Face it. Guys love tools. There's just nothing better than having the right tool for the job. But things get even better when the right tool for the job can see the invisible and instantly answer mysteries with cold, hard facts. I'm writing this post because this little probe has answered so many questions that it just deserves to move out of its obscure little place on Amazon. For $25, you can put an infrared temperature probe in your pocket and answer an amazing range of questions. Maybe a little late to get it for Christmas. But I'd print a picture and order one for a tool-loving friend or Dad.
It's a really simple device. It has a little infrared sensor on the front that looks like a clear LED. Aim it at something, press the button, and you'll get a reading of that surface. Note that his unit only measures wide surfaces. Fancier units have narrow beam sensors to pick up the temperature of far away items like a vent on the ceiling. This one will just measure the entire ceiling. Or, if you're close to something, it will measure its temperature instantly without having to touch it.
Master Cool Dual Temp (Infrared and Metal Probe) ($39.19 on Amazon) This is the one I have. But I hardly ever use the metal probe, so the $24.49 version may be just fine. But the probe looks cool.
Master Cool Infrared Only ($24.49 on Amazon)
Here's a mystery that the probe answered definitively. Why does our bedroom seem colder than other rooms, when the thermostat in both rooms is set to 69? Let's see. Measure the wall below this electronic switch (this is a hint)
Now measure just above the electronic switch. Hmmm. That's 5 degree increase just due to the switch. And it doesn't matter if its on or off, this is a little X10 transmitter switch that runs all the time.
Sure enough, by the time the wall gets to the thermostat, it's 69 degrees, just like the thermostat is reading.
But the walls are reading about 65 degrees. So our little electronic wall switch has dropped our actual room temperature by 4 degrees by fooling the thermostat into thinking the room is warmer than it is.
Okay, here's another example, in another room that has high ceilings. Is the heat rising in this room, and would a ceiling fan warm it up by pushing that heated air down? Let's measure the wall. It's 64.9
Now aim up at the ceiling. Temperature is 63.9. Will a ceiling fan help? Nope. End of that question. That's what I love about this probe. It answers questions definitively, in seconds.
Today we are having hot water problems. There are two storage tanks and a pump between them. Is the circulating water hot enough? Nope. 89.8 isn't nearly enough. Yes, you can feel the pipe, but it's hard to feel small differences. I just went and measured the pipe again, (about an hour later) and now its 95 degrees. The hot water is recovering, but very slowly. Ah, facts.
Here, I use the metal probe to measure the tepid hot water. (I don't use this metal probe much, but I'll bet it would be great for measuring meat temperature.)
Another favorite - figuring out if radiant floor heat is working. This floor is at 77, and its clearly working. You can touch it and feel that its warm. But other times, the difference between floor heat being on or off is one or two degrees! This probe can see that easily, even if there is a carpet over the floor.
Well, that's a lot of answers for $25, ($39 for the dual probe version) and this little unit has never failed to unlock the mysteries of the infrared world. Reminds me of that old TV show "Just the fact, ma'am." This little probe delivers lots of facts, and lots of satisfaction.