How to read a pressure gauge

How to read a pressure gauge

At EMVO Techniek, you can find two categories of pressure gauges:

• Analog or mechanical pressure gauge;
• Digital pressure gauge.

Reading a pressure gauge is quite simple, but there is a difference in interpreting the results on an analog or a digital manometer. We would be happy to explain!

Analog pressure gauge

The analog pressure gauge displays the pressure in a medium through a pointer that moves across a scale. The value indicated by the pointer represents the current measured pressure in the medium. The scale for a pressure gauge used in Western Europe is usually depicted in bars or millibars, depending on the range. In the Unites States and Canada, Psi is the standard unit of pressure. In other parts of the world, units like kPa or kg/cm² are used.

You ca find pressure gauges at EMVO Techniek in all these different units. It’s also possible to choose two different units on a single manometer. In that case, there are two pointers, and the color of the pointer corresponds to the color of the unit on the scale. For example, on a pressure gauge indicating both bar and psi, the bar scale might be black, and the psi scale might be red.

Other functions of a second pointer

When a pressure gauge is made for measuring in one single pressure unit, there can sometimes be two pointers. The first pointer (usually black) always indicates the current pressure, but the second pointer (usually red) can serve different functions such as:

• It can indicate peak pressure: the highest measured pressure since the last reset of the pressure gauge.
• Sometimes, the second pointer has a warning function: it indicates a specific pressure level considered critical. When the first pointer passes the second pointer, a critical threshold is exceeded.

Normal and critical values

To make reading easier, the background of the scale can also be divided into colors. Values in the green section are safe, but where the background is red, the pointer indicates critical values. This allows you to quickly see if the pressure is within an acceptable range or if action needs to be taken.

Digital pressure gauge

Digital pressure gauges have a digital display that directly shows the pressure value. You can set the displayed unit (bar, Psi, kPa, etc.), and it’s possible to switch between different units via a menu button.

Historical data

A digital manometer can often store historical data. This may include recordings of the highest and lowest pressure values and “freezing” them with a Hold function, similar to a second needle on an analog pressure gauge that shows the highest measured pressure.

Additional features

In addition, a digital pressure gauge can have many extra features, allowing you to read more data than just the current pressure or highest measured pressure. Extra features may include:

• A bar graph showing the pressure trend over a specific time frame.
• Differential pressure measurement between two points.
• Alarm function: the gauge triggers an alarm when the pressure reaches or exceeds a certain critical limit.
• Data storage and recording for storing measurement data. Some pressure gauges can also transfer data to a computer.
• Automatic unit switching: the gauge automatically adjusts the unit according to the pressure value to minimize errors.
• Adjustable viewing angle.
• Backlighting to easily read pressure, even in dark environments.

More information and contact

If you want to learn more about our pressure gauges, how to read them, and what you can measure on a digital or analog pressure gauge, we are here to help. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We will provide expert advice.