Weather Sealed Gauges & Condensation
Weather Sealed Dial Cases
- Keeps out water or dust
- Withstand all weather environments
Weather Sealed Dial Cases
All Orange Research differential pressure gauges and flow meters are weather sealed to keep out water or dust.
We incorporate a gasket behind each lens which protects the front of the dial case. There is also a gasket between the back of the dial case and the pressure body. The materials we use in the components are designed to withstand all weather environments.
The design itself also keeps out water or dust. We have kept the number of ingress points to a minimum and have strong, binding screw-on bezels that cannot be removed or installed without a tool. The gasket seals are designed and tested for the proper compression and weather resistance. So, there is simply no access for weather to invade the dial space of Orange Research gauges.
Condensation
At times people may confuse condensation with a seal leak in the pressure gauge. The dial case may be perfectly sealed but condensation can form in a perfectly sealed case.
Condensation can be generated in any contained space as long as there is air in the space. Air simply contains all of the components for condensation where the proper temperature conditions are met.
When the temperature in the proximity of any pressure gauge changes there can be a temperature differential between the inside space of the gauge and the outside.
This often occurs in the morning or in the evening. This temperature differential can trigger water droplets to form on the inside surface of the gauge lens. Because of the surface tension of plastic, water more easily forms and remains on the surface of a plastic lens and less often on a glass lens.
There are three known ways to eliminate condensation; liquid filling the dial case, heat, or displacement of the air inside the case with another gas. Since heating the gauge or displacing the air is usually not feasible it comes down to liquid filling the gauge.
Glycerin is the most common form of liquid filling material. The glycerin displaces the air in the dial case which means the conditions for condensation are not met. Be careful when ordering liquid filling since it has a slight effect on accuracy by creating drag on the pointer.
If liquid filling is not an option, all Orange Research dial cases have a weep hole at the bottom of the dial case to allow for any condensation that may form to drain from the case. Simply remove the sealed screw in the weep hole and replace it when the condensation is gone. You may choose to remove the screw permanently depending on your needs or the dynamics of the environment.
WARNING: Some of our products contain Nickel, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information go to: