tpi 368 infra.red pocket thermometer accuracy

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I've had a while now, but hesitate to use it, as I'm uncertain of accuracy. Checking C/h flow/ret temps, I was very unsure from the range of temps I got. And the temps didn't sit well with me. I had no other thermometer to do a comparison, so I'm left non the wiser. But I just had a feeling the results were "Way Out" That's why it's been in my drawer for over a year. While I do things the old school way, by experience and feel. This way has never failed me, but for fault finding purposes on boilers, I would have loved this to be part of my every day kit. Please someone prove me wrong?
 
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Infrared thermometers are fairly accurate as long as you understand that not all materials are suitable, shiny copper for example will give wildy misleading results, google emissivity.
 
If you put black electrical tape on the pipe etc your measuring, and read off the tape that will bring the emissivity to nearer what the thermometer will be expecting and you'll get a more accurate reading. 3M actually give the spec for their tapes so I use that.
 
I've had a while now, but hesitate to use it, as I'm uncertain of accuracy. Checking C/h flow/ret temps, I was very unsure from the range of temps I got. And the temps didn't sit well with me. I had no other thermometer to do a comparison, so I'm left non the wiser. But I just had a feeling the results were "Way Out" That's why it's been in my drawer for over a year. While I do things the old school way, by experience and feel. This way has never failed me, but for fault finding purposes on boilers, I would have loved this to be part of my every day kit. Please someone prove me wrong?
You could boil a saucepan of water and measure the temperature with your instrument, to check at 100 deg C. If you have an ordinary mercury thermometer you could use that for comparison at various temperatures.
 
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You could boil a saucepan of water and measure the temperature with your instrument, to check at 100 deg C. If you have an ordinary mercury thermometer you could use that for comparison at various temperatures.

This - but don't measure the water, measure something matt black that is sitting in the water.

Though really this tells you that your gun is accurate at measuring only at 100°C. To understand if the calibration is any good, you need another reference point too.

Nozzle
 
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Good ideas lads.
I happened to have it with me while at friends house.
He's gotta instant boiling water tap in kitchen.
The lazy mans way 2 make a cuppa "Cha'..lol
It was F#@#ing 45degrees out.ffs!
Ridiculous .
It's never been used or abused.
Is tpi a ok make?
Disapointed BIG time, I know there only £20 odd, but still. A thermometer for the flu, would be better for God's sake...lol
 
Good ideas lads.
I happened to have it with me while at friends house.
He's gotta instant boiling water tap in kitchen.
The lazy mans way 2 make a cuppa "Cha'..lol
It was F#@#ing 45degrees out.ffs!
Ridiculous .
It's never been used or abused.
Is tpi a ok make?
Disapointed BIG time, I know there only £20 odd, but still. A thermometer for the flu, would be better for God's sake...lol

If you were measuring a chromed spout or the outside of a mug or the tea itself - it wont be accurate. It's calibrated to measure "black body equivalent".

If you have 2 steel cubes and paint one white and one black and allow their temperatures to equalise (such that if you measure with a contact measuring device, they are the same temperature) - and then measure with a non-contact IR, then you'll get a different answer. Even if one was matt black and the other gloss black. If you know about this limitation and work with it, it's fine. Measuring copper pipe is way off. Copper pipe with a piece of black insulating tape on it; much better.

With the above in mind, it doesn't matter how much you spend on a brand/badge - the physics of emissivity are the same. I don't know if TPI is good brand, but it's a reasonable bet it's a reference design anyway, shared with other temperature guns and put into a different colour housing.

Nozzle
 
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If you insist on using an infra red thermometer then buy one with adjustable emisivity otherwise you're wasting your time. Hands have served me well...no need for anything else.
 

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