Temperature sensors and controllers

Temperature sensors are devices widely used both in home appliances and installations, as well as in industrial solutions. They can be found in almost every electronic mechanism, regardless of whether it uses simple or extremely complex microprocessor circuits. Temperature sensors play a particularly important role in equipment used, for example, in the chemical, food, automotive and mining industries. These are industries where it is extremely important to maintain specific temperatures of equipment when performing specific work.

The task of the sensors is to monitor the temperature of the equipment or installation. If one of the critical values is exceeded, the device should force specific actions to be launched (e.g. turning on cooling, turning off the system, etc.) or at least inform the user about this state of affairs.

A very wide range of applications of temperature sensors makes it possible to distinguish at least several types of this type of equipment. Depending on the needs and construction of individual equipment or installations, other temperature monitoring solutions are used.

Integrated temperature sensors

One of the most popular types of temperature sensors is the integrated (also called integrated) models. In these devices, the circuits processing the measurement signal are placed together with the measurement element in one housing (hence their name). These sensors are most often constructed on a semiconductor substrate (usually silicon).

Integrated models are used primarily in electronic equipment. The sensors are to monitor the temperature and indirectly protect the devices from overheating. These systems have a temperature range of -55°C to +150°C. This silicon substrate is usually based on the dependence of the voltage of the base-emitter junction (or the voltage difference of the two junctions of the transistor) on temperature. Integrated sensors are not the most precise devices of this type. They are rather used for simpler equipment with not very complicated electronic circuits. The advantage of the product is certainly its low price and small size.

Remote temperature sensors

More advanced are remote sensors. These are devices in which the measuring element is located at a certain distance from the rest of the measuring track. Simply put – they are not integrated circuits enclosed within a single mechanism. This solution allows to significantly increase the temperature range, which in this case ranges from -270°C to over +1800°C. These are complex and precise devices that are used to control various types of industrial processes taking place in very difficult conditions (for example, crude oil distillation).

Thermo-resistive, thermocouple and other sensors

A special type of temperature sensors are thermoresistance models. As their name indicates, the operation of the devices is based on the phenomenon of changing the resistance of the measuring element as a function of temperature. The manner of these changes is usually determined by the thermoelectric characteristics of a given element. There are two types of thermal resistance sensors – metal and semiconductor.

There are also thermoelectric sensors, called thermocouples. These devices use the phenomenon of creating a potential difference at the point of contact between two dissimilar metals, proportional to the difference in their temperature. These types of sensors are characterized by a very wide temperature range, which is from -270°C to over +1800°C. For this reason, they are used, for example, in the automotive or aviation industry, where they are used to control the temperature inside the engines.

Temperature sensors (remote) include a semiconductor diode. It enables measurement in the range from approx. -55°C to approx. +150°C, with an accuracy of ±1°C. This type of sensor can be found in simple devices with an average risk of heating up.

Our offer includes e.g. temperature sensors that allow you to control other elements of home automation. We mainly have wire sensors of various lengths.

Basic tasks of temperature controllers

The category also includes temperature controllers. These are simple devices that are designed to manually set the temperature (e.g. in a room) to specific values. In this way, you can, for example, precisely determine how warm the house should be during the day, and what conditions should prevail at night when sleeping. This increases the comfort of using the living space, improves well-being and allows you to generate significant savings. Temperature controllers are the basis for installation in modern facilities based, for example, on intelligent building systems. Slightly more advanced models operate in such a way as to involve the potential controller as little as possible. At this time, temperature adjustment is almost automatic based on previously programmed settings.

What's important – the regulator can both raise and lower the temperature. Setting a given option involves sending a signal to the boiler about the need to take appropriate action, i.e. to stop operation (or to slow it down) or to start or intensify it. Automatic regulators take the input signal from the temperature sensor. This makes their operation possible without manual manipulation of the device.

How to choose temperature controllers

These devices can be used not only in homes, but also in office or industrial spaces (e.g. in production halls). When choosing a regulator, you need to take into account the type of input sensor you already have, the range of supported temperature, the required type of output power and the number and type of sensors. For many people, the design of the device, which is usually mounted in the wall, will also be important. Currently, you can easily choose them in such a way that they match the color of light switches or sockets.

Brand temperature regulators in the el12 offer

On el12.pl we have a wide range of temperature regulators. You can find accessories from reputable manufacturers. We sell sensors and regulators of such brands as Berker Breve, Elektrobok, F&F, Hager, Kontakt-Simon, Legrand, Eaton, Ospel, Schneider Electric and Zamel. Individual models operate at a rated voltage of 12, 24 and 230 V. We have accessories supporting a rated current in the range from 0.01 to 16 A and operating in the following temperature conditions:

• above 5°C,
• from 30°C to 60°C,
• -4°C to 5°C,
• 5°C to 35°C,
• 5°C to 40°C,
• from 60 to 95°C
• from 5°C to 30 °C.

 We make every effort to ensure that products purchased in our store reach customers as soon as possible. As a standard, orders are processed within 2-3 days. However, it happens that a given product is currently not in stock. In such a situation, the delivery time of the purchased equipment may be extended up to several weeks. Information about the approximate time of order fulfillment is on the card of each product, just below the technical specification.