Have you ever purchased a low pressure gauge and noticed the pointer was pointing off of zero? You probably thought your gauge was broken and needed to be replaced. This is a very common issue for people who are using liquid filled pressure gauges on their applications. Reason being, glycerin naturally expands and contracts due to temperature changes so whether the gauge is sitting on a warehouse shelf, in a shipment, or outside for a while, small buildup of pressure can happen inside the case of the gauge causing the very sensitive bourdon tube to push the needle off of zero. The good news is your gauge is not broken. There is actually a very quick fix for this issue - it's called “burping” your pressure gauge.
For a visual tutorial, we think Kodiak Controls explains it best with their YouTube video titled “How to Burp a Pressure Gauge."
If you do not have video access right now, grab a flat head screw driver and follow these steps below:
- Take your flat head screw driver and place it carefully near the fill plug on the top of your gauge.
- Gently push the fill plug to the side to alleviate some of the air.
- Be careful not to push the fill plug all the way in. If this happens and you can’t get it out, you’re probably going to have to buy a new gauge.
Air or glycerin may come out during this process or the fill plug may fall out entirely. All of these things are OK! Just make sure to put the fill plug back on carefully so that it doesn’t get pushed inside the gauge (see step 3).
If done properly, your gauge should now be pointing back at zero. If you are still having issues or have any questions, please contact us! Our team of technical experts would love to help.
PROCESS CONTROL & MEASUREMENT SOLUTION EXPERTS
