Vital Aspects of Siphon Rain Gauge
A rain gauge is a meteorological and hydrological instrument that is used to measure the amount of precipitation in a particular area over a specified period. The traditional rain gauge that has been in use is the tipping bucket rain gauge. The rain gauge was, however, experiencing some problems that led to inaccurate measurement of precipitation. When a rain gauge is left in the field to collect liquid precipitation, it is exposed to all other weather conditions and things found in the environment. The tipping bucket rain is affected by dust, insects, sand, snow, sometimes heavy rainfall, lightning, wind, among other things. These environmental aspects affect the accuracy of precipitation measurement. This, therefore, led to the need for a siphoning rain gauge, which offers more precision.
The siphon bucket rain gauge has a novel siphon mechanism that is used to control how liquid precipitation flows into the tipping bucket. This makes it give precise measurements, even in high precipitation areas. Siphon tipping buckets have a leaf filter as well to remove dirt and other materials from the liquid precipitation. It also has varistor protection for shielding the rain gauge from environmental factors.
The siphon bucket rain gauge can maintain its accuracy of +/-2{b6911f5ad91ec16a971fdd2767386393fc5beb9854c3520420092e1de505b2ce} at 0-200 millimeters per hour in any environmental conditions. The traditional tipping bucket rain gauge usually gives false readings since it has a fixed rate of rainfall calibrated in the laboratory. The fixed-rate is affected by dirt found outside in the field, thus leading to inaccurate measurements. The siphoning rain gauge has a protected unit where liquid precipitation is collected and measured. The chamber is kept clean at all times. The siphoning action will then ensure that water is removed from the chamber. You are also assured of precise readings because the siphoning rain gauge has electronics that record the right precipitation measurement. Accuracy in the siphoning rain gauge is also maintained because it does not have any parts that move. When the temperatures are so low, the siphoning rain gauge will stop working but will not get spoilt. When temperatures rise, the rain gauge works properly again. You can use a heater to melt the snow, but this is not recommended since the gauge is designed not to work at temperatures below zero degrees Celsius.
The siphon rain gauge is also made with high-quality materials that are not easily affected by extreme weather conditions. Exterior materials are plastic, but interior materials are Teflon, so that water is smoothly siphoned away from the chamber. Teflon material is also recommended for the interior because it ensures all small particles that entered the chamber are removed. It is also not easy for small animals to stay inside the rain gauge because they are siphoned to the outside. These vital properties of a siphoning rain gauge are critical since they eliminate any form of clogging.
It is easy to install the siphon rain gauge. At the time of purchase, it comes with an instruction manual that is easy to follow. You can also ask the manufacturer to assist you with the installation process. When purchasing the siphoning rain gauge, you need to make sure that you find a manufacturer that produces a high-quality unit will all the vital parts. It should also be priced affordably.