Thermometer Repair?

Bruce Osgood

Membership Council
Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2002
Messages
2,642
Location
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Format
Multi Format
I have a glass spirit thermometer that I let get away from me and the spirit seperated above 150-F.
Since it was heating that caused it to seperate I though chilling might restore it. I put in the freezer overnight and the seperation increased but in a different place in the column.
Is this repairable or simply replace it?
 

Mike Wilde

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
2,903
Location
Misissauaga
Format
Multi Format
patience, it can be done.

Leave it on a slight incline, with the bulb at the bottom. Flick it with you finger everey few days. I have brought my reference thermometer back this way a few years ago. It takes a month or more to bring all the fliud back to the bottom, and to let the air bubbles migrate to the top.

Then, in my case, some short months after bring it all together I dropped the thing. Sometimes life is like that.
 

matti

Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
652
Location
Stockholm, S
Format
Multi Format
I happened with two of my thermometers. (Cheap ones.) I just hold it in the hand and shook it, hitting the other hand to shake the spirit down again. Was easy, worked fine.
/matti
 

Roger Hicks

Member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
4,895
Location
Northern Aqu
Format
35mm RF

Dip it repeatedly in VERY HOT water, watching the column the whole time. There is a little extra space -- a sort of mini-bulb -- at the top of most thermometers. Once the spirit is in there it will re-unite. I have done this several times in the last 40 years without ever blowing up a thermometer. Obviously you need to pay attention but honestly, it ain't difficult.

Cheers,

R.
 

DWThomas

Subscriber
Joined
Jun 13, 2006
Messages
4,611
Location
SE Pennsylvania
Format
Multi Format
I just recently used the method described by Roger. It worked fine, though it's a bit unnerving. As the column approached the top, I could see little bubbles burp through the separated portion and soon it was all back together. I recall doing the same procedure a long time in the past too.

DaveT
 

Bob F.

Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2004
Messages
3,977
Location
London
Format
Multi Format
I've also used the heat-until-it-fills routine several times. It's not quite as dangerous as it seems as the reservoir at the top of the thermometer holds a fair amount of liquid (at least, mine do). Just remember to let it cool down slowly to ambient temp: plunging the still hot thermometer in cool water will just separate the liquid again (how do I know that, you ask? Yes, well... whoops...).

Cheers, Bob.
 

pnance

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2005
Messages
189
Format
35mm
However, if it does get away from you....

I have seen mercury thermometers that blew through the top from overheating while trying to bring the column together. Messy cleanup.
 

PeterB

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2005
Messages
644
Location
Sydney, Aust
Format
Medium Format
Roger Hicks said:
Dip it repeatedly in VERY HOT water, watching the column the whole time. Cheers, R.
Click to expand...

I would caution you to pre warm the thermometer in moderately hot water first. I have had the unfortunate experience of cracking a thermometer by placing it straight into very hot water (probably 79-90degC).

regards
Peter
 

CraigH

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2005
Messages
78
Location
NJ
Format
Multi Format
Last night, I "fixed" a thermometer with the heat method. I gradually microwaved water in a large cup, letting the mercury rise a little each time & once the separation was gone I let it sit & put it back in the water when that cooled down.

Craig
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…