Draft over fire

ejaco

Has anyone found a suitable replacement for the Bacharach pocket draftright gauge?

EdTheHeaterMan

I never liked the pocket model, I could never get it to be steady enough to take a reading. I liked the one that looked like an old miniature console television from the 1940s.   When I needed to get one to replace the Dwyer portable draft gauge that is also no longer available, I opted for an inexpensive digital like this one:

Manometer, Professional Air Pressure Meter, Dual-Port HVAC Digital Manometer Gas Pressure Tester,12 Selectable Units Differential Pressure Gauge, (Included Battery): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

https://www.amazon.com/Manometer-Professional-Pressure-Differential-Measuring/dp/B07CWQJD6D/ref%3Dsr_1_1?crid=3C6TG5J1VKDIK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.h6EykmBgu5_-KHfh3VGEmEW39w2g_pfcLbZRymyl1yc.VEiRaNYwxerb_7aUGbxbD_phjXow1uUItAChX66OOGg&dib_tag=se&keywords=bacharach+draft+gauge&qid=1729885535&sprefix=bacharach+draft+gauge%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-1

Manometer, Professional Air Pressure Meter, Dual-Port HVAC Digital Manometer Gas Pressure Tester,12 Selectable Units Differential Pressure Gauge, (Included Battery): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

They need batteries form time to time but reliable enough to get accurate draft readings O/F and at the Breach.

SuperTech

I just use my combustion analyzer with an attachment designed for Energy Kinetics boilers. You can build the same exact thing with a piece of 1/4" tubing. You can use a piece of copper or even a piece of steel automotive brake line. All you need to attach it to the analyzer probe is a 2"-3" piece of manometer hose or a piece of pressure switch tubing from a furnace.

I never liked that Bacharach gauge either. I went through two of them and they both broke within the first year of having them. I babied the things and kept them in the padded case for my Testo.

HVACNUT

Dwyer

EdTheHeaterMan

I really lke that kit however it is no longer on the Dwyer website. Is it available anywhere @HVACNUT?

HVACNUT

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1816278#Comment_1816278

Wow, that sucks. I lost mine and have been using a digital manometer. I loved that thing. Cute little pipe cleaner and everything.

EdTheHeaterMan

@HVACNUT Do you remember using the Dwyer smoke tester? it was a cube made of some resin with a slot cut into it to side for the smoke paper. it had that same squeeze bulb for the CO2 bottle.

EBEBRATT-Ed

I have a Dwyer smoke tester. A hunk of plastic with a slot in it and a squeeze bulb I wish I had one of their old wet kit Co2 testers they were better than Bacharach IMHO.

If I recall correctly (but could be mistaken) the Bacharach smoke tester and the Dwyer smoke tester required a different # of pumps

HVACNUT

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1816342#Comment_1816342

Never saw that. I started with the Bacharach wet kit with their draft gauge you had to zero out first.

I just started using a Wohler A450, and it's awesome. The downside is it's as small as a large cell phone but comes in a suitcase I could pack two weeks of clothes into.