Stainless steel temperature probe

[aj741986]

Hey I'm thinking about using a stainless steel temperature probe in my water make up station. I think it would be ok but figured I'd ask the community for their input.

 

[Copingwithpods]

Yup that's fine, mostly all high end temp probes are stainless.

 

[Copingwithpods]

Yup that's fine, mostly all high end temp probes are stainless.

 

[enb141]

Yup that's fine, mostly all high end temp probes are stainless.

I'm curios, why those "expensive" brands like Neptune only offer plastic made probes?

Also, all temperature controllers that I've seen have plastic probes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Depends on what type of stainless steel.

 

[Miller535]

Depends on what type of stainless steel.

Yep, as I recall there are only 2 grades of stainless that can resist the corrosiveness of saltwater.

 

[Miller535]

I'm curios, why those "expensive" brands like Neptune only offer plastic made probes?

Also, all temperature controllers that I've seen have plastic probes.

I do not know for sure, this is just my guess. But the stainless steel things I have had in my tank, like my grounding probe, get gunked up really quickly and get a buildup on them that is really hard to clean off. The things like the apex plastic grounding probe do not seem to get that. That thick build up would likely mess up it's accuracy of temp readings.

 

[Adamantium]

I use InkbirdSmart temp controllers in my tanks, but I spray the probes with plastidip before putting them in. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

For very long submersion (years), I would put my probes into normal flexible tygon tubing just big enough to fit, and doubled it over with the ends above water so the probes stayed dry. I had both stainless steel and plastic thermistor probes fail after long continuous contact with water.

 

[enb141]

For very long submersion (years), I would put my probes into normal flexible tygon tubing just big enough to fit, and doubled it over with the ends above water so the probes stayed dry. I had both stainless steel and plastic thermistor probes fail after long continuous contact with water.

I was thinking something like that, I was thinking to put the probe in a PVC housing so to test only the surrounding temperature inside the PVC housing, I don't know if there's a huge difference in temperature from the PVC and the water surrounding it.

I was also thinking using a laser beam to read the temperature of the water in the sump.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I was thinking something like that, I was thinking to put the probe in a PVC housing so to test only the surrounding temperature inside the PVC housing, I don't know if there's a huge difference in temperature from the PVC and the water surrounding it.

I was also thinking using a laser beam to read the temperature of the water in the sump.

Laser? You mean infrared sensor?

 

[Lasse]

I was thinking something like that, I was thinking to put the probe in a PVC housing so to test only the surrounding temperature inside the PVC housing, I don't know if there's a huge difference in temperature from the PVC and the water surrounding it.

I was also thinking using a laser beam to read the temperature of the water in the sump.

If you do not have fast changing in the temperature - it will works well

If you will use a infrared sensor for the temperature in your sump - be sure that you make a black area on the sumps outer wall. Measure against that black area - you can´t use a reflecting surface if you use a infrared sensor. If you do - you will also read the reflecting infrared radiation from other sources. Very few people know this and wrong readings with these type of equipment is very common - as we say in Sweden - it is working days food

sincerely Lasse

 

[enb141]

Laser? You mean infrared sensor?

My bad, yes I meant infrared.

 

[enb141]

If you do not have fast changing in the temperature - it will works well

If you will use a infrared sensor for the temperature in your sump - be sure that you make a black area on the sumps outer wall. Measure against that black area - you can´t use a reflecting surface if you use a infrared sensor. If you do - you will also read the reflecting infrared radiation from other sources. Very few people know this and wrong readings with these type of equipment is very common - as we say in Sweden - it is working days food

sincerely Lasse

With infrared I was thinking to put it on the top my sump and read to the bottom of the sump, something like this


--------------------------
IR SENSOR
|
|
\/


SUMP
--------------------------


Seeing from top to bottom

 

[GillMeister]

If you do not have fast changing in the temperature - it will works well

If you will use a infrared sensor for the temperature in your sump - be sure that you make a black area on the sumps outer wall. Measure against that black area - you can´t use a reflecting surface if you use a infrared sensor. If you do - you will also read the reflecting infrared radiation from other sources. Very few people know this and wrong readings with these type of equipment is very common - as we say in Sweden - it is working days food

sincerely Lasse

Yes. It's all about having a low emissivity surface to measure. The fact is there are no surfaces with perfect emissivity, making infrared temperature readings inherently inaccurate. It's still the best practice to use immersion probes.

 

[Lasse]

With infrared I was thinking to put it on the top my sump and read to the bottom of the sump, something like this


--------------------------
IR SENSOR
|
|
\/


SUMP
--------------------------


Seeing from top to bottom

IMO - it will not give a correct reading - the water surface will reflect all IR radiation in the cabinet.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[enb141]

Yes. It's all about having a low emissivity surface to measure. The fact is there are no surfaces with perfect emissivity, making infrared temperature readings inherently inaccurate. It's still the best practice to use immersion probes.

Thanks for the advice.