A thermometer is an instrument used for temperature measuring and designating. An Infrared thermometer is used for inferring the temperature from a distance. Sometimes they are called ‘laser thermometers’ because a laser is used for aiming any object from a certain distance.
The Infrared thermometers are mainly the subsets of another temperature measurement device named “Thermal radiation thermometers.” There is a common question, and most of the people seemed to be a lot curious to know the answer to how do I know if my infrared thermometer is accurate? So let us know more about this essential device.
Can You Use An Infrared Thermometer To Check Your Temperature?
Yes, not all but a good number of infrared thermometers are made so that a human can check his or her temperature. Bodies and objects, both temperatures, can be measured through the infrared temperature. There is a one-touch button through which you can adjust the settings.
Thus the thermometer will be able to give you the correct temperature of a human body. To measure the body temperature, first, you need to choose the body part. Some thermometers need to be measured in the ear. Some are forehead thermometers. So you need to select the perfect infrared thermometer depending on which part of your body’s temperature you will check.
How Do I Know if My Infrared Thermometer is Accurate?
It is undoubtedly important to know whether your infrared thermometer is accurate or not. An infrared thermometer mainly works as a regular thermometer. I mean, the conclusion is the same. But the working process certainly has some differences.
While using an infrared thermometer, it can reduce the temperature of an object from a distance. Approximately a regular infrared thermometer can measure the temperature from the object, which is a maximum 600ft far from the thermometer (it’s the range for the basic and most economical IR thermometers).
The Infrared Thermometer is a digital thermometer, so it has to be one of the most accurate thermometers. However, the basic version of IR thermometers has an accuracy of ± 3.5° F. Which is, we can say, not the best but a good level thermometer. I mean, if you are looking for a thermometer to deduct the absolute temperature, then surely you are not looking for this.
There are some other thermometers like ‘Rectal thermometers’ and so on. But regarding its contactless processing, the accuracy rate is quite impressive. Some better IR devices have an ability to deduct the temperature with an accuracy of ± 1° F. But they are not quite economically friendly.
To come up with a decision about the accuracy of your infrared thermometer, there are some procedures:
- The thermometer should be near room temperature.
- Debris or grime should be out of the way from the IR sensor or the lens. Keep a good eye and stay away from scratching your lens.
- The laser will guide you to indicate the exact area that you are testing.
- Your Infrared thermometer should be between 0.95 and 0.97.
- Take ice and water in a glass. Keeping the ice in the water of that glass, wait 2 minutes. Hold the thermometer on top of the water, where the lens should be at a 90-degree angle. If the measure is 32.0°F, then your infrared thermometer is accurate.
However, these can help you to be sure about the accuracy of your infrared thermometer.
Advantages Of Infrared Thermometer
An infrared thermometer is being used for various purposes nowadays. Because the device is engineered in this way, capable of measuring the temperature of aiming any object from a certain distance, let’s look at more of the benefits.
The main use of the Infrared thermometer is to measure the temperature from a certain distance and without contact. Some typical circumstances like some highly infected objects or some rays which become harmful when they are touched.
Some of the objects are vacuumed or airtight. But nowadays, the infrared thermometers are so much useful regarding the pandemic named COVID-19. Doctors and others are using IR thermometers to safely detect a person’s body (usually forehead) temperature without touching.
According to doctors and scientists, the safest way to detect a COVID-19 affected patient regarding fever is the most effective symptoms. So regarding the situation, this device is very important.
Expensive. I mean encountering the other thermometers, it is a bit expensive because of its features.
Frequently Asked Questions
When we prompt to use any certain device, there’re several questions that pop-up in our minds. So, we’ve also included some frequent questions in this section to make you more precise about the infrared thermometer.
Are infrared thermometers accurate?
Research says that infrared thermometers are as accurate as of the oral or rectal thermometers. So yes, we can say that infrared thermometers are accurate.
Do you add a degree when you take a temp on the forehead?
Forehead temperature is usually 0.5 °F less than the oral temperature. So it is obvious that to get the accurate temperature you can add a degree when you take a temp on the forehead.
Can a smartphone be used as a thermometer?
Nowadays there are apps you can install on your smartphones that say they can measure the temperature of the human body. Some apps allow their fingerprint to measure the temperature. But as you know, it is far away from the practical world.
Final Words
Infrared Thermometers are definitely suitable and very useful one for this era. The way the world is getting digitized, this device will take its place for its attractive features. For the phase we are going through, this device is incomparable.
At last, we can say that infrared thermometers are one of the most effective beauties of science without any hesitation. However, this article might help you to understand each of the things regarding an infrared thermometer. We also believe that the question of how I know if my infrared thermometer is accurate maybe got a clear answer.
