Domestic Thermometer

[jadyn]

I've got a standard household wall thermometer in a plastic casing that goes up to 50 degrees Celsius in scale The thermometer has been lying on a shelf for some months and when I picked it up earlier today, the blue alcohol in the capillary tube had broken up into around twenty small pieces in the upper part of the tube.
I tried getting the pices to merge together by shaking the thermometer the way GP's did years ago (flicking it down fast and stopping abruptly). This did not work.
I next immersed the thermometer in a bowl containing hot water at exactly 50 degrees Celsius (measured with a digital thermometer). The alcohol rose to the top of the capillary tube and merged the pieces together, however on cooling, they broke up into even more small pieces.
Is there a way I can get the alcohol column back into one piece?

Thank you.

[jomifl]

try putting it in your freezer so that the alcohol goes down to the bottom (keeping it vertical of course)

[jadyn]

Thanks jomifl. I'll give it a try.

[jomifl]

If the freezer method doesn't work try warmig it up quickly by dipping it in hand hot water and then removing it and allowing it to cool in slowly in air for a few minutes, keep repeating this until the bubbles have gone to the top and escaped. (works by the alcohol adhering to the glass more when being heated so the bubbles move up a little each time)