I've been searching for thermometers and ordered a 12" one, but where do I find one that is appropriate for E6 and has a metal cage?
I would think that they stopped making the mercury ones without a cage, I would have to look at the lab supply sites to see if you can buy mercury thermometers new, am sure someone will chime in, ;-) .
A dropped thermometer closed down a lab for a month or so until they cleaned it at no small cost.
I also found a dozen or so in a not so often used drawer in my class room, and we had to pay to get rid of them. The bottles of mercury were made of plastic coated glass.
I keep one old one in a safe place to check the other thermometers, am pretty sure the last Kodak glass thermometer I had was not mercury, but you had to keep it vertical or play around to get it to re-consolidate the liquid.
If you stick with electronic, keep two to make sure they agree.
My Jobo slot processor thermostat has stayed spot on, but I check it.
Flinn Scientific has always been reliable, and I believe they sell to the public if you pay in advance, their page of thermometers is:
http://www.flinnsci.com/store/scripts/ck_prodList.asp
Interesting the liquid thermometers are not only not mercury, but the contents are "bio degradable" --
Regards, John