Anybody else having problems with faulty DS18B20 waterproof sensors?
A little while ago a purchased a 5 pack as part of a project I did, but they fail after about 3 months of usage under water. I remember from the course for my project that you should only buy the real MAXIM sensors for reliability, but how can you know if your getting the real thing or a cheap copy. Here is a link to the sensors I purchased as well as a link to the source of the project as an fyi.
Most of then are water resistant rather than water proof. They will survive getting wet, but long term immersion will eventually leak around the heat shrink tubing.
You need something with better sealing around the connection. I haven't looked for any, but suspect they would be industrial grade and more expensive.
No experience, but the pictures in your link show that normal heat shrink tubing was used. My advice to you is to get proper sized heat shrink with epoxy coating inside the tubing. Use a sharp knife to remove the original heat shrink. Put on the new, epoxy filled tubing and heat shrink it until the epoxy ooses out of the tubing and makes a water tight bond to the steel shield.
I'm betting that nobody ever does - including whomever told you to only get real MAXXIM sensors. In my experience the seal isn't heatshrink, it's just a neoprene mould. If you fill all the void with silicon goo and then use a generous length of real heatshrink, you should have a better chance.
Thanks for all your replies. I also just found out that if you buy it from adafruit or mouser or other larger companies, your likely going to get a genuine Maxim chip as well as epoxy filled vs silicon for better durability. I'll give adafuit a try and see how it performs.
