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Thermometer recommendations please

I can only assume that inhaled Hg vapour is not readily absorbed.

It was before my time, mostly, but until silicone oil was invented/developed, the best vacuum that could realistically be obtained for a commercial set-up (such as for manufacturing valves and lamps), was by using mercury diffusion pumps. They had pretty much diappeared when I joined GE making lamps in 2000, but they did still keep a McLeod gauge, which was described to me as a mop bucket full of mercury with a broom-handle stuck in it (I never saw it). That was used as a standard if they suspected problems with other gauges as it/they could not be wrong by virtue of how they work.
 
Cheers all - I tried the freezer/warm water thing but no go unfortunately. So I’ve ordered the Braun as suggested by @gavreid - we’ve used a Braun blood pressure meter for a few years and that seems reliable.

Mick
 
We still have a fully functional mercury thermometer in the medicine cabinet, along with an alcohol one and another of the forehead point and shoot variety. We had a chance to compare the three and they agreed with each other, much to my surprise as I assumed the pointy one would be inaccurate.
 
I worked for a couple of years in the Coal Board Labs in Nottm., around 1966-68. Even back then we had to move heaven and earth to clean up any spilled mercury..not that we spilled much.
I recall a Mercury thermometer about 2-3 feet long which had a temperature range of only a few degrees. Its scale was so finely divided that it was read with a magnifier. It was used to read the temperature rise in an Adiabatic Bomb Calorimeter after a small sample of coal was burned in oxygen at, IIRC a couple of atmospheres pressure, to derive a calorific value for the sample.
P.S. I'm not at all upset that you didn't go with my recommendation...:mad:
I too have a Braun Heart Monitor.
 
Wolfmancatsup said:
I tried the freezer/warm water thing but no go unfortunately
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Heating it up absolutely will work - it can't not work - the mercury has to all but fill the capillary.
Easily said having done it before, but not if starting from scratch. I usually use steam from a boiling kettle or even hold the thermometer well above a gas ring, but I have done it before.
 
Wolfmancatsup said:
Cheers all - I tried the freezer/warm water thing but no go unfortunately. So I’ve ordered the Braun as suggested by @gavreid - we’ve used a Braun blood pressure meter for a few years and that seems reliable.

Mick
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They have plastic caps to put on the end. They're not just for hygiene but have some lensing function. I don't always put a new one if it's just for me but always if someone else has used it. You can buy the lenses cheaply if you look around otherwise they can be spendy.
 
Vinny said:
Heating it up absolutely will work - it can't not work - the mercury has to all but fill the capillary.
Easily said having done it before, but not if starting from scratch. I usually use steam from a boiling kettle or even hold the thermometer well above a gas ring, but I have done it before.
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There’s a very faint crack in the glass though. Hadn’t noticed it before (could have been there for an age) so after faffing with the fridge and noticing the crack I decided that maybe it was best to move on…
 
cj66 said:
We still have a fully functional mercury thermometer in the medicine cabinet, along with an alcohol one and another of the forehead point and shoot variety. We had a chance to compare the three and they agreed with each other, much to my surprise as I assumed the pointy one would be inaccurate.
Click to expand...
Good to know, as I use my pointy one for checking amp temperatures. Class A in a cabinet. :eek:
 
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