What happens if a gauge is not accurate within 3 percent of full scale?

When a gauge is not accurate within 3 percent of full scale, it is crucial to either recalibrate or replace it to ensure that the readings it provides are reliable and fall within acceptable accuracy standards. This threshold of 3 percent is often used in various industries to maintain operational integrity, safety, and compliance with regulatory requirements. If a gauge is not accurate, it can lead to incorrect measurements that affect decision-making processes and possibly compromise safety or performance.

Recalibrating helps restore the gauge to its intended accuracy, while replacement may be necessary if the gauge is beyond repair or has become outdated. It’s important to maintain equipment that provides safety-critical measurements, and addressing accuracy issues is a key part of that maintenance process. Gauges that do not meet accuracy standards could lead to significant operational risks, and as such, they should not be allowed to remain in service without proper action being taken.