Max/min thermometer.
 

On Sunday I paid £9.99 at a garden centre for a max/min thermometer: it
worked for one day before the iron wire within it sank below the surface of
the blue liquid on the max temp' side and the thing became n.b.g.!

Today I took it back and was refunded the money.

On my way home I called at an ironmonger's and asked them if they had a
max/min thermometer. "In all honesty I could not recommend buying one from
anywhere if it has a blue liquid in it." one of the assistants told me. I
explained what had happened to the one I'd bought and the assistant said,
"It's the b----- EU and a directive about mercury I've been told! We had
some with mercury in and they worked a treat but we had to return them and
were sent those useless things which we've now got rid of back to the
supplier."

Now my question is, "Can anybody recommend a make of max/min thermometer
which works and does not cost more than about a tenner?" I do not want an
electronic one.

Geoff

Max/min thermometer.
 

"Geoff" wrote in message
...
On Sunday I paid £9.99 at a garden centre for a max/min thermometer: it
worked for one day before the iron wire within it sank below the surface
of the blue liquid on the max temp' side and the thing became n.b.g.!

Today I took it back and was refunded the money.

On my way home I called at an ironmonger's and asked them if they had a
max/min thermometer. "In all honesty I could not recommend buying one
from anywhere if it has a blue liquid in it." one of the assistants told
me. I explained what had happened to the one I'd bought and the assistant
said, "It's the b----- EU and a directive about mercury I've been told!
We had some with mercury in and they worked a treat but we had to return
them and were sent those useless things which we've now got rid of back to
the supplier."

Now my question is, "Can anybody recommend a make of max/min thermometer
which works and does not cost more than about a tenner?" I do not want an
electronic one.

Geoff

Hi Geoff,
The ones below are £14.50 - if that's any use??
http://www.alanaecology.com/acatalog...ermometer.html

Chris S

Max/min thermometer.
 

"Geoff" wrote in message
...
On Sunday I paid £9.99 at a garden centre for a max/min thermometer: it
worked for one day before the iron wire within it sank below the surface
of the blue liquid on the max temp' side and the thing became n.b.g.!

Today I took it back and was refunded the money.

On my way home I called at an ironmonger's and asked them if they had a
max/min thermometer. "In all honesty I could not recommend buying one
from anywhere if it has a blue liquid in it." one of the assistants told
me. I explained what had happened to the one I'd bought and the assistant
said, "It's the b----- EU and a directive about mercury I've been told!
We had some with mercury in and they worked a treat but we had to return
them and were sent those useless things which we've now got rid of back to
the supplier."

Now my question is, "Can anybody recommend a make of max/min thermometer
which works and does not cost more than about a tenner?" I do not want an
electronic one.

Geoff
Or this one at £9.50

http://www.bio.scarletts.co.uk/Max-M...er_(Trad).html

Chris S

Max/min thermometer.
 

"Geoff" wrote in message
...
On Sunday I paid £9.99 at a garden centre for a max/min thermometer: it
worked for one day before the iron wire within it sank below the surface
of the blue liquid on the max temp' side and the thing became n.b.g.!

Today I took it back and was refunded the money.

On my way home I called at an ironmonger's and asked them if they had a
max/min thermometer. "In all honesty I could not recommend buying one
from anywhere if it has a blue liquid in it." one of the assistants told
me. I explained what had happened to the one I'd bought and the assistant
said, "It's the b----- EU and a directive about mercury I've been told!
We had some with mercury in and they worked a treat but we had to return
them and were sent those useless things which we've now got rid of back to
the supplier."

Now my question is, "Can anybody recommend a make of max/min thermometer
which works and does not cost more than about a tenner?" I do not want an
electronic one.

Geoff


It was decreed that putting mercury metal in the hands of the great unwashed
( the public) was not a good thing:-)
Pretty nasty stuff -so use blue or red dyed alcohol as an alternative.
Totally accurate and environmentally sound.

Max/min thermometer.
 

"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" wrote in message
...

"Geoff" wrote in message
...
On Sunday I paid £9.99 at a garden centre for a max/min thermometer: it
worked for one day before the iron wire within it sank below the surface
of the blue liquid on the max temp' side and the thing became n.b.g.!

Today I took it back and was refunded the money.

On my way home I called at an ironmonger's and asked them if they had a
max/min thermometer. "In all honesty I could not recommend buying one
from anywhere if it has a blue liquid in it." one of the assistants told
me. I explained what had happened to the one I'd bought and the
assistant said, "It's the b----- EU and a directive about mercury I've
been told! We had some with mercury in and they worked a treat but we had
to return them and were sent those useless things which we've now got rid
of back to the supplier."

Now my question is, "Can anybody recommend a make of max/min thermometer
which works and does not cost more than about a tenner?" I do not want
an electronic one.

Geoff


It was decreed that putting mercury metal in the hands of the great
unwashed
( the public) was not a good thing:-)
Pretty nasty stuff -so use blue or red dyed alcohol as an alternative.
Totally accurate and environmentally sound.

Except that it doesn't seem to work!

Max/min thermometer.
 

In article , says...

"Geoff" wrote in message
...
On Sunday I paid £9.99 at a garden centre for a max/min thermometer: it
worked for one day before the iron wire within it sank below the surface
of the blue liquid on the max temp' side and the thing became n.b.g.!

Today I took it back and was refunded the money.

On my way home I called at an ironmonger's and asked them if they had a
max/min thermometer. "In all honesty I could not recommend buying one
from anywhere if it has a blue liquid in it." one of the assistants told
me. I explained what had happened to the one I'd bought and the assistant
said, "It's the b----- EU and a directive about mercury I've been told!
We had some with mercury in and they worked a treat but we had to return
them and were sent those useless things which we've now got rid of back to
the supplier."

Now my question is, "Can anybody recommend a make of max/min thermometer
which works and does not cost more than about a tenner?" I do not want an
electronic one.

Geoff


It was decreed that putting mercury metal in the hands of the great unwashed
( the public) was not a good thing:-)
Pretty nasty stuff -so use blue or red dyed alcohol as an alternative.
Totally accurate and environmentally sound.

except that mercury has a density greater than the little iron pin so it
will float on the surface whereas alcohol has a desnsity considerably less
than iron so the little pin will sooner or later sink. Iron pins so that you
can reset with a magnet.

GillM

Max/min thermometer.
 

Gill Matthews wrote:
In article , says...
"Geoff" wrote in message
...
On Sunday I paid £9.99 at a garden centre for a max/min thermometer: it
worked for one day before the iron wire within it sank below the surface
of the blue liquid on the max temp' side and the thing became n.b.g.!

Today I took it back and was refunded the money.

On my way home I called at an ironmonger's and asked them if they had a
max/min thermometer. "In all honesty I could not recommend buying one
from anywhere if it has a blue liquid in it." one of the assistants told
me. I explained what had happened to the one I'd bought and the assistant
said, "It's the b----- EU and a directive about mercury I've been told!
We had some with mercury in and they worked a treat but we had to return
them and were sent those useless things which we've now got rid of back to
the supplier."

Now my question is, "Can anybody recommend a make of max/min thermometer
which works and does not cost more than about a tenner?" I do not want an
electronic one.

Geoff

It was decreed that putting mercury metal in the hands of the great unwashed
( the public) was not a good thing:-)
Pretty nasty stuff -so use blue or red dyed alcohol as an alternative.
Totally accurate and environmentally sound.

except that mercury has a density greater than the little iron pin so it
will float on the surface whereas alcohol has a desnsity considerably less
than iron so the little pin will sooner or later sink. Iron pins so that you
can reset with a magnet.

GillM

I also went down the same road. My next solution was to by a "spring"
type that works like a clock, there are 2 pointers which get moved
clockwise for max temp anticlockwise for min temp. There is a movable
arm with which these arms are "zeroed" whenever required. It works well
and was cheap, however I have doubt to its accuracy, as I am recording
temperatures in excess of 50 degC in my mini greenhouse. So electronic
here I come. However I am unable to source any locally (North
Staffordshire) so I will have to bite the bullet and pay postage.

Max/min thermometer.
 

It was decreed that putting mercury metal in the hands of the great
unwashed
( the public) was not a good thing:-)

I expect there's more mercury in the amalgam for a molar's filling than in
the capilliary tube of a max/min thermometer. Restrictions might be OK for
mercury barometers and some thermometers.

Pretty nasty stuff .-so use blue or red dyed alcohol as an alternative.

But the alcohol ones are useless! Hg's nasty perhaps but not highly
reactive.

I'm colour prejudiced in this, I want silver!!

It's about time the EU banned apple pips which contain arsenic and what
about rhubarb leaves full of oxalic acid then there's more dozens of garden
plants which are really nasty!

I also went down the same road. My next solution was to by a "spring" type
that works like a clock, there are 2 pointers which get moved clockwise
for max temp anticlockwise for min temp. There is a movable arm with which
these arms are "zeroed" whenever required. It works well and was cheap,
however I have doubt to its accuracy, as I am recording temperatures in
excess of 50 degC in my mini greenhouse. So electronic here I come.
However I am unable to source any locally (North Staffordshire) so I will
have to bite the bullet and pay postage.

Thanks for the last informative input. Why not check its accuracy with a
standard thermometer?

Thanks to all who answered.

Geoff

Max/min thermometer.
 

Geoff writes

It was decreed that putting mercury metal in the hands of the great
unwashed
( the public) was not a good thing:-)

I expect there's more mercury in the amalgam for a molar's filling

People are already worried about that ;-)
In the US there has been publicity given to alleged links between
mercury amalgam fillings and depression. Not only are people shifting
over to ceramic fillings, they are getting their amalgam fillings
drilled out and replaced.

than in
the capilliary tube of a max/min thermometer. Restrictions might be OK for
mercury barometers and some thermometers.

Pretty nasty stuff .-so use blue or red dyed alcohol as an alternative.

But the alcohol ones are useless! Hg's nasty perhaps but not highly
reactive.

I'm colour prejudiced in this, I want silver!!

It's about time the EU banned apple pips which contain arsenic

Not arsenic as well! ;-) Or did you mean cyanide?


--
Kay

Max/min thermometer.
 

A touch of cyanide's no problem, imagine marzipan without the taste of
almonds - but do not eat a lot with cheese for the enzymes might release it
all at once!

G

Max/min thermometer.
 

On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:36:04 GMT, Geoff wrote:

A touch of cyanide's no problem, imagine marzipan without the taste of
almonds - but do not eat a lot with cheese for the enzymes might release it
all at once!

G

How else would you eat Christmas cake?
--
Jim S
Tyneside UK
http://www.jimscott.co.uk

Max/min thermometer.
 

Jim S wrote:
On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:36:04 GMT, Geoff wrote:

A touch of cyanide's no problem, imagine marzipan without the taste of
almonds - but do not eat a lot with cheese for the enzymes might release it
all at once!

G

How else would you eat Christmas cake?
What I forgot to add in my earlier post was that I also got a mercury
min/max thermometer, the problem with that is that it did not always
zero and the zero strip did not always reach the mercury, in addition
the mercury was prone to split. this could be remedied by swinging the
thermometer at arms length in a circle, when centrifugal force would
correct it. A bit of a pain, in more ways than one at my age. ;-)