IDENTIFYING

TEMPERATURE
SENSOR TYPE
GUIDE

+44 (0) 1246 261999

Made By Peak Sensors Limited
pslsales@peaksensors.com
UK Temperature Sensor Manufacturer & Supplier
peaksensors.com
1 Identifying Temperature Sensors

Contents
2 Step 1: Instrumentation Information

3 Step 2: Temperature Sensor Range

4 Step 3: Quantity and Colour of Wires

5 Step 4: Physical Readings

Author
Peter Smith
 Identifying Temperature
Sensor Type

Identifying Temperature Sensors

We often receive phone calls from potential customers who have a
temperature sensor in their hands, but little other information about
it.

This presents us with a number of problems. The first issue is

identifying exactly what type of temperature sensor it is.

Sometimes people ask for a Pt100 thermocouple. This is an

incorrect name for a temperature sensor design as Pt100s and
Thermocouples are two very different technologies.

Most industrial plant contact temperature sensors are

thermocouples, resistance thermometers or thermistors. To
identify the type of sensor, our advice goes along the lines of:

1. Is there any visible information on the instrument that displays

the temperature?
2. What temperatures are usually recorded?
3. How many and what colour are any wires on the sensor or
subsequent cabling?
4. Disconnect the sensor from the system and take a resistance
measurement across any terminals on the sensor with a
multimeter.
 Identifying Temperature
Sensor Type
Step 1: Instrumentation Information
This may not be straightforward due to Jargon. Possibilities are:

Type K Thermocouple. This may also be referred to as NiCr v

NiAl, NiCr v Ni, T1 T2. Type K is the most common
thermocouple type.
Type J Thermocouple. Known as Iron Con, or Fe v Con.
Type N Thermocouple. Nicrosil v Nisil.
Type R Thermocouple. Often called Pt v Pt13%Rh.
Type S Thermocouple. Also known as Pt v Pt10%Rh
Type B Thermocouple. Also referred to as Pt6%Rh v Pt30%Rh
Platinum Resistance Thermometer. Also known as Pt100,
RTD, Pt1000 or simply RT
Thermistors may be referred to an NTC, PTC or simply as
nominal ohmic value such as 10kΏ. The range of resistance
possibilities is very wide.

There is also a range of other less common sensor assemblies

which exact but are extremely rare.

Step 2: Temperature Sensor Range

The temperature sensor range that each sensor type can work at
can hold vital information as to which sensor the customer is
currently using.

The usual maximum temperatures of sensors can be summarised

as below, however, it is not an absolute limit and individual
designs can have other limitations.
 Identifying Temperature
Sensor Type

Step 3: Quantity and Colour of Wires

Colour codes can identify a sensor. If there are 2 wires, it could be
any type of sensor. The options on Thermocouple colours are
summarised here On top of that, a red and white wire will usually
signify a resistance thermometer. American (ANSI) colour codes is
another possibility. If there are 3 wires, two red and one white, it is
almost certainly a 3 wire Resistance thermometer.

A third wire could also be a sheath grounding wire, while the other
two are a thermocouple.
If there are 4 wires, two red and two white, it is probably a 4 wire
resistance thermometer. Any other colours can be again cross-
checked with the above tables as you are probably looking at a
duplex thermocouple with two measuring points.
 Identifying Temperature
Sensor Type

Step 4: Physical Readings

This requires some disassembly and should only be done by

experienced, authorised personnel. A resistance reading across
the sensor terminals can be decisive.

Assuming the temperature sensor is quite small (less than say 1

metre long) a very low resistance reading at any temperature (less
than 10 Ώ) will indicate that it is a thermocouple.

Around 110Ώ at room temperature will almost certainly be a

Pt100, or 1100Ώ at room temp a Pt 1000.

A much higher resistance at room temperature is probably a

thermistor. Open circuit readings simply indicate that the sensor is
broken, and you probably knew that anyway.

We hope that by following this step-by-step guide, you should find

it easy to identify your temperature sensor or assist others to do
so.

+44 (0) 1246 261999

Made By Peak Sensors Limited
pslsales@peaksensors.com
UK Temperature Sensor Manufacturer & Supplier
peaksensors.com