Wiring industrial thermocouples: Basic tips

and suggestions

One thing I’ve learned in this industry: Even though there are standards to thermocouple color
codes and types, the most basic rule for installation (In the US, when you’re wiring a
thermocouple, RED is always negative) is non-intuitive to anybody who’s ever done electrical
wiring.

It’s pretty easy to tell when you’ve done it wrong: You wire the thermocouple directly into an
instrument, and as the process gets hotter, readings say it’s cooling down. As your process
cools down, the readings show a rise in temperatures.  If you reverse the wiring at a junction
box, it’ll read in the right direction, but you’ll have errors because of the false junctions.

Here are some basic wiring diagrams from the reference section of the Lesman catalog, with
rules to follow, and some suggestions on specifying the right thermocouple wire.
 There are three basic thermocouple
wiring diagrams listed: 

1. How to wire one thermocouple to one instrument

2. How to wire one thermocouple to two different receiving instruments
3. How to wire multiple thermocouples to a single instrument through a switch

As you can see, none of the diagrams are really complicated, but there are some rules you
need to follow to do it properly.

 In the United States, when you’re connecting thermocouple wires to instrumentation, RED is always
negative. The other color-coded wire is always positive.
 Match the thermocouple wire to the thermocouple type you’re using.
 Use thermocouple wire to make thermocouple elements, or to connect thermocouples to
instrumentation. Thermocouple extension wire should ONLY be used to connect
thermocouples to instrumentation, and copper wire should never be used.
 If you’re wiring a thermocouple into a switch or junction box, the contacts do NOT need to be the
same as the thermocouple materials. Just know that any difference in temperature between the
positive and negative contacts will become an error in the signal.
 Do not run thermocouple leads in conduits that carry power wiring. And do not run conduit carrying
thermocouple leads parallel to electrical buss bars or heavy power-carrying conduit. Cross them at
right angles.
There are also a few tips to consider when you’re buying thermocouple wire. It starts with
matching the wire type to the thermocouple type, but to get the best performance, also consider
these:

 When you’re buying thermocouple wire, choose wire insulation that’s compatible with your
application environment. For applications that require moisture resistance, use Teflon, PVC, Kapton
or Tefzel. For high-temperature applications, use fiberglass, vitreous silica, and ceramic fiber.
 If there’s going to be frequent flexing of the leadwire, use a stranded conductor wire to connect the
thermocouples.
 To provide protection against physical abuse to the wiring, use metal overbraids and leads in flexible
armor.
 To connect sensors to computers and protect against EMF stray signals, use leadwire with
aluminum Mylar sheids and drain wires.