FYI: Glass thermometers

[darwinthesun]

I had a mini meltdown yesterday when I found that my glass thermometer shattered in my axie tank. In case you don't know, glass is almost impossible to find in water!
I was worried that one of my pigger axies would eat it, so I took everything out of the tank and searched for all the pieces (nearly 3 hours). Luckily, I was able to piece it all back together...but I wanted to warn you all that glass thermometers might not be a good way to monitor temperature.

Cheers.

 

[Greatwtehunter]

How did it break?

 

[Blaze]

Well, I wouldn't be worried about the glass, I'd be worried about what makes the thermometer, the red stuff and the mercury!!!!!!!

 

[darwinthesun]

I still don't know how it broke, it sort of broke from the inside out, which was the strange part. This particular thermometer had the alcohol (red part in the center) surrounded by a glass sheath. The glass sheath is the only part that broke.

Like this one, but mine didn't have the metal beads:

Anyway, it was probably some completely random event, but I thought it was worth the warning. I wonder if one of my axies knocked it against the glass causing a minor crack and then somehow pressure built up inside it to blow.

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Well, I wouldn't be worried about the glass, I'd be worried about what makes the thermometer, the red stuff and the mercury!!!!!!!

No need to worry about mercury in a "red" or "blue" thermometer. They use either a type of alcohol or a glycerin based liquid in them now a days. Now, if it is an old "silver" type- there is the mercury.

I have been lucky enough to not have ever broken one, but as I am a paranoid alarmist at times, all of my floating thermometers of this type have been encased in transparent hot shrink tubing for safety.

You can find this stuff really cheap in the electrical department of your DIY store.(about 15cents US per "tube") You just cut the tube about an inch longer than the thermometer. Then slide the thermometer in. Next shrink the tubing with a hairdryer set on high or by rolling it in your fingers over the toaster. Now if the glass breaks, it is encased in a plastic sheath keeping you from having to fish it out or re-do a tank.

 

[darwinthesun]

This is a fantastic idea. Thanks!