Types of Gauges
A large number of gauges exist. Some examples include rain gauges, strain gauges, water gauges, pressure gauges for water, brakes and air, depth gauges, waste level gauges, engine temperature gauges, fuel gauges, cockpit gauges, and many more.
Pressure gauges most often measure the pressure of liquid and gas, and are commonly used in industrial plants. Due to the lack of maintenance and the shear amount of gauges in a plant, the gauges often do not function properly. Top causes for why gauges stop working include pipe vibration and water condensation, as well as cold weather and freezing conditions. One way to solve the problem of non-functional gauges is to cut down the number of gauges that are used. Gauges are not always necessary. For instance, if it is solely being used to determine whether the pump is working, then it is impractical because one can tell if it is working simply by standing near it. On the other hand, if the gauge is measuring the pressure, then it truly is needed.
There are also air pressure gauges. These pressure gauges are seen more openly in public. To determine how much more air is needed to fill a tire, an air pressure gauge should be used. Typically, they are located on the air pumps at gas stations. Sometimes, cyclists carry a small gauge in their repair kit just incase they get a flat and need to pump air into their bike's tire; they are handy tools.
The fuel gauge in a vehicle reveals how much gas remains in the tank. These are handy in that they obviate the worry and guess work involved in determining gas levels. How does the indicator on the car dash know the level of the fuel tank? The sending unit in the fuel tank transmits a message to the gauge. Gauges with a microprocessor are more accurate than those receiving the current directly from the sending unit. These more advanced gauges can make up for the shape of the tank and also trigger a fuel light indicator; they also don't fluctuate as much.
There are even gauges in knitting machines. In this instance, the term gauge refers to the distance between needles in the machine. On a related note, to determine the number needles per inch, one must simply count two-thirds of the gauge. That gives you the number of needles per inch.
Purpose of a Gauge
Though there are so many types of gauges, they all have a common purpose: they serve to help determine a quantity. They provide warning when necessary and help to keep things normal.
