Selco Products of Reno, Nevada, has made temperature controls since 1958, and its bulb-and-capillary range sits in ovens, warmers, food-service equipment, toasters and spas. This page maps the series our customers send us most often to their verified V.Crown equivalents, and sets out the checks that make a cross-reference safe. Selco publishes individual part numbers with stock ranges, so the tables below are by part number — match the range, the set point and the terminals, and the V.Crown equivalent is built to the original’s dimensions.
How to read the original part number
Selco capillary part numbers read left to right: the series (CAP for adjustable controls, CAP-MR for manual-reset limiters), then the temperature range or set point in °F. CAP-100-320 is an adjustable control spanning 100–320°F; CAP-MR-320 is a manual-reset limiter that trips at a fixed 320°F. The two must not be confused: one cycles, the other locks out. The "R" suffix on some CAP numbers marks a stocked range variant; the range itself is what matters, not the letter.
CAP series — adjustable capillary controls
Liquid-filled bulb-and-capillary controls with ceramic bodies, for ovens, warmers and food-service equipment. Every stock number below is an adjustable SPST control, 20A at 120/240VAC, UL file E168164. The AG16-K covers the 50–400°C band at 16A/20A, so each number is mapped by range, with the capillary and bulb made to the original’s dimensions.
| Original part | Original specification | V.Crown equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Selco CAP-60-450 | Control · adjustable 60–450°F (16–232°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · stainless capillary · bulb 3.0″ × Ø.20″ | AG16-K |
| Selco CAP-85-195 R | Control · adjustable 85–195°F (29–91°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · copper capillary · bulb 3.6″ × Ø.24″ | AG16-K |
| Selco CAP-85-230 R | Control · adjustable 85–230°F (29–110°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · copper capillary · bulb 3.3″ × Ø.24″ | AG16-K |
| Selco CAP-86-170 | Control · adjustable 86–170°F (30–77°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · stainless capillary · bulb 3.6″ × Ø.20″ | AG16-K |
| Selco CAP-98-212 R | Control · adjustable 98–212°F (37–100°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · stainless capillary · spiral bulb 2.0″ × Ø.12″ | AG16-K |
| Selco CAP-100-320 | Control · adjustable 100–320°F (38–160°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · stainless capillary · bulb 4.5″ × Ø.19″ | AG16-K |
| Selco CAP-120-392 | Control · adjustable 120–392°F (49–200°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · stainless capillary · bulb 4.8″ × Ø.19″ | AG16-K |
| Selco CAP-120-428 | Control · adjustable 120–428°F (49–218°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · copper capillary · bulb 5.1″ × Ø.20″ | AG16-K |
| Selco CAP-120-570 | Control · adjustable 120–570°F (49–299°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · copper capillary · bulb 3.5″ × Ø.20″ | AG16-K |
| Selco CAP-122-482 | Control · adjustable 122–482°F (50–250°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · copper capillary · bulb 3.6″ × Ø.20″ | AG16-K |
| Selco CAP-176-400 | Control · adjustable 176–400°F (80–204°C) · SPST · 20A/120–240VAC · copper capillary · bulb 4.6″ × Ø.24″ | AG16-K |
The AG16-K covers the 50–400°C band at 16A/20A — see the AG16-K capillary control thermostat for the full specification, including capillary and bulb made to order.
SHQ, SHR, SJQ and SJW — 30A capillary controls
Selco’s 30A bulb-and-capillary controls for commercial and residential cooking appliances, deep fryers, electric heaters, pools and spas. All four series are electro-mechanical on/off switches, -4 to 608°F (-20 to 320°C), 120/480VAC 30A resistive, with screw terminals and a choice of copper, stainless-steel or nickel-plated capillary. The series differ in contact arrangement: SHQ, SHR and SJQ are single-pole; the SJW is double-pole with a positive OFF that holds the contacts open. Public sources do not spell out how SHQ, SHR and SJQ differ from one another, so they are mapped together here — tell us the exact series and range and we confirm the equivalent before quoting.
| Original part | Original specification | V.Crown equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Selco SHQ / SHR / SJQ | Control · adjustable -4–608°F (-20–320°C) · SPST · 30A/120–480VAC · screw terminals | AG32-1K |
| Selco SJW | Control · adjustable -4–608°F (-20–320°C) · DPST with positive OFF · 30A/120–480VAC · screw terminals | AG32-2K |
The AG32-1K is a 32A single-pole control, 50–450°C — see the AG32-1K high-current thermostat; the two-pole SJW maps to the AG32-2K in our high-current thermostat range. Note that the AG32-1K is rated to 380V: a 480V application needs confirmation before ordering.
CAP-MR series — manual-reset safety limiters
Non-recycling capillary limiters for food-service equipment, toasters and spas. Each trips at a fixed, calibrated set point and stays open until the reset button is pressed; the construction is UL trip-free, so holding the reset button down cannot force the circuit closed. All seven stock numbers are 20A at 120/240VAC, UL file E168164, 6,000 cycles. The VL-S is our UL-listed manual-reset limiter (file E491946, CE certified), built with the trip point set to the original’s set point.
| Original part | Original specification | V.Crown equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Selco CAP-MR-140 | Manual-reset limiter · fixed trip 140°F (60°C) · 20A/120–240VAC · bulb 3.6″ × Ø.24″ · .250″ quick connects | VL-S |
| Selco CAP-MR-179 | Manual-reset limiter · fixed trip 179°F (82°C) · 20A/120–240VAC · bulb 3.6″ × Ø.24″ · .250″ quick connects | VL-S |
| Selco CAP-MR-245 | Manual-reset limiter · fixed trip 245°F (118°C) · 20A/120–240VAC · bulb 3.3″ × Ø.24″ · screw terminals | VL-S |
| Selco CAP-MR-320 | Manual-reset limiter · fixed trip 320°F (160°C) · 20A/120–240VAC · bulb 3.0″ × Ø.24″ · screw terminals | VL-S |
| Selco CAP-MR-392 | Manual-reset limiter · fixed trip 392°F (200°C) · 20A/120–240VAC · bulb 3.3″ × Ø.24″ · .250″ quick connects | VL-S |
| Selco CAP-MR-572 | Manual-reset limiter · fixed trip 572°F (300°C) · 20A/120–240VAC · bulb 3.0″ × Ø.19″ · .250″ quick connects | VL-S |
| Selco CAP-MR-700 | Manual-reset limiter · fixed trip 700°F (371°C) · 20A/120–240VAC · bulb 6.0″ × Ø.12″ · .250″ quick connects | VL-S |
The VL-S is a manual-reset limiter with the trip point set to the original’s value — see the VL-S safety limit thermostat for the full specification, including the 232°C standard-trip variant VL-S-232A.
Outside the scope of these tables
Selco’s SE and SES (T10/T11) disc thermostats are bimetal devices, not capillary thermostats, and are not mapped here. The WK, WK-H, WD and WS cold-capillary thermostats work below freezing for refrigeration and are outside the V.Crown heating range. Selco’s probe thermostats, electronic controls, NTC thermistors, knobs and panel meters are not capillary thermostats. No Selco millivolt gas control, three-pole capillary control, automatic-reset limiter or capillary thermometer exists in public sources, so the ARB-33, AG32-3K, VL-Z and AGT families have no Selco counterpart in these tables. CAP and CAP-MR variants ordered below 50°C, and SHQ-series variants ordered below 50°C, are outside the AG16-K / AG32-1K envelope and are not listed — CAP-40-105 R and CAP-56-120 R are excluded for that reason.
Selco® is a trademark of Selco Products, Inc. HengTherm parts are replacement equivalents manufactured by Guangzhou V.Crown Thermostat Co., Ltd.; we are not affiliated with Selco, and part numbers are used for cross-reference identification only. Verify the equivalent against the original specification before installation.
The five checks before you order
- Function and reset type — a CAP control is adjustable and cycles; a CAP-MR limiter trips at a fixed point and stays open until reset. The part number tells you which: CAP-MR always means manual reset. Replacing a limiter with a control removes the appliance’s over-temperature protection.
- Range or trip point — the original’s range must sit inside the equivalent’s range (AG16-K 50–400°C; AG32-1K 50–450°C; VL-S trip set to order). Read the range from the part number, not from the series name: CAP-100-320 and CAP-120-570 are different controls.
- Poles and current — CAP and CAP-MR are single-pole, 20A class; the SHQ series is 30A, and the SJW breaks two poles. A single-pole replacement cannot break a two-pole circuit, and a 20A replacement cannot carry a 30A load.
- Capillary, bulb and terminals — CAP bulb lengths run 3.0–7.0″ and diameters .19–.24″, in copper or stainless steel; CAP-MR terminals are .250″ quick connects or screw type, by model. Check the rating label for the ordered bulb and terminals — the bulb must fit the existing pocket, and the terminals must match the wiring.
- Voltage — CAP and CAP-MR are rated 120/240VAC; the SHQ series is rated to 480VAC, above the AG32-1K’s 380V. Confirm the site voltage before ordering a 30A equivalent.
Send us the part number you are replacing — or a photo of its rating label — and we run all five checks in writing before quoting, so the equivalent arrives as a fit, not a project.
Certification: ask for numbers, then verify them
The VL-S is a UL Recognized Component (file E491946) and CE certified; the AG32-1K belongs to the TÜV-certified AG32-K family, listed on our certifications page, and the AG16-K’s approvals are confirmed for the exact model before ordering. When an alternative supplier quotes a safety device, ask for the file number — not a logo — and check it before the part goes into certified equipment.
Samples and trial orders
Free samples of the AG16-K and the AG32-1K are available for bench testing — you only cover the courier, and the freight is credited against your first order. Trial orders start from 200 pcs, with models mixed in one shipment, and mechanical customization (range, trip point, capillary length, bulb, dial printing) is developed free of charge. Send us the Selco number you currently buy and we will map it.
Related reading: Robertshaw Thermostat Cross-Reference: 5300-Series Controls & 5225-Series Hi-Limits · E.G.O. Thermostat Cross-Reference: 55-Series Controls & 56-Series Safety Limiters · Cotherm Thermostat Cross-Reference: GTL Controls & Safety Limiters · Tecasa Thermostat Cross-Reference: NT, VC and SP Capillary Thermostats · IMIT Thermostat Cross-Reference: TR2 Controls & LS1 / LS3 Safety Limiters · Campini Thermostat Cross-Reference: TY95 Controls & TY95H / TY95S Safety Limiters · Thermowatt Thermostat Cross-Reference: TCOD, TB / TBR Controls & SPC / TBST / TBSB Safety Limiters · Diamond H Thermostat Cross-Reference: ET50 & 40TH Capillary Controls · How to Choose a Capillary Thermostat for Commercial Fryers and Ovens · Safety Temperature Limiter Guide: Trip Points, Reset Types and Selection · Therm-O-Disc Thermostat Cross-Reference: 10H linear limit controls