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Is this brand new gauge defective?

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JeffGuy
JeffGuy Member Posts: 89
edited December 18 in THE MAIN WALL

I had a domestic hot water heater problem, and was advised it was a good idea to get a lazy pressure gauge so I could check maximum pressure coming into our building from my city water. It is a $15 part, so instead of ordering from a site with $100 minimum order and fairly slow shipping, I held my nose and looked on Amazon, where I was pleased to see a Watts gauge which I ordered and arrived quickly.

But when I looked at the gauge it sure looks defective to me: the black pointer is on the wrong side of the brass zero pin. So any pressure will be stuck registering zero. Hopefully that is obvious from my picture.

So did I really get a defective gauge from Watts? I don’t want to hook it up if it won’t serve any purpose.

IMG_1429.jpeg

Comments

  • HydronicMike
    HydronicMike Member Posts: 238

    Yup. Put a claim into Amazon with that picture and get a new one. If Amazon doesn't want that one back, you could try to fix it yourself. Take off the screws in the back loosen it up an pop the needle over to the other side. Doesn't mean it will work correctly but it might.
    I use that gauge, it works well.

  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,351

    Yes , the needle is on the wrong side of the stop . Unscrew the plastic face and move the needle over …. I have a few of that dead needle gauge , they don't last in my truck .

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • JeffGuy
    JeffGuy Member Posts: 89

    Thank you, I will do the return. Clearly I should have checked local first, since both Home Depot and Lowe’s have this in stock. Oh well…

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,760

    you can pop off the cover and carefully lift the needle back to the right side.

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 26,548

    The plastic top should pop off with a pocket knife, but I would put in for a return.

    Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware as well as plumbing wholesalers have these on the shelf

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • JeffGuy
    JeffGuy Member Posts: 89
    edited December 18

    Thanks, if it was out of my toolbox I would mess with it, but don’t think I should have to fix a brand new tool before it’s been used once. As mike said, maybe worth it if they don’t want this one back.

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 26,548

    There seems to be a certain $$ amount where they don't ask you to send it back.

    I had some really loose fitting ball valves from SupplyHouse a few weeks back, they didn't want them back, just credited me.

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream