Pressure gauges are designed to measure gas and liquid pressure. They are the most commonly used piece of equipment within electrical and industrial plants and are widely used across many different industries. There are two basic types of pressure gauges: analogue (dial) and digital, let`s see their benefits and drawbacks.

The analogue technology dates back to 150 years ago, at the time of the Industrial Revolution, when people started to use steam power in factories and locomotives. At that time accidents were very common due to uncontrolled high pressure; so the use of the pressure gauges rapidly increased to protect the workers and the plants. The technology basically did not change for years, but 30 years ago the digital pressure gauges started to their own revolution. Their reliance and their performance have improved enormously in recent years.

Below is a summary of the main features of analogue pressure gauges.

Check the benefits here:

  • Extremely easy installation
  • It is more affordable for companies
  • It doesn`t require power
  • Easier to read the results from a distance

The drawbacks are the following:

  • Not as reliable and accurate as the digital gauges
  • Pressure pulsation, over-pressure spikes and ambient temperature can cause premature wear
  • It should be calibrated in the position where you will use it
  • The glass of the gauge can break easily

Here you can find the major benefits and drawbacks of digital pressure gauges.

List of advantages:

  • Easy to install
  • Suitable for a wide range of applications and industries as it is durable and robust
  • They are as fast as they`re precise, as they have a large pressure range
  • Small increments of pressure change can be detected
  • Steady reading when the vibration is high
  • Some equipment can hold the reading in memory
  • There are some pressure gauges that will take international measurements, displaying results in units such as bar, psi, MPa
  • Can withstand over-pressure, constant pressure pulsation

Here are the major disadvantages:

  • They require a power supply, for example battery, loop or solar power

Looking to the future, experts believe that analogue devices will remain non-powered, self-actuated and reasonably priced components. However; it is clear to see that there is place for both of these products. With regard to digital pressure gauges, it is thought that there is a greater opportunity for improvement and more companies are ready to invest and buy the latest technology.

When you buy a pressure gauge always check its datasheet; decide what kind of accuracy is needed for the reading; how much you are ready to spend; what outputs you will need and where the pressure gauge will be installed.

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If you have any further question, please call our friendly team of expert on 01642 931 329, or visit our website to browse the full range of our products and services.