What type of thermocouple should I get

[fiatmom]

I was going to get a thermocouple to to plug into my multi meter. What kind should I get for the high temperature of lead? Would one from a furnace work?

[leadman]

Look on E-bay. They have several styles available. I buy from sellers that have the stock in the USA already as it cuts down on the delivery time a bunch.
Is your DVOM set up to take temperature readings? Not all are.
Walmart sells a DVOM in their automotive department that has a button style thermocouple with it for about $20. It will accept the thermocouple with the probe also.

[fiatmom]

Mine is able to read temps. But will the probe melt, or fry the chip?

[bangerjim]

A t/c is merely two dis-similar (special) metals spot welded together at the very end. There is no "chip" to burn out. The voltage from a K type t/c is in the millivolt range! K is the most common and has the highest mv output for the temp ranges we use.

There are MANY types including J, K, R, S, T and many others.

Stick with K. And your multimeter MUST have a type K range or you will be totally wasting time looking up the millivolt reading in a K chart every time you use it. If your meter DOES read temp directly, it will state plainly what type of t/c it is calibrated for. And will have a isothermic plug/jack specifically for the type of t/c on the meter front. You cannot just hook test leads to it. T/c measurements just don't work that way, sorry.

Just buy a standard bi-metallic probe style lead thermometer like most of us use.

The t/c in a furnace or water heater PILOT LIGHT will NOT work!!!!!!!!!!! Industrial t/c's have a pretty tight tolerance for output.....not anything like the thermocouple or thermopile used in a simple pilot light. Forget that route.

banger

[Mike W1]

A t/c is merely two dis-similar (special) metals spot welded together at the very end. There is no "chip" to burn out. The voltage from a K type t/c is in the millivolt range! K is the most common and has the highest mv output for the temp ranges we use.

There are MANY types including J, K, R, S, T and many others.

Stick with K. And your multimeter MUST have a type K range or you will be totally wasting time looking up the millivolt reading in a K chart every time you use it. If your meter DOES read temp directly, it will state plainly what type of t/c it is calibrated for. And will have a isothermic plug/jack specifically for the type of t/c on the meter front. You cannot just hook test leads to it. T/c measurements just don't work that way, sorry.

Just buy a standard bi-metallic probe style lead thermometer like most of us use.

The t/c in a furnace or water heater PILOT LIGHT will NOT work!!!!!!!!!!! Industrial t/c's have a pretty tight tolerance for output.....not anything like the thermocouple or thermopile used in a simple pilot light. Forget that route.

banger

I yield to your superior knowledge of electricity over mine. But the gent asked about a TC. I happen to have 4 different TC's, 2 PID's, and a VOM that'll read temperature with a TC. They're all within a few degrees of each other no matter which unit I use to read em' with. My probe lead thermometer was close to 100° off before I calibrated it and I have a Tel Tru which are supposed to be decent.

If you aren't in a hurry check out TC's on ebay. Otherwise just get one from Auber's which probably are still made in China but service is great.

[bhn22]

Get a K type thermocouple that's compatible with your meter, and is capable of regular use over 800 degrees. You may not ever need to go that high, but it's nice to be covered in case you do.

[bangerjim]

I yield to your superior knowledge of electricity over mine. But the gent asked about a TC. I happen to have 4 different TC's, 2 PID's, and a VOM that'll read temperature with a TC. They're all within a few degrees of each other no matter which unit I use to read em' with. My probe lead thermometer was close to 100° off before I calibrated it and I have a Tel Tru which are supposed to be decent.

If you aren't in a hurry check out TC's on ebay. Otherwise just get one from Auber's which probably are still made in China but service is great.

I do this "engineering stuff" for a living. You can twist two copper wires together and get it to read "a temperature" on any t/c enabled device. Will it read a temperature? Yes. Is it accurate? No.

It all depends on how accurate one wants to be. Since most on here seem to be delving madly into the Digital and PID world, accuracy should be a prime consideration. Or not. Matching the type of t/c to the meter input iosthermic compensation circuity will give much better accuracy. Anywhere two different metal wires come together in a t/c circuit forms another t/c junction. Test leads can create several t/c's all reading room temp that can add or subtract from the overall mv signal.

The OP should, as I suggested above, read the meter front and just buy the type of t/c for what it was designed for. Simple solution for best accuracy.

bangerjim

[scottfire1957]

I do this "engineering stuff" for a living. You can twist two copper wires together and get it to read "a temperature" on any t/c enabled device. Will it read a temperature? Yes. Is it accurate? No.

It all depends on how accurate one wants to be. Since most on here seem to be delving madly into the Digital and PID world, accuracy should be a prime consideration. Or not. Matching the type of t/c to the meter input iosthermic compensation circuity will give much better accuracy. Anywhere two different metal wires come together in a t/c circuit forms another t/c junction. Test leads can create several t/c's all reading room temp that can add or subtract from the overall mv signal.

The OP should, as I suggested above, read the meter front and just buy the type of t/c for what it was designed for. Simple solution for best accuracy.

bangerjim

So, the OP could look at his instrument and find the answer to his question? Is that possible?

[bangerjim]

Any quality (key word) test meter that reads a t/c input directly will be marked somewhere as to the type of t/c to be used with it. The type will be somewhere on it and in the instruction manual that came with it.

Using "any" industrial quality (key words) t/c that is not the intended one for the meter will probably read plus or minus 25F, depending on the type. If that is good enough, go for it. Not a pilot light couple..

banger