Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices for All Nuclear Gauge Owners

What’s something that is really important to a lot of people?

You might not have guessed it, but it’s nuclear density gauge calibration and service.

Nuclear density gauges are used throughout the construction industry globally, and they’re a vital part of construction. A nuclear density gauge uses a small radioactive source to measure the density and moisture of soils, so engineers and technicians get compaction information on new construction.

In this post, we’re going to cover topics like:

• Why annual service is important

• The best time of year to get gauges calibrated

• What parts get replaced the most often on a gauge

• InstroTek’s secret weapon when it comes to service

InstroTek’s very own Kerry DuBiel was interviewed on The Hot Mix Podcast back on Season 1 to talk about nuclear gauges and service. Kerry started his career in the military and electronics, and he joined InstroTek about 10 years ago as a service technician before actually building the Nuclear Gauge. Now he’s InstroTek’s service manager. 

Why is annual service important?

Once every year, nuclear gauges have to be calibrated, with either a multi-block or a secondary block.  Necessity aside, you want to perform service on nuclear gauges every year to make sure they’re working correctly. Just like a car requires general maintenance to keep running properly, so do gauges.

Nuclear gauges are often used in harsh environments. You'll see them covered in concrete on the bottom, or asphalt caked on them, and all that will throw off the gauge’s readings over time.

Annual service is extremely important for all nuclear gauge owners.

 

When's the best time of year to get gauges calibrated? 

The best time of year to get nuclear gauges calibrated is in Winter, or what Anthony calls “Sweater Weather”. During Winter, the cold air makes the ground harder, which is why fewer paving jobs typically happen. 

InstroTek offers a Winter Special every year for this exact reason. We offer special pricing, services, and extras that are normally desirable during the Winter months, since most gauge owners are looking to get their equipment calibrated.

A typical calibration takes between seven to ten days, or longer if there’s more involved. Typically, though, we can deliver gauges back to customers in under two to three weeks.

What are the main replacement parts for gauges?

The most common parts that are getting replaced the most on nuclear gauges are the base gasket and the front panel gasket, because they are the parts that are closest to the nuclear element. Keeping gauges in good working order will decrease moisture damage later down the road.

Other frequently replaced parts include battery packs. Whether the gauge is being used or not, just like in your remote control, over a period of time, they go bad and need to be replaced.

 

Support calls–with real live humans

One thing that sets InstroTek apart from some of our competitors is that when you call us for servicing, you get an actual human speaking with you in real time. Our goal is to get you back out in the field as soon as possible.

We have offices all throughout the US, and we have distributors throughout the world, ready to help. If you see the InstroTek, CPN, HMA, or Rainhart names, you're getting the same quality and the same type of speed and turnaround at the same time throughout all of our locations. 

We're trying our absolute best to produce the best quality in our products. Learn more about our nuclear gauges over at the InstroTek website.

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💻 Watch the interview with Kerry on The Hot Mix Podcast:

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