RTD Wire Options

Anyone have any thoughts on replacing the wire on the RTDs from Auberins? The wire that came with them seems pretty cheesy and is so thin it won’t even clamp down in the disconnect. Home Despot has some 18/3 rubber coated (think extension cord/power tool cord) I was looking at but I’m not sure how it would do around the heat. I thought I saw someone’s system that had some nice braided cable but now I can’t find the post.

Use RTD rated wire. Do not use the HD electrical wire. The wire you have is fine. Just strip it longer and double it up if needed.

My understanding was that the 3rd wire compensates in longer runs and that there is no need to use a specific type of wire. From Omega:

An RTD is inherently a 2-wire device, but lead wire resistance can drastically reduce the accuracy of the measurement by adding additional, uncompensated resistance into your system. Most applications therefore add a third wire to help the circuit compensate for lead wire resistance, and thus provide a truer indication of the measured temperature.

If you look here, it doesn't even talk about the wire (only stranded or not) and talks more about the insulation.

http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=EXGG-2CU_3CU_WIRE&Nav=temh06


Any other thoughts for our application of this technology?

http://cableorganizer.com/braided-sleeving/

That is what I am going to use. I will be using shrink wrap to seal the ends. Kal did this on his controls and it looks professional.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

http://cableorganizer.com/braided-sleeving/

That is what I am going to use. I will be using shrink wrap to seal the ends. Kal did this on his controls and it looks professional.

Click to expand...

I think you mean shrink tubing... not shrink wrap?

I am planning to do the same by the way.

So are you using the same wire that came with the RTD then? What diameter are you going to get?

Ha. Yeah, shrink tubing... I'm an idiot.

the 1/8" tubing should work for the RTD wire from Auber Instruments.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

Ha. Yeah, shrink tubing... I'm an idiot.

Click to expand...

Not at all... just thought I might prevent a potential branch discussion about where to find shrink wrap.

For some reason, I thought you were extending wires. It's a jobsite hazard of mine. The purpose of the extension wire is to compensate for the length of lead wires. If you use any ole type of wire it will have a different temperature coefficient. The wire resistance changes with temperature. If you use a different type the resistance will not be the same as the lead wire and give you an inaccurate reading. If you use the same wire from the RTD to transmitter you should be OK.

Poobah58 said:

For some reason, I thought you were extending wires. It's a jobsite hazard of mine. The purpose of the extension wire is to compensate for the length of lead wires. If you use any ole type of wire it will have a different temperature coefficient. The wire resistance changes with temperature. If you use a different type the resistance will not be the same as the lead wire and give you an inaccurate reading. If you use the same wire from the RTD to transmitter you should be OK.

Click to expand...

So what I'd like to do is totally replace the wire that came with the RTD with new, more burly wire. SO, any Cu 3 conductor wire should work then?

I doesn't have to be burly. Any 18 to 22 gauge 3-wire low voltage jacketed wire will work just fine.

I use doorbell wire from ace. Already woven and cheap. 3wire connectors from omega.