With this ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the need for body thermometers for work, home, and on the go has never been greater. But not all thermometers are made equal so you need to know which ones are most effective for handling COVID-19 prevention and spread.
Although other types of thermometers certainly have their place and are good tools to have, they are not quite as effective in handling this current pandemic as a non-contact thermometer. Using an infrared thermometer like this one will allow you to be able to measure the temperatures of individuals while minimizing the risk to yourself by maintaining a safe distance apart from the potentially infected person.
But how exactly are these infrared thermometers able to do this? That is a question we explore in this detailed breakdown of your average infrared thermometer and how it works.
The Technology Behind a Non-Contact Thermometer
Within an infrared thermometer are several components that allow it to monitor the level of thermal radiation emitted by an object or individual. This setup essentially consists of a lens that is able to direct the infrared thermal radiation onto the detector. What this then does is convert the radiant power into an electric signal that can be read as temperature data.
Once the machine compensates for what it estimates the ambient temperature is, the mechanism is able to calculate the temperature of the object that it is pointed at. This is the basics of what is in an infrared thermometer and how it works to provide you with temperature readings without needing to ever touch the object.
How to Properly Use an Infrared Thermometer
Now that you have a better understanding of the process that is involved in an infrared thermometer, it is time to explain how to properly use this item. The first part of this involves better understanding when a non-contact thermometer is needed.
This will come in handy whenever there is an object that you are either unable or unwilling to touch. This could include measuring the temperature of objects like automotive parts, cooking oil, swimming pools, highly contagious individuals, and much more. If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, then it is highly recommended that you bring out your non-contact thermometer to help avoid having to risk harm or waste a significant amount of time trying to measure the temperature of the object using a different type of thermometer.
The first thing that you are going to do when trying out an infrared thermometer for the first time is playing around with the switch that controls the device’s measurement unit. Every one of these thermometers will be able to measure temperatures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. Therefore, you need to make sure that the thermometer is set to the right measurement unit and that you also know how to switch it to the other unit in case it is ever needed for one reason or another.
Some of these infrared thermometers will also come with the ability to switch between measuring a body or surface object. Depending on what you are planning on measuring, you will also need to know how to switch between these two settings.
After you have mastered this part of the thermometer’s operation, you should make sure that it is ready to be used by either pressing the power button or gently squeezing the trigger just enough to wake it up but not enough to set it off. Then, aim the laser or end of the thermometer at whatever object you want to measure and make sure that you get as close as you comfortably can to the item.
Once you are pointed at the right target, you can hold the trigger down for approximately one to three seconds until the gun beeps or vibrates to indicate that its measurement is complete. This will bring the temperature up on the digital display and will provide you with a fairly accurate reading