View Full Version : Digital Water Thermometer
Anyone have any recommendations for a digital thermometer that can measure water temps. I'm not looking for anything 24/7 constant measuring. Just a simple solution to take the top off my reservoir and measure an accurate Ambient/water loop Delta temps.
iandh
03-22-2010, 08:19 PM
Anyone have any recommendations for a digital thermometer that can measure water temps. I'm not looking for anything 24/7 constant measuring. Just a simple solution to take the top off my reservoir and measure an accurate Ambient/water loop Delta temps.
If you are in the US, Lowe's hardware sells a digital multimeter that comes with a thermocoupe for around $20 for the whole package. It is accurate to within 0.5 degrees F from my comparisons with my calibrated Omega instruments gauge.
It is in the electrician's tools section.
edit: As you can see, my cat is getting great temps when at idle, I haven't managed to accurately measure load temps yet though
http://www.ihacc.com/pics/cattemp.jpg
Alexandr0s
03-23-2010, 08:21 AM
Oow iandh, share your secret. How do you keep that cat of yours that chilled?! :eek:
SoulsCollective
03-23-2010, 08:23 AM
It's a cat, dude. Cats pretty much embody chilled.
strike
03-23-2010, 09:31 AM
iandh where is the pump?
and the res? and rad?
what cat is that! so cool
wiretap
03-23-2010, 10:08 AM
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/wiretap25/Temp/dig_thermo.png
+
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/wiretap25/Temp/koolance_plug.jpg
Waterlogged
03-23-2010, 10:25 AM
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/wiretap25/Temp/dig_thermo.png
+
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a1/wiretap25/Temp/koolance_plug.jpg
That's the right idea but I wouldn't use the Koolance probe. Koolance uses probes with a much higher resistance than most (50k v 10k), so you'll get some really weird numbers.
shazza
03-23-2010, 10:37 AM
Love the cat, inadh!
Oh rats, Waterlogged - now you tell me. I was planning on using a couple of the Koolance probes with my TMS-200.
@ trn - I've used the same type of multimeter/probe that iandh showed - and it seems to work pretty well. I've used it in conjunction with the probes hooked up to a Crystal Fontz board and the readings seem good.
The issue you will have with a single probe is making sure you get accurate readings over time. I found that very slight fluctuations in room temperature (e.g. A/C cycling on/off) made a significant difference in water temp. But, for an approximation, it should work - just make sure you take multiple measurements at different time intervals. Here's a sample of what I'm talking about:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/Computers/RadiatprTesting/10-20-2009-1-31-45-PM/687301094_wBKwe-M.png
Waterlogged
03-23-2010, 10:39 AM
Love the cat, inadh!
Oh rats, Waterlogged - now you tell me. I was planning on using a couple of the Koolance probes with my TMS-200.
@ trn - I've used the same type of multimeter/probe that iandh showed - and it seems to work pretty well. I've used it in conjunction with the probes hooked up to a Crystal Fontz board and the readings seem good.
The issue you will have with a single probe is making sure you get accurate readings over time. I found that very slight fluctuations in room temperature (e.g. A/C cycling on/off) made a significant difference in water temp. But, for an approximation, it should work - just make sure you take multiple measurements at different time intervals. Here's a sample of what I'm talking about:
snip
shazza, the Koolance probes should work fine with the entire TMS product line.
astrodanco
03-23-2010, 11:07 AM
shazza, the Koolance probes should work fine with the entire TMS product line.In fact you'd better use Koolance probes or identicaly calibrated ones because that's what the TMS-200 expects and it's not flexible enough to handle anything else.
BrokenArrow
03-23-2010, 01:54 PM
I think the OP was looking for a thermometer (to simply insert into reservoir periodically) and not a sensor.
Thanks for the help! The Lowes multimeter with themocouple looks perfect! I'll have to stop by lowes tonight and see if they have one.
iandh
03-23-2010, 02:12 PM
Love the cat, inadh!
Yeah he likes to hang out with me while I'm working. I'm assembling some stealth clamps here.
http://www.ihacc.com/pics/cat.jpg
Success! Went to Lowes and found the same multimeter with themocouple for ~$22. I now know my my Delta is 5c - 6c in my current system (not so good) and I once i replaced the dead 9v battery (damn you Shanghai Jinniu Battery Factory!) Tip for others whom might read this thread (you probably all read down this far just for the pictures of cats :)) don't try Home Depot they have a crappy electrical dept, and make sure you have a 9v battery at home (or buy one at Lowes.)
avddreamr
03-23-2010, 04:25 PM
Success! Went to Lowes and found the same multimeter with themocouple for ~$22. I now know my my Delta is 5c - 6c in my current system (not so good) and I once i replaced the dead 9v battery (damn you Shanghai Jinniu Battery Factory!) Tip for others whom might read this thread (you probably all read down this far just for the pictures of cats :)) don't try Home Depot they have a crappy electrical dept, and make sure you have a 9v battery at home (or buy one at Lowes.)
Heh there's a lowes down the street from me, what did you get? Item number or what have you/
It is exactly the same one that iandh posted the picture of (measuring the cat.) No Lowes in Delray Beach I had to drive up to Boynton. SKU 292768 Multimeter Resi Pro; $23.21 with PBC taxes.
Heh there's a lowes down the street from me, what did you get? Item number or what have you/
=[PULSAR]=
03-24-2010, 12:56 PM
Heh there's a lowes down the street from me, what did you get? Item number or what have you/
I went today and picked up this meter. Readings are way off right now its saying ambient here is 81F when multiple others are reading 70F. Returning it tomorrow.
Good catch. I put mine on F and checked it against 2 other temp sensors I have and its reading high 8 or 10F.
=;4304248']I went today and picked up this meter. Readings are way off right now its saying ambient here is 81F when multiple others are reading 70F. Returning it tomorrow.
=[PULSAR]=
03-24-2010, 03:22 PM
Other thing I noticed when left in ambient its 80F. After I remove it from my waterloop it reads the ambient as being 68F!? So can someone answer where you can find a "NICE" temperature monitoring device locally?
Doh! Mine doesn't suck that bad at least :( It did seem to measure Delta, albeit the temps were inaccurate.
I think i'll try radio shack this weekend. Maybe something like this would work. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049773 I wonder what the humidity will be when the sensor is submerged in my reservoir? :)
=;4304503']Other thing I noticed when left in ambient its 80F. After I remove it from my waterloop it reads the ambient as being 68F!? So can someone answer where you can find a "NICE" temperature monitoring device locally?