Pressure isn’t just a number. In real plants, it’s a safety signal, a quality check, and often the first hint that a pump, compressor, filter, or valve is drifting out of spec. If you choose the wrong industrial pressure gauge, you don’t only lose accuracy—you lose time in troubleshooting, face avoidable shutdowns, and risk unsafe decisions.
Menu list
- What a pressure gauge measures (and the sensing elements you’ll meet)
- Why gauges fail early: the field realities to design for
- A selection checklist your procurement team can use
- 1) Range: size for operating pressure, not “maximum possible”
- 2) Standards and accuracy: match the risk, not the habit
- 3) Wetted materials: decide based on media
- 4) Safety pattern: protect people in high-energy services
- 5) Pulsation and vibration: specify damping and protection
- 6) Dial size, mounting, and connections: make it readable and maintainable
- A quick lifecycle note (worth writing into your SOP)
- Installation and protection tips that prevent “false failures”
- Where Tempsens fits in an approved vendor list
- Final takeaway
What a pressure gauge measures (and the sensing elements you’ll meet)
Most dial gauges convert pressure into mechanical motion and show it on a scale. The workhorse is the Bourdon tube: pressure tries to straighten a curved tube, and that movement drives the pointer. Common Bourdon tube constructions cover typical low-to-moderate industrial applications and general service applications.
When the process media is aggressive, sticky, or needs isolation, diaphragm-based designs (often with seals) are common. For very low pressures, capsule elements may be used. Tempsens lists Bourdon tube plus multiple diaphragm/capsule variants in its pressure gauge range, which helps when different lines need different sensing styles.
Why gauges fail early: the field realities to design for
- Pulsation/vibration (pointer chatter, fast wear)
- Overpressure spikes at start-up or valve events
- Corrosion or clogging from the media
- Poor visibility (dial too small or badly mounted)
Designing for these usually costs less than repeated replacements.
A selection checklist your procurement team can use
1) Range: size for operating pressure, not “maximum possible”
Ashcroft (referencing ASME B40.100 guidance) recommends keeping normal operating pressure around 25% to 75% of full scale, selecting a range about 2× the operating pressure, and limiting pulsating service so maximum operating pressure stays ≤50% of full scale.
2) Standards and accuracy: match the risk, not the habit
EN 837 and ASME B40.100 are common references, and Indian projects often add IS 3624. Tempsens lists IS 3624 and EN 837 on its specifications, supporting cleaner standardisation in purchasing.
Agree on accuracy up front: a local “operator glance” point can tolerate a looser class than a critical control, QA hold, or calibration reference.
3) Wetted materials: decide based on media
Brass is often used for non-corrosive air/water utilities, while stainless wetted parts (commonly SS316/316L) are safer for chemicals and aggressive media. Tempsens also notes this brass vs SS316 approach and highlights PTFE-coated sealed diaphragm options for aggressive or sanitary service.
4) Safety pattern: protect people in high-energy services
In hazardous service, specify a safety case. WIKA describes safety-case features such as a solid baffle wall and blow-out back, intended to vent energy and media away from the dial in a fault.
5) Pulsation and vibration: specify damping and protection
Liquid-filled gauges are commonly filled with glycerin or silicone oil to dampen vibration, pulsation, and rapid pressure fluctuations.
For severe fluctuation, selection guides also recommend restrictors/snubbing and note alternatives (such as Halocarbon® fills) for use with oxidizing agents like oxygen, chlorine, and hydrogen peroxide.
6) Dial size, mounting, and connections: make it readable and maintainable
Choose dial size for viewing distance and access. Tempsens lists dial sizes from 40 mm to 250 mm, common mounting options (bottom/back, panel/bracket), and standard BSP/NPT connections—useful when you’re creating a single approved spec for multiple plant areas.
A quick lifecycle note (worth writing into your SOP)
Watch for large zero shift, span shift, leakage, and heavy cycling; these are practical signs that the reading may no longer be reliable.
Installation and protection tips that prevent “false failures”
Even the right gauge can die early if it’s unprotected. If your system sees short spikes, don’t ignore them: Ashcroft notes that pressure surges can push instruments beyond their safe limits, and it recommends protection devices such as a pressure limiting valve (PLV) where process pressure can exceed the gauge’s safe overpressure range.
Operationally, a simple SOP helps: isolate before removal, depressurise fully, and standardise thread types and mounting so technicians don’t force-fit parts.
Where Tempsens fits in an approved vendor list
For teams that want one supplier to cover basic utility gauges and heavier service, Tempsens publishes clear specs on sensing elements, ranges (vacuum/compound/pressure), and typical accuracy (often stated as ±1% FSD by selection), with IS 3624 and EN 837 references.
Its heavy-duty models also list stainless construction (such as SS316 Bourdon elements) and damping fill options like glycerin/silicone oil.
Used well, this becomes a practical way to standardise spares without forcing “one gauge fits all.”
Final takeaway
A reliable industrial pressure gauge stays stable, readable, and safe in your environment. Size it around operating pressure, match wetted parts to the media, choose safety features where risk is higher, and control pulsation with damping. That’s how you reduce replacements, cut troubleshooting, and protect uptime.
