How to Decrease the Error in Thermocouple Measurements

GENEVA, OH, October 9, 2018

A simple change can improve the accuracy of your thermocouple measurements by over 75%.

The most common thermocouple type today is Type K. You see the yellow connectors everywhere. A type  K thermocouple is an excellent thermocouple for higher temperature measurements typically over 315°C/600°F

If you are working below those temperature there are some options
available to you that can cut your measurement errors by 50% or more.

A standard Type K thermocouple has an error band of ±2.2°C/4.0°F for
measurements below 293°C/559°F, above that it is ±0.75% of reading.

Simply by switching to a Type E thermocouple you can cut your error to ±1.7°C/3°F. That is a 22% decrease in error.

Using a “Special Limits of Error” SLE grade Type E probe further reduces the error further to ±1°C/1.8°F. That is a 55% decrease in error band and you can still measure up to 340°C/644°F with those accuracies. Type E error above 340°C to 900°C is ±0.5%, still 33% more accuracy than a Type K thermocouple.

For Temperatures below 133°C/270°F you can switch to a Type T thermocouple. This temperature range covers many Food Safety related processes. The standard limits of error for a Type T thermocouple is the same as the SLE grade Type E  ±1.8°C/3°F. Going to a SLE Type T thermocouple will reduce the error band by 50% more to ±0.5°C/0.9°F.

If you are working in these lower temperatures, you have reduced the error band from ±2.2°C/4.0°F for a type K thermocouple all the way down to ±0.5°C/0.9°F by switching to a Type T Special Limits of Error probe; a 77% decrease in the measurement error.

Dan Jackson

Temperature Product Manager, Tegam Inc.

See all of TEGAM’s thermocouple thermometers here. 

Please contact TEGAM with any questions you have on our products. Request Demos here.