lazer guns for accurate water themps ?

[cracker]

So this morn I found a Ryobi temp gun in the street. Think this can give me accurate water temps?
I tried it thru the glass then the water surface go the same reading.
Is this thing worth using to test water temps? If so how would You use it for best results?

 

[Velcro]

They are less accurate when used on reflective surfaces. Mine reads about 3 off of a calibrated thermometer

 

[sundog101]

I use one to check water change water temps. Mine seems pretty accurate for a quick check...within a degree or two.

 

[cracker]

OK, so it's not the best on accurate temp readings. No big deal, It was a gift from someone. I'd gladly return it if I l knew who it belonged to. I find all sorts of tool, etc on my corner.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Mine reads 2 degrees lower than the actual tank temp, they are ok for quick spot checks and I like to use them to get a idea of how much heat my pumps and other equipment are creating.

 

[Velcro]

I mostly plan on using mine too check the temp of frags they get overnighted. They seem to be extremely precise, if not super accurate. As long as you know about how far it's off I think it's a great tool.

I'll definitely get more use out of it on the grill and maybe on the tires if I ever get back into autocross

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

So this morn I found a Ryobi temp gun in the street. Think this can give me accurate water temps?
I tried it thru the glass then the water surface go the same reading.
Is this thing worth using to test water temps? If so how would You use it for best results?

No, need a thermometer, immersed in the water for accuracy. Digital thermometer perfered. But gun give close ball park.

 

[cracker]

so the beam goes thru the water & reads temp at the point of the lazer?

 

[BCSreef]

so the beam goes thru the water & reads temp at the point of the lazer?

Yes, it reads the surface where the LASER points

 

[cracker]

thanks so if I point it at the glass it gives me the temp of the glass not the water.

 

[lion king]

I use one to quickly check my water change temp, it's not 100% accurate but gets close enough for my application. You figure you only need to get within range, so it's a handy gadget.

 

[Stigigemla]

I only use infrared thermometers nowadays.
I hold them against the tank glass and get a reading within one degree. (I have a glass thermometer with a resolution of 0,1´C to check every year).
But i never measure against the water surface. If the lights reflect there the infrared light will reflect to. It is easy to get a value of 120 degrees or more if you catch the reflection from T5:s.

 

[JamesF]

I actually tested the Etekcity and Fluke 59 Infrared thermometers against over 30 different submersible types for an article I recently created, they were consistently out by 2+ degrees compared to my calibrated test equipment (Fluke 51-2, SP Scienceware Liquid Thermometer) so I elected not to include them in the guide. While this might be near enough for getting a ball park, you will be better off serviced with an attached probe style instant-read thermometer (like the types used in labs or cooking), which consistently proved to be the most accurate (and easy to read) type in my testing - these are just as easy to use and return a measurement in seconds.

 

[Travv]

I have one I use regularly. Works very well for me, but it is consistently a couple degrees off. A good work around for this is to measure the air temp next to the thermostat of your home and compare readings to that.

If it's at all off from the thermostat it's equally off from actual water temp.

It's a quick and easy way to calibrate it each time before using it.

Just my personal experience!

 

[Sleepydoc]

If you look at the manual for that thermometer, it gives an accuracy of ±5º C (9º F) - that's pretty poor and definitely within the range that people are reporting. Klein has one that's ±4º F. Also, recognize that these guns measure temperature over an area that increases the further away you get from the gun. The laser is only marking the center of the spot. (Ryobi actually states that readings are less accurate if you are more than 2 feet away.) Better quality guns will let you set the emissivity of the material you are measuring to improve accuracy as well as have a tighter 'cone of vision' so the read over a smaller area.

Not that I use it with my tank, but I have a digital kitchen thermometer that reads within a couple seconds. Almost as quick, more accurate and cheaper. What's the advantage of the laser temp gun for reading water temp, other than getting to point a laser at things?

 

[PiggyPuffin]

The laser itself is not measuring the temperature. It is simply an aiming aid. The IR sensor within the camera body is what measures the temperature. They are notoriously difficult to use due to reflectivity, distance, focal point, material type, environment, etc...try measuring the temperate of the surface of a mirror with a candle/sun/bulb in the background?!?! If you know how to use them correctly, and it is calibrated to the material you are measuring, then it can be accurate. Good for a quick check, and use from multiple angles.

 

[WallysWorld]

Infrared Thermometers do not measure temperature directly. They measure infrared radiation, which is correlated to temperature. Objects emit higher levels of infrared radiation at higher temperatures. If you do not use a IR thermometer properly, substantial errors will be part of the displayed result. IR thermometers work much better on black opaque objects, technically these are objects with high emmissivity. Your aquarium is most certainly not black or opague, and the emmissivity of glass and water is low!

Use your IR thermometer on your grill, where the emmissivity is high, and an immersion probe for your tank!

 

[GraniteReefer]

I use an occo baby thermometer that you point and get a read out, it is consistently accurate for me when I use it to confirm the tank isn't overheating during the heatwave we are currently in, and to match tank temp to WC temp. The thermometer has two modes, one for foreheads and one for household use. The household mode is the accurate measurement as gauged against my heaters and controllers temp probes. I wouldn't reef without it.