Pyrometer equipment

[Alyosha]

Hello,

What advice would you have getting a pyrometer for beginning kiln firings ?

I have bought a k type thermocouple sensor metal twig with clay perles around it and a cheap digital thermometer. The thermometer came with two small plug in sensor with fin cable, I assembled the plug with the K type sensor but it does not work, the number are quite random, any ideas why ?

 

Kind Regards,

Happy new year,

Antonin

[Alyosha]

[Bill Kielb]

Thermocouples are like a small battery, they produce their own voltage so it is very rare to have a completely defective new thermocouple.

Most likely a wire connection so make sure you have the thermocouple wire connected securely as appropriate. The next thought is thermocouples are polarized, there is a positive + and Negative - side. You may have them inadvertently switched. Try switching side for side.

[neilestrick]

You've probably got a bad wire connection somewhere. That particular type of porcelain block doesn't always tighten up on the wires properly. You'll have to remove the washers from the set screws and double up the wires. Otherwise, those cheap pyrometers work just fine.

[Alyosha]

Thanks for the good news Neil !

[Alyosha]

Indeed after neatly twisting the wires on a fair amount of length and twisting them again back and forth until they were as thick as the metal sensor twig  it worked