Proper Placement of Thermowells for Your Industrial Thermometers

The old adage of “you wouldn’t bring a knife to a gunfight” goes to show every situation requires the right tool or the right specifications to meet the job. Sure that is a rather corky way to put it, but the reality is many industrial operations have improperly specified and installed their thermowells, leading to an array of issues and failures that could be prevented with the support of a knowledgeable partner like Temp-Pro. 

When installing RTDs coupled with thermowells and other temperature-sensing devices, Temp-Pro takes into account environmental dynamics, device materials and other variables that can influence their performance in the field. Even the length of the stem or the insertion depth of a thermowell play a defining role in its performance—which is why our company goes to great lengths to support our customers’ thermowell design and installation needs.

Here are some essential best practices to consider when specifying a thermowell for an industrial operation:

• Placement of thermowells: Place two thermowells too close and you may end up with inaccurate readings for both. Place them too far apart and you may have discrepancies in the measurement. To prevent this from happening, Temp-Pro recommends applying the proper inline or offset placement when installing thermowells as a way to prevent them from conflicting with each other.

• Balance between length and exposure: The physical properties of a thermowell have a direct relevance to its performance. If you expose most of the stem to the process, you will get accurate readings but increased wear-and-tear. And if you expose too little of that stem, you will then end up with inaccurate readings. The balancing act for the installation of a thermowell requires consultation with a knowledgeable support partner like Temp-Pro. 

• Pipe location: Location, location, location… This doesn’t only apply to Real Estate. In fact, the location of a thermowell in relation to the process flow—particularly in pipeline elbows—can make a huge impact in its performance. Temp-Pro can help you figure out whether you need a downstream or upstream location to ensure the proper temperature measurement.

• Flow dynamics: Determining the placement of a thermowell is also influenced by the process flow, which can be pulsating or steady, as well as the type of media being processed. Case in point, process in the form of liquids, slurry or a mixture of both plays a role in where and how you would place a thermowell. On that same note, the size of a pipe and the distance between other devices or elements in the pipeline can decrease the effectiveness of an optimally-placed thermowell.

Temp-Pro’s experience and exposure to a variety of industrial clients and thermowell installations makes our company the perfect source for this type of temperature sensing device. Our team has been working with industrial customers for over four decades, serving their needs and amassing a comprehensive level of knowledge that can support ¥our technical or engineering team’s decision-making. 

Contact Temp-Pro today at 800-991-9093 to learn more about our thermowell design, manufacturing and installation experience. We are ready to serve all your needs to ensure your thermowells are properly placed with the appropriate configuration to ensure their performance.