Even if you are an unfortunate non-tech "regular" person. Man, what fun to aim and read this dandy little hand-held temperature detector. This device reads the temperature difference between a "reference point" and wherever else it is pointed around the house (probably only from the inside!). The trick here is to see where temperatures are somewhat lower than the reference point. The reference point, by the way, should be some wall or surface that you suspect is kind of the "average" temperature of the house. This means that the home owner can more easily track down places where cold outdoor air could be leaking in, or where the insulation does not stop heat losses like they should. Leaks almost certainly will be the big heat loss killers (or heat gain into an air conditioned space inside in the summer).
Once leaks and losses are narrowed down, then a trip to the hardware store to get some caulk, weather stripping, and limited insulation for hopefully less than one hundred dollars will go a long way to spending less on heating and cooling.
A couple notes on this instrument:
- This can read temperature differences up to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit, so there is plenty of range. This can be important for finding dangerous HOT spots around the house, and having little to do with energy savings: heating or stove problems hidden from view, electrical shorts behind the wall, etc.
- You can set the infrared beam to indicate temperature differences of either 1 degree, 5 degrees, or 10 degrees, giving you a good choice of the sensitivity you are inspecting; and the differences are visual - a green spot for temperature within allowed limits, red spot for too hot, and blue spot for cold beyond the limited tested.
- Windows and transparent surfaces (and probably shiny surfaces) will not test well with the instrument. Not a big deal.
This tool is an excellent buy. Black & Decker TLD100 Thermal Leak Detector
This is a big improvement over the regular thermal detectors (I have a Craftsman I was given as a gift already). Instead of trying to keep looking at the ever-changing digital readout - this tool allows you to look right at where you are pointing it to see the changes in hot or cold. Fun and much easier to use than the regular variety.
I haven't had my Leak Detector very long, but I already used it on all my appliances and also found the south wall of my home has some major air leaks.
Great for checking that pesky bottom drawer in the fridge that always freezes your vegetables,too. Finally got it set right.
Will be checking the insulation in my attic and boxing as soon as it starts to get cold and windy.
My son owns a remodeling business, and he has already asked me to borrow it a couple of times for different jobs. He likes it alot. He found a hot spot in light fixture wiring thru the drywall. Lifesaver.
Since the KINTREX IRT0421 Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer is the main competition, let me provide some comparisons of the two products.
I purchased this Black and Decker product because it has an innovative feature: A LED spot is projected on the surface that you are scanning. If the surface temperature is higher by 1 degree (or 5, 10 degrees) than a reference point you set, the LED color will turn red. Similarly if the temperature is lower, the color will turn blue. This saves me a lot of neck pain because I would not need to keep looking up and down between the ceiling I am scanning and the LCD screen on the device.
However, the KINTREX device is far more technologically advanced (not surprising as KINTREX specializes in making precise measurement devices while Black and Decker is just a home and garden gadget makers.
The disadvantaged of the Black and Decker product vs. KINTREX:
Measurement Range: -22 to 302 °F (-30 to 150 °C) vs. -76 to 932 °F (-60 to 500 °C), i.e., useless for measuring your oven.
Distance to Spot Ratio: 6:1 vs. 12:1, which means you will have to stay twice closer to what you are measuring.
Battery: 9V alkaline battery (not included and costs about $5) vs. 2 AAA battery (included). KINTREX also claims that because of the low voltage its battery life is 60% longer.
Padded Nylon Carrying Case with Belt Loop: not included vs. included.
I was looking for an easier way to check for door and window drafts than a lit candle, so, when I saw this product, I immediately ordered it. Amazon was lightning fast with Prime shipping, and it was received less than 24 hours later.
I understand margin of error. However, the unit doesn't seem to be very good at accurately sensing even ballpark temperature. For example, as a test, I pointed the unit at my dog, and it showed 120 degrees. At the back of my daughter's head, it was 117 degrees.
If you'd simply put a piece of tape over the orange LCD screen and instead only watched the flashlight color cycle between Green and Red (hotter than the origin) and Blue (colder), that'd be fine. Even if the temperatures are wrong, the deltas are probably still correct.
But, if you're looking for something to also correctly sense temperature via IR, look elsewhere. As a leak detector, it may work, and thus fit its name, but having the temperature numbers available and having them be so wrong is misleading and ultimately unhelpful.
2 stars because you could ignore the LCD completely and look only at the colors and have a semi-useful unit. I returned it. - Energy Saving Device - Energy Savings - Electric Consumption - Energy-saving Devices'
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