unfinished.one

Uniformat D3060

Temperature sensor

A temperature sensor lasts about 12.5 years, as stated by the one published source on file.

Also listed as temp sensor, RTD, thermistor

  • Confidence C
  • Version 0.4.0 (permanent link)
  • Reviewed 2026-10-22

Service life

12.5 yearsmedian of the stated lives · sources say 10–15 years
051015201015

Years in service. The band runs from the shortest to the longest life the sources state, so it shows how much they disagree, not how long 80% of units last. The line is the median of the stated lives.

Work out when yours is due for replacement

One source. This value rests on a single document (CNA e-Tool Estimated Useful Life Table, p13). Treat it as that source's figure, not a settled life, until others confirm it.

Basis

  • 15 years · CNA e-Tool Estimated Useful Life Table, p13 · HUD CNA 3.4.3.2.2 “Heat sensors” — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (planning life)
    Same life for family and elderly properties. US multifamily housing.
  • 10 years · CNA e-Tool Estimated Useful Life Table, p13 · HUD CNA 3.4.3.2.3 “Outdoor temperature sensor” — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (planning life)
    Same life for family and elderly properties. US multifamily housing.

How sources are chosen and recorded: sourcing policy.

Municipal lives for HVAC (D30)

48 municipalities in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta state a life for HVAC as a whole, in 39 distinct tables: 10–50 years, median 20. 65 rows come from capital asset policies (accounting lives, used for amortization) and 6 from asset management plans (planning lives, used to forecast replacement). They describe the system rather than this component, and none is a measured life.

Median 20 yearsTrent Lakes: HVAC, 10 yearsDuncan and North Cowichan: HVAC, 15 yearsLantzville: HVAC, 15 yearsGrey Highlands: Furnace, gas-fired, 15 yearsKapuskasing: HVAC, 15 yearsSarnia: HVAC, 15 yearsThe Blue Mountains: Furnace, gas-fired, 15 yearsLloydminster: HVAC, 20 yearsLloydminster: HVAC, 20 yearsLloydminster: HVAC, 20 yearsLloydminster: HVAC, 20 yearsComox Valley: Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, 20 yearsCranbrook: Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, 20 yearsParksville: HVAC, 20 yearsTelkwa: HVAC, 20 yearsAmherstburg: HVAC, Electrical, 20 yearsAmherstburg: Ice plant compressor; Ice plant brine chiller; Arena dehumidifier, 20 yearsChapple: HVAC, 20 yearsGreater Napanee: Unit heater, gas-fired; Unit heater, hydronic, 20 yearsGrey Highlands: HVAC, 20 yearsHuron: HVAC, 20 yearsHuron: HVAC, 20 yearsHuron: HVAC, 20 yearsHuron: HVAC, 20 yearsKenora: HVAC, 20 yearsLondon: Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, 20 yearsMeaford: HVAC, 20 yearsPrince Edward: HVAC, 20 yearsRainy River: HVAC, 20 yearsRainy River: HVAC, 20 yearsSevern: HVAC, 20 yearsThe Blue Mountains: HVAC, 20 yearsWelland: HVAC, Electrical, 20 yearsCanmore: HVAC, 25 yearsLeduc: HVAC, 25 yearsDuncan and North Cowichan: HVAC, Electrical, 25 yearsLantzville: Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, 25 yearsTofino: HVAC, Electrical, 25 yearsAmherstburg: Evaporative condenser, 25 yearsGreater Madawaska and Quinte West: HVAC, 25 yearsGreater Napanee: HVAC, Electrical, 25 yearsGrey Highlands: HVAC, 25 yearsKingston: HVAC, 25 yearsKirkland Lake: HVAC, Electrical, 25 yearsOrillia: Ice plant compressor; Evaporative condenser, 25 yearsSevern: HVAC, 25 yearsSevern: HVAC, 25 yearsThe Blue Mountains: HVAC, 25 yearsBrantford: HVAC, 30 yearsGreater Napanee: Ice plant brine chiller, 30 yearsSimcoe: HVAC, 30 yearsBrockton: HVAC, Electrical, 40 yearsMeaford: HVAC, 50 yearsFort St. James, Revelstoke and 3 more: HVAC, 10–12 yearsOkanagan-Similkameen: HVAC, 10–12 yearsSalmo: HVAC, 10–12 yearsWestlock: HVAC, 15–20 yearsMeaford: Furnace, gas-fired, 15–25 yearsBancroft, Centre Hastings and 2 more: HVAC, 20–25 yearsOrillia: HVAC, 20–25 yearsVulcan County: HVAC, Electrical, 20–30 years0102030405060

Years. Each dot is one stated life and each bar a stated range; equal values stack. Hollow marks are planning lives from asset management plans; filled marks are accounting lives from policies. The dashed line is the median. Policies that copy the same table count once.

All 61 stated lives
MunicipalityCoversYearsKindSource
Trent LakesHVAC10accountingp10 · 2009
Fort St. James, Revelstoke, Rossland, Sicamous, Tumbler Ridge · same tableHVAC10–12accountingp5, p9, p7, p9, p5 · 2010
Okanagan-SimilkameenHVAC10–12accountingp11 · 2023
SalmoHVAC10–12accountingp6 · 2016
Duncan, North Cowichan · same tableHVAC15accountingp17, p9 · 2011
LantzvilleHVAC15accountingp11 · 2019
Grey HighlandsFurnace, gas-fired15accountingp11 · 2026
KapuskasingHVAC15accountingp14 · 2009
SarniaHVAC15accountingp1
The Blue MountainsFurnace, gas-fired15accountingp11 · 2019
WestlockHVAC15–20accountingp11 · 2021
MeafordFurnace, gas-fired15–25accountingp17 · 2020
LloydminsterHVAC20accountingp11 · 2023
LloydminsterHVAC20accountingp11 · 2023
LloydminsterHVAC20accountingp11 · 2023
LloydminsterHVAC20accountingp11 · 2023
Comox ValleyPlumbing, HVAC, Electrical20accountingp6 · 2010
CranbrookPlumbing, HVAC, Electrical20accountingp9 · 2010
ParksvilleHVAC20accountingp9 · 2023
TelkwaHVAC20accountingp8
AmherstburgHVAC, Electrical20accountingp8 · 2026
AmherstburgIce plant compressor; Ice plant brine chiller; Arena dehumidifier20accountingp8 · 2026
ChappleHVAC20accountingp1
Greater NapaneeUnit heater, gas-fired; Unit heater, hydronic20accountingp16 · 2012
Grey HighlandsHVAC20accountingp11 · 2026
HuronHVAC20planningp42 · 2025
HuronHVAC20planningp57 · 2025
HuronHVAC20planningp68 · 2025
HuronHVAC20planningp77 · 2025
KenoraHVAC20accountingp15 · 2026
LondonPlumbing, HVAC, Electrical20accountingp2 · 2023
MeafordHVAC20accountingp17 · 2020
Prince EdwardHVAC20accountingp34 · 2022
Rainy RiverHVAC20accountingp11 · 2010
Rainy RiverHVAC20planningp17 · 2026
SevernHVAC20accountingp400 · 2019
The Blue MountainsHVAC20accountingp11 · 2019
WellandHVAC, Electrical20accountingp8 · 2021
Bancroft, Centre Hastings, Hastings Highlands, Wollaston · same tableHVAC20–25accountingp5, p4, p6, p5
OrilliaHVAC20–25accountingp19
Vulcan CountyHVAC, Electrical20–30accountingp5 · 2024
CanmoreHVAC25accountingp10 · 2025
LeducHVAC25accountingp13 · 2019
Duncan, North Cowichan · same tableHVAC, Electrical25accountingp17, p9 · 2011
LantzvillePlumbing, HVAC, Electrical25accountingp11 · 2019
TofinoHVAC, Electrical25accountingp12 · 2009
AmherstburgEvaporative condenser25accountingp8 · 2026
Greater Madawaska, Quinte West · same tableHVAC25accountingp17, p38 · 2025
Greater NapaneeHVAC, Electrical25accountingp16 · 2012
Grey HighlandsHVAC25accountingp11 · 2026
KingstonHVAC25accountingp15 · 2016
Kirkland LakeHVAC, Electrical25accountingp10 · 2020
OrilliaIce plant compressor; Evaporative condenser25accountingp19
SevernHVAC25accountingp400 · 2019
SevernHVAC25accountingp400 · 2019
The Blue MountainsHVAC25accountingp11 · 2019
BrantfordHVAC30planningp10 · 2025
Greater NapaneeIce plant brine chiller30accountingp16 · 2012
SimcoeHVAC30accountingp19 · 2025
BrocktonHVAC, Electrical40accountingp2 · 2009
MeafordHVAC50accountingp17 · 2020

Of 71 rows, 4 were compared with an image of their page; 67 were matched to their page automatically (the label and number appear in the page text). Follow the page link before relying on an automatically matched row. About the policies · All approved rows as JSON

Preventive maintenance

7 tasks in 2 work orders. Intervals that fall due together are one visit: the annual visit also covers the semi-annual tasks.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6Semi
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12Annual

Months from the schedule start. Download the tasks as CSV for a CMMS, or ask the MCP tool get_pm_schedule for dated visits.

Semi-annual · 1 task

Source: Operations & Maintenance Best Practices: A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency, Release 3.0, 9.6.10 Building Controls Checklist

TaskPage
Check all sensors (temperature, pressure, humidity, flow) read expected valuesp204

Annual · 6 tasks

TaskSource
Calibrate all sensors (temperature, pressure, humidity, flow)Operations & Maintenance Best Practices: A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency, Release 3.0, p204
Check sensor is secure, unobstructed and in the right placePublic Buildings Service Preventive Maintenance Guide (Public Buildings Maintenance Standards), p122
Check sensor voltage, current or resistance; adjust or replace if out of rangePublic Buildings Service Preventive Maintenance Guide (Public Buildings Maintenance Standards), p122
Check its setpoint is reasonable and matches building documentsPublic Buildings Service Preventive Maintenance Guide (Public Buildings Maintenance Standards), p122
Compare BAS reading with a calibrated handheld meter over five readingsPublic Buildings Service Preventive Maintenance Guide (Public Buildings Maintenance Standards), p122
Calibrate or replace sensors reading outside their accuracyPublic Buildings Service Preventive Maintenance Guide (Public Buildings Maintenance Standards), p122

Frequencies are ISO 8601 durations in the data (P3M = every 3 months).

Open questions

  • Only one source so far: HUD planning lives for US multifamily housing. Canadian and observed sources are needed.
  • Written for GSA contracted O&M in US federal buildings; job plans are generic and defer to manufacturer instructions, and the fire extinguisher plans only point to NFPA 10.

Know the answer? Send it with a source to [email protected].

Cite this

Citation

unfinished.one (2026). Temperature sensor, v0.4.0. https://unfinished.one/c/sensor-temperature/v/0.4.0

BibTeX

@misc{unfinished_sensor_temperature_0_4_0,
  title = {Temperature sensor},
  author = {{unfinished.one}},
  year = {2026},
  version = {0.4.0},
  url = {https://unfinished.one/c/sensor-temperature/v/0.4.0},
  note = {CC BY 4.0}
}

Licence CC BY 4.0 · How to cite · JSON · Versions: 0.4.0, 0.3.0, 0.2.0, 0.1.0