Infrared Thermometer Used For 7+ Ingenious Ways To Make Your Life Easier!

Source: Tech Times

There are many different reasons you might need an infrared thermometer. Maybe you’re a contractor who needs to take the temperature of a hot surface before working on it. Maybe you’re a chef who wants to ensure your food is at the perfect temperature. Infrared thermometers have many uses, and we will discuss them all here. We’ll also provide tips on choosing a suitable infrared thermometer and tell you about some of our favorite models!

What Is An Infrared Thermometer?

An infrared thermometer is a tool that uses infrared technology to measure the temperature of an object. It is a non-contact infrared thermometer, which means you don’t have to physically touch the object you measure to get a physical reading. This makes it ideal for taking the temperature of hot surfaces or measuring the temperature of moving objects.

Infrared thermometers work by measuring the infrared radiation that is emitted from an object. The amount of infrared radiation an object emits is directly related to its temperature. An infrared thermometer converts the measurement of this infrared radiation into a temperature reading, which is displayed on the screen.

Common Uses Of Infrared Thermometers

One of the most common uses for an infrared thermometer is to take the temperature of a hot surface. This could be the grill’s surface, a car engine, or the sun! It’s essential to know the temperature of these surfaces before working on them, as they can cause severe injuries if you’re not careful.

Another everyday use for an infrared thermometer is to measure the temperature of food. This is especially important for cooks, who must ensure their food is cooked at the correct temperature to avoid making people sick.

Advantages Of Infrared Thermometers

There are many advantages to using an infrared thermometer.

• First, as we mentioned before, they are non-contact. This means you don’t have to physically touch the object you’re measuring, which is great for safety reasons. You can also measure the temperature of moving objects with an infrared thermometer, which isn’t possible with a traditional thermometer.
• Another advantage of infrared thermometers is that they are swift and easy to use. You point the thermometer at the object you want to measure, and you will have a temperature reading within seconds. This is much quicker than a traditional thermometer, which can take minutes or even hours to get an accurate reading.
• Last, infrared thermometers are very accurate. They can measure temperature within a few degrees of the actual temperature, which is much more accurate than a traditional thermometer.

Emissivity

Emissivity is a measure of an object’s ability to emit infrared energy. It is a value between 0 and 1.

Emissivity can be affected by various factors, such as the color of an object, the type of material, and the surface finish. For example, a black object has a higher emissivity than a white object. This is because black objects absorb more infrared energy than white objects.

When using an infrared thermometer, it is essential to know the emissivity of the object you are trying to measure. This is because an object’s emissivity can affect the temperature measurement accuracy.

Distance To Spot Ratio

An essential feature of an IR thermometer is the distance-to-spot ratio. This is the ratio of the distance from the thermometer to the object and the size of the area that the thermometer can measure.

For instance, an IR thermometer with a 12:01 distance to spot ratio can measure an object from 12 inches away with plus or minus one-inch accuracy.

The distance-to-spot ratio is critical because it determines how close you must be to the object to get the right temperature.

Common Infrared Thermometer Uses

Infrared Thermometers For Cooking

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Checking Grill Temperatures

As we mentioned before, one of the most common uses for an infrared thermometer is to measure the temperature of the food. This is especially important for cooks, who must ensure their food is cooked at the correct temperature to avoid making people sick.

Getting the perfect temperature reading from the grill.

To get more accurate readings while measuring grill temperature, use a solid surface like a skillet or a cast iron plate. Pre-heat the skillet on the grill for 5–10 minutes, then spray cooking oil to ensure proper emissivity before measuring the temperature. The infrared thermometer will only measure surface temperature from the area visible through the grate.

Since infrared thermometers only check the surface temperature, it’s perfect for determining whether the meat is cooked. Also, chefs can avoid cross-contamination risks by touching the same thermometer on every item.

Checking Oven Temperature

The IR thermometer is not suitable for checking oven temperature because it will only take the surface temperature of the oven’s walls and not the internal temperature. However, you can install an air probe inside your oven to check the internal temperature of the oven. Otherwise, you can measure the surface temperatures of the pizza stone or the cooking tray.

Food processing and packaging.

IR thermometers are also used in food processing and packaging to measure the surface temperature of products. This is important to ensure that the product is cooked correctly and meets food safety standards.

Checking To See Of The Food Is Properly Cooked

You will need a thermometer with an insertable tool to check if your food is adequately cooked. IR thermometers only measure the surface temperature, not the internal one.

Infrared Thermometers For HVAC Temp Checks

Source: Weld Utilities

HVAC technicians find infrared thermometers to be perfect for daily temperature checks. Here, measuring ambient temperature plays a huge role. Pointing the thermometer at various parts of the system can quickly identify areas that are not working correctly, like faulty insulation. This helps them to fix the problem more quickly and efficiently.

Infrared thermometers are also used in the HVAC industry to measure the temperature readings of ductwork. This is important to ensure that the ductwork is not too hot or too cold, which can cause problems with the HVAC system.

Infrared Thermometers Are Just Right For Your Home!

Source: Digital Camera World

Infrared thermometers can be used around the house for a variety of tasks. For example, you can use it to check the temperature of your refrigerator or freezer to ensure it is set at the correct temperature. You can also use it to check the temperature of your water heater to ensure that it works correctly.

Infrared thermometers can check the temperature of your AC unit. This is important to ensure that the unit is not overworking itself and to prevent it from freezing up.

Infrared Thermometers And Their Non-Invasive Medical Use

Standard industrial thermometers are not effective in measuring human body temperature. Instead, you will need infrared non-contact thermometers of medical grade (or temperature guns) that convert forehead temperatures to oral temperature equivalents. An IR thermometer triumphs over other traditional thermometers because it makes temperature measurement easy, quick, and safe.

We already know that high body temperature is one of the early signs of a severe illness. Infrared thermometers measure without contamination risk and are ideal for taking temperature readings at mass gatherings during a pandemic.

Infrared Thermometers Are A Staple At Production

In manufacturing, measuring the surface temperature of machinery plays a massive role in keeping the production process is like. Infrared energy is excellent at measuring abnormal thermal radiation from machinery, so non-contact infrared thermometers are perfect for this task. By measuring the surface temperature of the machinery, you can quickly identify areas that are overheating. This helps prevent machinery problems and keeps the production process running smoothly. Mechanics use laser thermometers for measuring temperatures while the items are on the conveyor belt. Checking thermal radiation at a particular spot helps them immediately remove defective materials.

Infrared thermometers are also used in manufacturing to measure the temperature of materials. This is important to ensure that the materials are processed correctly and meet quality standards.

Automotives Need Infrared Thermometers Too

The automotive industry uses IR thermometers in a variety of ways. For example, they are used to measure the temperature of engine parts. This is important to ensure that the engine is running correctly and to prevent it from overheating. Additionally, IR thermometers are used to measure tire pressure. Again, this is important to ensure that the tires are correctly inflated and to prevent them from becoming too hot.

IR thermometers are also used in the automotive industry to measure the temperatures of batteries. This is important to ensure the batteries are working correctly and prevent them from overcharging.

Infrared Thermometers — Limitations

While IR thermometers are handy, there are some limits to what they can do.

• For example, they cannot measure the temperature of objects behind glass, clear plastic, or other transparent surfaces. They cannot measure the temperature of objects in direct sunlight or on reflective surfaces.
• IR thermometers also have a limited measurement area. This means that they can only measure the temperature of objects within a certain distance from the thermometer.
• Finally, IR thermometers can only measure the surface temperature of an object. They cannot measure the internal temperatures of objects.

FAQs

What Is An Infrared Thermometer Best Used To Measure The Temperature Of?

Infrared thermometers are typically used to measure the surface temperature of inanimate objects. However, they cannot measure the internal temperature of these same objects.

Can We Measure The Temperature Of Boiling Water With an Infrared Thermometer?

Yes, you can measure the temperature of boiling water with an IR thermometer. But, you might not get accurate results because the steam might mess with temperature measurement since there is no physical contact with the boiling water.

Can Infrared Thermometers See Through Glass Or Clear Plastic?

No, an IR thermometer cannot see through glass or clear plastic. The thermometer has to be in direct proximity to the object.

Quicker And more Accurate Temperature Readings, With Infrared Thermometer!

Infrared thermometers offer a quick and easy way to measure the temperature of objects. They are handy for measuring the temperature of objects that are difficult to reach or in hazardous environments.

IR thermometers measure the amount of infrared radiation emitted by an object. The temperature is then calculated based on the amount of infrared radiation emitted. They follow the same basic principle as traditional thermometers but use infrared radiation instead of mercury.

IR thermometers are available as handheld devices and even as infrared thermal imaging cameras — for security. This is because, unlike visible light, infrared goes undetected to measure objects’ temperatures. Therefore, we recommend you use an infrared thermometer where surface temperatures are enough to conclude.