DIY Inclined Manometers

Inclined manometers give far more accurate readings than vertical meters.

In the world of pressure monitoring, manometers (U tubes or water column meters) are the instruments that measure differences between two separate atmospheres. This is especially important when setting up HVAC systems, or certain plumbing systems that must maintain particular pressures relative to the atmospheric pressures in a room in order to function. Building an inclined manometer is easy and will give you far more accurate results than a traditional vertical manometer.

Things You'll Need

• Clear plastic tubing (1/4 inch thick)
• Mounting clips (for plastic tube)
• Spirit level
• Ruler
• Pen
• Wooden board (10 by 40 inches)

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Instructions

1. Draw a right angle triangle onto your wooden board. This triangle should have a horizontal side that measures 10 inches, with a vertical side that measures 1 inch, with the hypotenuse measuring 10 inches, with a mark at each 1-inch measurement along its edge.

2. Mount your plastic tube along the edge of the marked hypotenuse, with either end of the tube extending upwards. The end of the tube from the bottom of the hypotenuse can be permanently mounted to the board above the triangle, left open, and the other end extending from the top of the hypotenuse should be left with enough slack to be connected to the source of different pressure, allowing you to take readings with the meter.

3. Fill the tube with water, depending on your needs, to either the top or bottom of the marked hypotenuse. Inclined manometers are used to measure slight differences in pressure, within only 1 inch of water column, as indicated along the hypotenuse of the triangle in 1/10s of an inch. If measuring negative pressure, fill the tube to the bottom edge of the hypotenuse, and if measuring positive pressure fill the tube to the top of the hypotenuse. When the pressure source is attached it will either push or pull the water in the tube to indicate the amount of pressure differentiation, within 1 inch of water column.

Tips & Warnings

• If there is more than 1 inch of water column pressure differentiation, a vertical meter should be used.

• Mount a spirit level under and in line with the horizontal side of your right angle triangle while taking measurements to ensure accuracy.

References

• Integrated Publishing: Inclined Manometer
• Engineering Toolbox: Inclined manometer
• Build it Solar: $5 DIY Flow Meter