoidable variability at the bench.