Extreem Low Cost, Quicky, Manometer

I have a Dwyer Mark II, hurray for me.

Just like in automobiles you don't need any instruments until things go wrong and then you need about fifty gauges now!!!!!!

So when you are just starting out burning coal is there a way to make an extreme low cost manometer with supplies available in a home?

I mean you could take a clear tube, with water in it, from the chimney exit on your stove and put it in a "U" shape and see some deviation from flat but it would be hard to read .01 inches, that is less than 1/64 of and inch. If you used a fluid lighter than water the deviation would be better, kerosene floats on water but sill it is very close to the same specific gravity, any suggestions?

Fluids with half the specific gravity would give twice the deviation.

Alcohol is lighter than water but the vapor is flammable.
Maybe a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water.

How about stapling a tube to the wall at a very low angle say 1" rise in 10" run and on the low end of the tube make a "pee" trap shape with the vertical tube rising above the high end of the inclined tube. Fill with some water, mark the wall next to the tube for the neutral position, place end of tube from inclined end of "gauge" in the chimney and each horizontal inch would be .1 inches of water pressure, and 1/4 inch horizontal would be .025 inches of water pressure.

Maybe you would need a glass tube and a flatter angle, say 1" rise in 20" run, .012 inches water pressure would result in 1/4 inch of travel from neutral.

Basically build a Dwyer Mark II on your wall with a clear tube, some water, and some staples.

Bad memories Manometer Loaner Program not our most shining moment.

Good link, Lary. Can't beat water for a quickie low resolution manometer. You can get some small ID vinyl tubing that would increase the accuracy. I keep some laying around for odd jobs but never thought of using it for a quickie manometer.

SB- the ideal fluid is one that resists evaporation. Any of the alcohol blends or anything with a high vapor pressure would evaporate and the manometer would need frequent recalibration. I remember reading on this forum about the fluid Dwyer uses in their Mark series manometers had a density just south of water. They've settled on some fluid (oil or polyol blend) with a low vapor pressure that resists evaporation and flat density vs. temperature profile. That combination gives the relatively compact Mark II the reliable high resolution readings without frequent rezeroing .

Isayre,

Nice link.

VigIIPeaBurner,

I'm thinking it is something like kerosene, and the instrument is scaled to reflect a lighter fluid.