Accuracy is critical for business reliability. With it, businesses can achieve long-term success.
To maintain accurate temperatures, the thermocouple and the circuits that read the temperature must be kept in good condition. It can be done by periodically checking the connections for problems such as corrosion and looseness.
Make Sure the Wires Are Connected Properly
Using the hamitherm thermocouple connectors Severna Park, MD is essential. Thermocouples are just dissimilar metal wires in a tube so that they can be damaged with improper connectors. They must be insulated and fit the thermocouple gauge correctly. It’s also important to note that the connector must be the same metal as the wire.
It would help if you never used a standard electrical crimp connector on a thermocouple. These are typically only used with stranded copper wire. Instead, use a standard electrical splice connector or butt splice connector on the wires and make sure the wires are properly insulated.
Regularly checking the connection points for corrosion and other problems is also a good idea. Often, these are the culprits for inaccurate readings.
Check the Wires for Corrosion
Often, thermocouple wires become corroded or have loose connections that can cause erroneous readings. It is essential to check the wires regularly to ensure that this does not happen and, if it does, that the problem can be corrected before it becomes a significant issue.
Corrosion, oxidation, and contamination can affect how a thermocouple reads by changing the composition of the alloys inside the probes. This change can result in a loss of accuracy over time and eventually require the thermocouple to be replaced.
To prevent corrosion on the connectors, it is recommended that they not be used in corrosive environments or where they will come in contact with abrasive surfaces. They also need to be kept away from high-voltage wiring as this can cause interference that could affect the accuracy of the signal. They should also be kept from touching bare metal as this can result in a short circuit.
Check the Connection Points for Loose Connections
The thermocouple probe is connected to a temperature reading device via a wire, which is essential for accurate measurements. These points must be properly inspected, and all connections must be in good working order. Connections can corrode, become loose, or fail. It is essential to check these areas regularly to keep a minor issue from becoming a major one that could result in an outage of your Catalytic Oxidizers, Recuperative Thermal Oxidizers, or other air pollution control equipment.
Proper connections can make it extremely easy to swap out thermocouples without fumbling around wiring, hiring an electrician, or shutting down your whole manufacturing process. Generally speaking, it is best to use the thermocouple connectors provided with the gauge/instrument or the manufacturer’s recommended connection methods, such as a butt splice. Other options include crimped connectors (which introduce another junction to the system) or quick wiring caps.
Check the Connection Points for Damage
Thermocouples are a critical component of your process. They provide accurate temperature readings and ensure that your process is running efficiently. However, a single failure of a thermocouple can result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in products and production delays. That’s why keeping up with preventative maintenance practices for your thermocouples is essential.
To prevent this, ensure the thermocouple wires are protected from heat. For example, you should avoid placing fans close to the cold junction. It can cause them to short out. You should also ensure that the thermocouple is grounded at only one location. Using more than one ground can create a current loop, affecting measurement accuracy.
Also, it would help if you never placed the thermocouple leads near other sources of metal that can short out the thermocouple. Finally, you should check the thermocouple for proper polarity. The red wire should generally be the negative (-) wire in thermocouples and wiring harnesses.
