Thermometer Repair?

[Bruce Osgood]

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]

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]

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]

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?

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]

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

 

[Bruce Osgood]

OKAY! Tonights entertainment: Watching the column fill to just prior to bursting.

Thank you Matti and Mike, your solutions are probably the most sane but who could resist trying Dave's and Rogers.

 

[Bob F.]

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]

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]

Dip it repeatedly in VERY HOT water, watching the column the whole time. Cheers, R.

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]

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

 

[Bruce Osgood]

FIXED!

I used the heat method with simmering water on the stove. Brought the liquid up into the little bulb at the top for less than a minute and then let it settle down. No gap in the column.

Thanks all,