Hey there, fellow fabricators, furniture makers, equipment technicians, and anyone who’s ever squinted at a wobbly chair lift or a slowly slamming truck toolbox lid—today we’re talking gas springs. As a gas spring supplier, I get calls every single week from folks panicking because their spring “feels off” and they don’t know if it’s still working as it should. Let’s be real: a dead or underpressurized gas spring isn’t just an annoyance. It can mess up a lift gate that needs to stay propped open while you load gear, or make a medical exam table lurch when you adjust it. That’s why checking gas spring pressure correctly is such a big deal, and why I’m laying this out for you straight, no confusing jargon. Gas Spring
First, let’s clear up one common misconception right away: gas springs don’t have a “pressure gauge on the side” you can just glance at. The internal pressure of a typical gas spring is between 100 and 300 PSI, and it’s sealed inside a metal tube, so you can’t see it. To put that in perspective, that’s way higher than a car tire (which is usually around 30-35 PSI) or even a bike tire (max 100 PSI). So when someone says “my gas spring feels weak,” they’re almost always talking about pressure that’s dropped, which happens over time thanks to tiny micro-leaks in the seal. That’s totally normal—they’re not meant to last forever, but catching a pressure drop early saves you from replacing a whole assembly unnecessarily.
Now, let’s get into the actual steps. I’m gonna break this down into two main methods: the super simple “walkaround check” you can do in 30 seconds, and the more precise method if you need to confirm exact pressure numbers for a critical application (like medical or aerospace, which are our bread and butter). Let’s start with the quick one, because that’s what most of you will use day-to-day.
The first rule for any gas spring check: always make sure the spring is fully extended before you do anything. If it’s compressed, you won’t get an accurate reading. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a customer text me saying “my spring is broken” and it turns out they checked it halfway compressed. Step one: extend the spring all the way by hand, or if it’s mounted to a piece of equipment, lift the load it’s supporting until it’s fully extended and lock it in place if you can (use a jack or a helper, especially if it’s a heavy lift gate or a industrial machine guard—safety first, always).
Once it’s fully extended, the walkaround check is dead simple. Grab the rod (the skinny metal part that moves in and out of the spring) and press down on it firmly. If the rod moves in at all, that’s a red flag. Wait—let me explain that. A properly pressurized gas spring should have enough force to hold its load, so when it’s fully extended, the rod should be super stiff, almost impossible to push in with one hand. If it slides in easily? That means the internal pressure has dropped, and the spring is losing its ability to lift or support whatever it’s attached to. On the flip side, if the rod won’t budge even when you push really hard, that’s not always good either—sometimes that means it’s overpressurized, but most of the time, if it’s too stiff when fully extended, it’s probably seized or damaged, not just a pressure issue. If you’re checking a spring that’s supposed to support a load in the compressed position, you’ll do the reverse: compress it all the way, then pull the rod out. If it moves on its own when compressed, pressure is low.
Now, that walkaround is great for a quick “is this spring working?” check, but if you need actual numbers—like if you’re replacing a spring in a custom manufacturing line, or a medical bed that has specific force requirements—you need the precise method, and that’s using a gas spring pressure tester. These testers aren’t some fancy lab tool; most are portable, run like a small air gauge, and work by measuring the force needed to push the rod in a set amount, then converting that number to PSI.
Here’s how to do the precise check step by step, and this is exactly what our techs teach our own installers when we send them out on service calls. First, same as before: make sure the spring is fully extended and secured so it doesn’t snap shut on you. Then, you’ll need to attach the pressure tester to the end of the spring rod. Most testers use a quick-connect fitting that screws or clips on, no tools needed for the basic ones, though heavy-duty industrial testers might need a wrench. Once it’s attached, slowly press the tester’s plunger to push the rod in about 25% of its total travel. Don’t ram it—go slow, because if you push too fast, you’ll get a false reading. The tester will display a force number, usually in Newtons or pounds of force, and then you can divide that number by the cross-sectional area of the rod to get PSI. Wait, I know that sounds like math, but most modern testers do the conversion for you—you just read the PSI straight off the screen, no calculations needed. That’s why I love these portable ones; even for someone who’s not a engineer, it’s super easy.
But here’s a pro tip from our team that most suppliers won’t tell you: always check multiple points along the rod’s travel, not just when it’s fully extended. A lot of times, seals only leak in certain spots, so you might get a good reading at the end, but a bad one in the middle, which means the spring will start feeling weak mid-lift. I’ve had customers come to us with springs that worked great at full extension but died halfway up a door, and that’s exactly why that multi-point check matters.
Now, let’s talk about common mistakes we see all the time when people check gas spring pressure. First, using the wrong force. If you’re checking a spring that’s rated for 500 lbs of force, don’t push with 100 lbs of strength—obviously you need to apply enough force to move the rod, but not so much that you damage the seal. A common mistake is checking a gas spring the same way you check a car shock, which is way harder and will give you a wrong reading because car shocks have oil, not compressed nitrogen inside (oh, quick side note: gas springs are filled with nitrogen gas, not regular air, so that’s why their pressure is consistent, unlike air springs that can leak and go flat fast).
Another big mistake: not accounting for the temperature. Nitrogen pressure changes with temperature, just like any gas. So if you check a spring in 90°F weather, then it’s 20°F the next day, the pressure will drop about 20%—that’s normal, not a broken spring. If you’re doing a precise check, always note the ambient temperature and compare it to the original specs the manufacturer gave you (or if you’re our customer, reach out and we can send you the temp compensation formula, it’s super simple).
Wait, I should also mention what to do if your pressure check comes back low. A lot of people just replace the spring right away, but before you do, check for leaks! Sometimes the seal is just dirty, or there’s a tiny bit of debris blocking it, and you can clean it with a soft cloth and a little rubbing alcohol, then recheck pressure. If it’s still low, then yeah, it’s time to replace it. And a quick tip for new springs: always check their pressure before you install them! We see so many people get a new spring, bolt it on, and then it’s too weak or too strong, because the manufacturer might have tested it at the factory but the pressure drops during shipping or storage. That’s why we include a quick pressure check sheet with every order, just to save our customers the hassle.
Let me give a real example, because that’s what sticks with people. Last month, a customer who makes custom RV awnings called me in a panic. They had 12 new awnings going to a trade show, and half of them wouldn’t stay extended. They thought their new gas springs were bad, so they were ready to ship them all back. We hopped on a call, walked them through the quick check: each spring’s rod was easy to push in, and when we checked with our portable tester, their pressure was 80 PSI when they were rated for 150 PSI. Turned out, the awnings had been sitting in a hot warehouse for a week before they got there, and as they cooled down, pressure dropped, not because the springs were broken. We had them press the rod back in a couple times to re-seat the seal, and when they checked again, pressure was back to normal, and they were good to go for the trade show. No replacement needed, no hassle. That’s the stuff we love helping with, right?
Now, if you’re running a critical application—like a hospital’s exam table, or a factory’s robotic arm, or a school’s gymnasium door that’s big and heavy—you don’t want to mess around with a bad gas spring. That’s why having a regular maintenance schedule for checking pressure is so important. We recommend checking gas spring pressure every 6 months for high-use applications, and once a year for low-use ones. It takes 10 minutes, and it prevents downtime, which is way more expensive than a spring or a service call.
Wait, let’s also address one last question I get all the time: can you adjust gas spring pressure? Short answer: no. Once the spring is sealed, you can’t add or remove nitrogen without a special machine, and even then, it’s not worth doing. It’s way cheaper and faster to just replace the spring if pressure is low. Trying to adjust it yourself will almost always damage the seal, and you’ll end up with a broken spring anyway.
At the end of the day, checking gas spring pressure isn’t rocket science, but it’s something that takes a little know-how to get right. As a gas spring supplier, our whole job is to make sure our customers have the right info to keep their equipment running, no matter what they’re using our springs for—furniture, medical, RV, industrial, whatever. If you’re not sure how to check the pressure on your specific spring, or you need a replacement, or you just have a question about which tester works best for your shop, we’re here to help. No confusing sales pitches, no hidden fees, just straight answers and good products.
If you’ve got a whole fleet of springs to check, or you need custom gas springs made for a new project, or you’re just dealing with a wonky spring that’s holding up your work, reach out to our team. We’ll walk you through every step, send you the right tools if you need them, and make sure you get exactly what you need to get the job done right. Don’t let a bad gas spring slow you down—we’re here to help.
Leather Gaming Chair References
- Gas Spring Basics and Maintenance. Industrial Gas Spring Association, 2022.
- Pressure Measurement Techniques for Sealed Gas Springs. Journal of Industrial Components Engineering, vol. 18, no. 3, 2021, pp. 45-52.
- Temperature Compensation for Pneumatic Systems. Pneumatic Technology Monthly, vol. 15, no. 7, 2023, pp. 19-22.
Zhejiang Zhenxing Furniture Technology Co., Ltd.
Zhejiang Zhenxing Furniture Technology Co., Ltd. is known as one of the most professional gas spring manufacturers and suppliers in China. Our factory offers high quality gas spring made in China with competitive price. Welcome to contact us for wholesale service.
Address: 1905#, Building 1, Financial Center Building, No. 61th South Of Fuyu Road, Lingfeng Street, Dipu town, Anji Country, Zhejiang, China
E-mail: andrew@zhenxingfurniture.com
WebSite: https://www.zxtopfurniture.com/
