Hydro Gauges 3

[bryancobb]

What calibration/recertification schedules are you folks using to insure your gauges used for ASME Hydro-Testing are reasonably accurate? Section VIII only says it needs done if a gauge is suspect.

If you purchase a NEW gauge for a test, and it comes with a certificate showing testing to a N.I.S.T. standard at manufacture, and if this new gauge was manufactured 3.5 years ago...would you feel the need to have it tested again BEFORE the hydro?

Thanks ahead of time for not being rude and unprofessional with your answers,

Bryan Cobb

 

[vesselfab]

We do ours every 6 months or sooner if they are bumped or someone slams it.

I would get that new gauge re-certified. You don't know how it was handled.

most people here are not rude or unprofessional. Sometimes short and to the point.

 

[zdas04]

You gets what you gives. This was your eighth post, and I'm going to assume you learned something from snarky responses to earlier posts since this thread looks to be quite a reasonable question, well stated.

I've been bitten by truckers like vesselfab seems to have been. I ALWAYS get a NIST-traceable calibration done on a new gauge before use. It is really distressing how often the as-found and as-left vary by a significant amount. After that I want to see a calibration report that was done within the last 6 months or whenever I see signs of rough handling.

David

 

[TJOrlowski]

We do re-calibration whenever a gauge is dropped, slammed, or otherwise mis-handled.

In the interim, we have a "master" gauge that only leaves the QC Manager's office at ASME final time. At which point the master is hooked to one end of a Tee, the gauge being used for hydro is hooked to the other end and the tee is pressurized. If the gauges match, the master gauge goes back to the office, and the "for use" gauge can be put on the vessel.

Saves time, and avoids someone asking the following question when a gauge is found to be out of calibration: "When was the last time this gauge was calibrated, and for how many hydro's was this gauge used since it was last calibrated?" That's a can of worms I hope to never be forced to open.

-TJ Orlowski

 

[bryancobb]

Thanks Fellas,

Not a large sample, but the fact that is unanimous leads me into changing my mind about using N.I.S.T. certified new gauges, without having them tested or comparing them to a MASTER gauge.

@ zdas04--- The reason I ended my original post with "Thanks ahead of time for not being rude and unprofessional with your answers," is because I had just read a post asking if anyone had a written procedure for a hydro.

Someone immediately responded with an unprofessional demeaning comment, something to the affect of "Get off this forum and quit asking others to do your work for you."

I don't remember who the respondant was, but that type person has no place here. I was happy that the next 5 or 6 posters felt different than the first.

Just like the original poster on THAT thread, I too, when doing something I have never done before, attempt to find those who have, AND LEARN FROM THEM!! It has nothing to do with me wanting to "mooch" their work.

Bryan

 

[Duwe6]

bryancobb, some times it is a fine line between being ignorant of the requirements and asking to be educated, and not having the form/procedure in-hand and wanting someone else to do the work. Stick around. You'll find that us old guys have a lot of tolerence for the former and essentially zero tolerance for the later.

As for the education, somebody had to teach me. I consider it my obligation to "pay it forward, with interest" and teach several other folks.

Just ask your questions. There is somebody here [usually a bunch] that know the answer.

But don't ask for work products, like forms and procedures.