The importance of an approved and verified manometer

Like any precision instrument, the pressure gauge is a piece that must always be in good condition and duly verified. Something that helps to bet on approved and verified pressure gauges, as established by current legislation.

If a thermometer measures 40 degrees on a winter day, it is obvious that something is wrong. An unimportant issue that can become a risk when we are talking about air pressure and gauges. And it is that an inadequate air pressure in a tire is a risk factor when it comes to suffering an accident. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the proper pressure in our tires. Something that we can never do if the pressure gauge we are using does not work as it should.

Luckily, there are two processes that allow us to check that the pressure gauges we use have the necessary precision when checking tire pressure. We talked about the homologation and verification processes. Homologation checks the correct operation of pressure gauges before they are launched, while verification is a process that serves to verify that the pressure gauge continues to function as it should. Something fundamental when looking for the best pressure gauge to check the pressure of our tires.

How the homologation is executed

The homologation process of a pressure gauge is a step prior to its commercialization and is carried out directly in a specialized laboratory duly authorized for this purpose. In this laboratory, the product will be subjected to a series of controlled tests, in order to verify that the measurements made by the product are correct. The advantage of this system is that the air pressures to which the manometer is going to be subjected are previously known, so that if the manometer measures them correctly, it will receive the corresponding approval mark.

It is important to comment that this homologation does not follow specific criteria, but rather each homologation standard or rule has specific criteria that the product must meet. So next to the corresponding homologation certificate, the standard to which it refers must appear. As data, the homologation process in the Spanish market consists of five different phases, which include both controls of the accuracy of the measurements and the quality of the device itself.

The problem of private manometers

Within this approval process, in accordance with what we have mentioned, a series of metrological and performance tests are carried out on the product. The problem is that this requirement is not the same for all pressure gauges that come onto the market, especially for private users, whose accuracy and other approval processes are quite lax, if not non-existent.

Specifically, the standard is much more demanding for pressure gauges for public use, such as those located in workshops, gas stations and other public establishments. These pressure gauges must comply with an approval in five different phases, so that their accuracy is practically guaranteed. However, in the case of pressure gauges for private individuals, the only verification that is required of them is the metrological one and, in many cases, not even that.

This means that most of the manometers used by those of us who buy one of these products for personal use may have difficulties in offering accurate measurements. Many of these products even bear the CE mark, which they should not carry because they do not comply with said standard. That is why it is so important to bet on approved models in accordance with the requirements of current regulations, as well as those that come from well-known and quality manufacturers. 

what is verification

Unlike the homologation process, the verification process is the one that is carried out on pressure gauges that have already been installed and used. However, in practice, the verification process is very similar to the approval process, focusing especially on the metrological part. Thus, the manometer will once again be subjected to different measurement tests with controlled air pressures, in order to verify their precision and see if during the use of the manometer it has been able to lose part of its ability to measure correctly. the pressures.

This process has an authorized margin of error, adjusted to the measurement capacity of the pressure gauge. In the event that these measurements are outside the authorized range or the tolerable margin of error, then the pressure gauge cannot be used and must be sent to a technical service in order to be repaired. If the procedure and the measurements are within the working range of the device, then the corresponding verification report is issued and the product is labeled with the review sticker, similar to that of the ITV, which informs the user of that pressure gauge that it works as it should. In fact, as happens with that ITV, the pressure gauge must be verified every two years, although this is something that varies depending on what each autonomous community indicates.

It is important to note that this process is mandatory for pressure gauges for public use, but not for private pressure gauges. It is logical since these pressure gauges are not going to have intensive use like those at a gas station or a workshop. On the other hand, the verification process is not exactly cheap, so in many cases it will almost be more interesting for us to buy a new pressure gauge than to verify the one we have. 

In any case, if we have the possibility to measure controlled air pressures, we will also be able to see the precision of our manometer. Something we can do, for example, first checking the tire pressure at the gas station and then with our pressure gauge. If the measurements are similar, then our particular pressure gauge is working properly.