Infrared Thermometer for Data Center HVAC measurements

[thejoker]

Looking for a Infrared Thermometer for Data Center HVAC measurements. Is the Fluke 561 too overdoing it or Fluke 62 Mini sufficient? Any recommendations?

Some good recommending tools available, but would like to hear some experiences from the field.

http://us.fluke.com/fluke/usen/produ...tureSelect.htm

http://tools.fluke.com/SpotSize/spotsize.aspx

Ed

[KenB]

Hi, Ed, and welcome to the forums. I don't know if an IR thermometer is the best tool for measuring air temps. My understanding is that they work by sensing the radiation from solid objects. Maybe others will chime in and let us know if they are using them successfully for this purpose.


Ken

[thejoker]

Thanks Ken,

I think what you said makes sense. Hope to hear more inputs from the folks around the forum

Ed

[TheDude]

the real problem with ir thermometers is that the area the tool sees is directly proportionate to the distance to the object. for example if you are standing 20 feet away from where the red dot is, you're taking a picture of a 10' diameter area. the computer in the thermometer then comes to some average of the surface temps that it sees.

you would be much better off using a dry bulb thermometer or thermocouple(std temp probe for meters is a thermocouple)


OR...sbe sure to hold the unit a few inches from the surface ur trying to measure.

also ir thermometers tend to read differently depending on the material, copper pipe will read differently than brass or steel at the same temp. not sure why that is...


Enjoy!