Uses for Infrared Thermometers

Home Safety and Energy Savings

Noncontact infrared thermometers have unlimited applications in and around your house.

Around the house...

• Monitor insulation quality in walls, pipes and windows with infrared thermometers
• Spot-check heating systems, thermostat settings and actual room temperatures
• Easily inspect door and window seals for drafts and heat loss with infrared thermometers
• Monitor soil temperatures when planting in greenhouses and outdoor gardens
• Make solariums and other recreation areas comfortable with fast temperature checks with infrared thermometers
• Verify the performance of water heaters, wood stoves, air conditioners, and other appliances

For the Hobbyist...

• Quickly diagnose car problems - air conditioning, brakes, engines…
• Quickly confirm correct temperatures during photography development with infrared thermometers
• Verify temperatures for crafting projects with infrared thermometers
• Assure safe temperatures for pet environments such as fish tanks, terrariums, and others with infrared thermometers
• Avoid dangerous car interiors by fast, frequent and convenient temperature checks with infrared thermometers

In the kitchen...

• Quickly check temperatures in the pantry, refrigerator and freezer with infrared thermometers
• Verify safe holding, cooking and serving temperatures of food and drinks
• Avoid guesswork while candy making, canning and other specialty cooking with infrared thermometers
• Check the temperatures of cooking surfaces when grilling or frying
• Easily monitor temperatures while making beer or storing wine with infrared thermometers
• Make outdoor cooking fun and easy with quick temperature checks of BBQ’s and cooking with infrared thermometers

Automotive/Transportation

Noncontact Thermometers - Quick and Effective Diagnostic Tools
Portable non-contact infrared thermometers take quick temperature measurements and help you diagnose temperature-related engine problems fast.

Engine and Exhaust Troubleshooting

• Low Compression: Scan manifold temperature to determine low compression.
• Ignition System Problems: Scan manifold temperature for misfire condition with infrared thermometers.
• Incorrect Fuel/Air Mixture: Measure and compare exhaust system components for correct fuel/air mixture.
• Catalytic Converters: Scan both sides of the catalytic converter for temperature differences with infrared thermometers.

Cooling System Diagnostics

• Check for overheating problems or if a part needs to be replaced with infrared thermometers.
• Radiators: Scan radiators for core restrictions
• Thermostats: Easily measure thermostat temperature with infrared thermometers
• Coolant Sensors: Measure coolant temperature sensors and manifold air temperature sensors.

Climate Control

• Check heaters, air conditioners, and vents quickly and easily for malfunction with infrared thermometers
• Heaters/AC Vents: Check heating and cooling systems output

Brake System

• Temperatures significantly higher than ambient or varied temperatures of rotors, drums or bearings indicate excessive wear.
• Brakes/Sealed Wheel Bearings: Diagnose brake bias and uneven braking with infrared thermometers.

Tools for Diagnostic and Preventative of Electrical Systems and Equipment
Infrared Thermometers are proven money-saving diagnostic and predictive tools used for electrical systems and equipment maintenance inspection. These instruments are lightweight, rugged, and easy to use.

Measuring Electrical Components
Non-contact infrared thermometers measure the surface temperature of an object from a safe distance, making them an indispensable tool in any electrical maintenance operation.

Electrical Solutions

Electrical Applications
Prevent equipment failures and unscheduled down time in the following applications with infrared thermometers.

Connectors - Electrical connections can gradually loosen the connector, and generate heat as a result of repeated heating (expansion) and cooling (contraction), and/or dirt, carbon deposits, and corrosion. Non-contact infrared thermometers quickly determine the temperature increases that indicate serious problems.

Electric Motors - Maintain lifespan of motors, inspect supply power connections and circuit breakers (or fuser) for equal temperatures with infrared thermometers.

Motor Bearings - Detect hot spots and schedule repairs or replacements before problems lead to equipment failure with infrared thermometers.

Motor Winding Insulation - Prolong the life of winding insulation by measuring its temperature with infrared thermometers.

Phase-to-Phase Measurement - Check cables and connectors for equal phase-to-phase temperatures for induction motors, large computers, and other equipment with infrared thermometers.

Transformers - Check the windings of air-cooled units for hotspots that indicate winding flaws with infrared thermometers.

Uninterrupted Power Supplies - Identify hot localized connections in the UPS output filters with infrared thermometers. A cold spot may indicate an open DC filter circuit.

Back-up Batteries - Check low-voltage batteries for proper connection. Poorly attached cell strap connections may heat up enough to burn posts.

Ballasts - Detect overheated ballast before it begins to smoke with infrared thermometers.

Utilities - Identify hot spots in connections, cable splices, transformers, and other equipment with infrared thermometers.


Food Service Solutions

Immediately Know That Your Products are Safe
Food safety was a big issue in New York recently after CBS News found shocking health violations at some fancy hotels, restaurants and catering firms

Infrared thermometers give crucial information about hazardous conditions by providing quick temperature readings of food surfaces, which is particularly important considering that food borne bacteria usually begins to grow on the surface of food products.

Monitoring temperatures is crucial to ensure food quality and safety. These easy-to-use tools read surface temperatures without contact, which avoids cross-contamination or damage to food products. As reliable and time saving tools, infrared thermometers can take a temperature measurement in less than half a second.


Plant and Facility Maintenance Solutions

Infrared Thermometers: Indispensable Tools in Facility Maintenance

How do I measure temperature with IR infrared thermometers?

• Spot: determine the absolute surface temperature of an object.
• Temperature differential: compare two spot measurements against each other.
• Scanning: detect changes along a wide or continuous region target.

What are the benefits of using IR infrared thermometers?
• Effectively find your problems quickly and safely, saving time and cost
• IR infrared thermometers are accurate, usually within one degree
• IR infrared thermometers safely read hard-to-reach or inaccessible objects

What are the main areas I can use IR infrared thermometers?

Electrical Maintenance. Check for heat created by loose connectors or buildup with infrared thermometers. Instantly troubleshoot problems in battery banks and power panel terminations, ballasts, switch gears, and fuse connections, and identify hot spots in the output filters on DC battery connections.

Equipment Maintenance. Check moving parts in motors and gear work for hot spots with infrared thermometers. Temperature change can indicate developing problems in many types of equipment, from ovens and boilers to freezers. Routine temperature audits of generators and their bearings can prevent expensive repairs.

Building Controls. Monitor HVAC/R components for quick energy audits and room balancing in a short time with infrared thermometers.

Troubleshoot engine problems. Temperature is a vital indicator of how well cooling systems are performing, or whether friction, vibration and other conditions are creating wear in braking systems and bearings with infrared thermometers.

Process/Product. Monitor process line equipment. Check the temperature of different products on production lines from rubber tires to plastic and cellophane wrapping to chocolate bars with infrared thermometers.

More information about infrared thermometers:
How to use infrared thermometers
Where to buy infrared thermometers
Features to look for in infrared thermometers
Uses for infrared thermometers
Infrared thermometer facts