Sous Vide Magic Sensor Failure?

[sahmd]

I know there are a number of devoted SVM/FMM users here at eGullet (myself now included), so I was hoping for some feedback -

I purchased my Sous Vide Magic about a year ago and use it pretty regularly - probably 5-10 times per month. Today, while it was working, the alarm started going off - I was cooking a flat iron steak at 131 F and the temp had somehow increased to over 160 F. I checked the water temp and it turns out it was 131, right on the money. I took this to mean that the SVM unit itself was working properly and the sensor had died - this was confirmed when I switched to a back-up sensor I had.

I know I can (and will) purchase additional sensors from the website ($30 USD per), but I was wondering if any of you have had the same experience - how long do the sensors typically last? Is there anything as far as maintenance/storage that I should be doing to extend their life?

Thanks for your input.

Looking forward to my steak .

-- Seth

[Kerry Beal]

There is a life span - I think I got about 5 years out of the first one that came with the beta unit I tested. Good idea to always have a spare around just in case.

[blackp]

The latest SVM sensor is practically bullet proof. I've had one continuously submerged in my SV tank for nearly a year now and it still works fine. The older style sensors (straight sided cylindrical shape) had issues with moisture if you left them submerged, these new ones do not seem to have the same issue.

[lesliec]

Not sure if it's something in the air (or water!) here, but I've had a bad run with sensors in the three or four years I've been using my SVM. I must have gone through five or more of them (as Peter - blackp - knows!). Exactly the same symptoms Sahmd reports - everything going well, then the SVM starts screaming with weird reported temperatures. I don't leave them in the cooker when it's not in use, but best guess is water penetration; the bad sensors do, up to a point, recover if left alone for a few weeks, but once one has failed I don't trust it again for long/unattended cooking.

So far - fingers crossed - one of the new ones Peter mentions above is performing well. But always have a spare.