| Helpful Hints |
| Select your element wire gauge as follows: as large as possible for the longest element life or as small as possible for the fastest time response. |
| Thermocouple elements used at temperatures higher than what is recommended for their wire gauge will have a drastically reduced useful life |
| Do not use unprotected type K elements around the presence of sulfur or with protection tubes that have not been degreased. Cutting oils contain sulfur and will cause the element to “green-rot” when exposed to elevated temperatures |
| Do not use platinum thermocouple elements in a metal protection tube without using an inner ceramic protection tube, as the metal will contaminate the platinum. |
| Do not use open ended protection tubes with the thermocouple exposed where the element would be exposed to a harmful process environment. For example, type J thermocouples exposed to moisture will allow the iron to rust and deteriorate very rapidly. |
| Ceramic, Silicon Carbide, LT-1 metal ceramic,
Cerite-II and Cerite-III protection tubes are all somewhat subject to thermal shock, and all should be preheated prior to inserting into a high temperature process. |
| Incinerator applications, because of the high temperatures and harmful high velocity gases normally experienced, require high temperature rated and gas tight protection tubes. |
| Do not use Molybdenum or Tantalum sheathed thermocouples in oxidizing atmospheres. They will evaporate within minutes! |
| Welded on NPT bushings must be a larger NPT size than the NPT size of the protection tube onto which the bushing is being welded. |
| Recommended minimum sensor immersion length is equal to 10 times the diameter of the sensor sheath
or protection tube. |
