Can you bend a thermocouple tip? (2025 Update)

Question

My motorhome oven is having problems staying alight. No obvious faults or blockages etc. so I thought I try changing the thermocouple.

As is the way of these things, it turns out to be a weird one priced at £60+ online.

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My one has a bent tip and looking at the oven's schematics, it came with it bent like that, it's not a bodge.

So, I'm wondering if I can use a more readily available thermocouple and bend the tip of it without ruining it.

I guess the only way might be to bend one and then testing it but I just curious to know if anyone has bent one without ruining it.

I'm *guessing* that Dometic get straight ones from their suppliers and bend them themselves but I could be wrong. They seem to be the only users of bent thermocouples.

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Theo · Accepted Answer

Do you know what kind of thermocouple it is - J type, K type, S type etc?

That isn't the actual thermocouple, the actual sensing part is a tiny weld between two dissimilar metals - it's evidently then been potted in that metal tube.

Assuming you don't part the weld or short it to the metal there's no reason why you can't try bending it. Possibly they have bent the tube before potting it, but it's possible the potting material is sand or something which is pliable.

Replacement thermocouples of various types in various fittings can be found on Aliexpress. You may be able to work out what type it is based on the temperature range you'd expect it to experience. Or with a microvolt multimeter and trying it at different temperatures to see what voltages you get - try them here:

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Theo

Can you bend a thermocouple tip? (2025 Update)

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