Thermistor Probes [Useful Guide]

Thermistor probes offer protection to harsh and exposed environments to their thermistor sensor element.

view our thermistor probe range here . Custom probes are also available.

more information on Thermistors can be found in our  What is a Thermistor blog post 

The problem with exposed Thermistors

This is because the traditional thermistor is a small fragile component sometimes with legs for through hole soldering or a surface mounted component.

Their small size and exposure to the environment means they can change accordingly quickly to the temperature.

However because of their exposure to the environment these small elements can break. 

If the thermistor element  has legs these can break off causing an open circuit, or if this thermistor is a surface mounted component it means the PCB has to be exposed (sometimes this can be done intentionally but that is covered else where)

The environment may seem safe but airflow and humidity slowly erodes thermistor legs.

Thermistor probes offer varying levels of protection

Thermistor probes are essentially the raw thermistor element enclosed into a protective enclosure. The type of enclosure offers varying levels of protection , however with this protection comes a cost THERMAL RESPONSE.

A rule of thumb is the better the protection the slower the thermal response.

Types of Thermistor Probes

IP67 cable - 103AT-11 Thermistor probe

The 103AT-11 Thermistor probe is a versatile TPE tipped probe which offers rugged protection in addition protection against water with an IP67 rating and is an excellent choice for optimal protection against the elements. This probe ha a good mixture between protection and response time.

Epoxy Leaded - AT-4 

AT-4 has good thermal response qualities and reasonable protection against most non harsh environments and airflow making it a great choice for most applications that don't require prolonged exposure to water.

M4 Ring mechanical - C3

The C3 thermistor probes are designed mostly for mechanical applications that need to monitor the temperature by securing the sensor mechanically , this Thermistor probe uses the universal and popular M4 bolt size. Along as the back of the thermistor is in contact with the surface to be measured the thermal response is decent and can be further improved with thermal paste.

Thin film - JT

This Thermistor probe has limited environmental protection and requires to be handled with care during install but offers the best thermal response out of the probes listed here . Due to its low mass and thin construction the temperature sensor with react quickly to temperature changes.

Metallic enclosure - TT08

This is a popular thermistor probe that offers mechanical and water ingress protection. The metallic enclosure will offer great protection but at a cost , this cost is thermal response.

Pipe Thermistor probes -TT0P

These thermistor probes are examples of a specific application .This are perfectly suited to measure the pipe temperature. Their thermal response is good enough for their application and can be further improved with thermal paste. although this has good mechanical protection and water ingress rating it is specifically design for one purpose for measuring the pipe temperature.

view our guide on this Pipe temperature sensor 

Custom Thermistor probes

If a specific application requires a custom thermistor probe then please contact for our probe design services scroll to the bottom of the page here  for our custom thermistor probe design form.