The Complete Handbook of Infrared Thermometers
Selection, Operation, and Maintenance for Professional Users
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
A practical engineering reference for selecting, using, and maintaining infrared thermometers in professional settings.
About this book
Infrared thermometers seem simple: point, pull the trigger, read the number. The reality is that accurate non-contact temperature measurement depends on a chain of conditions - emissivity settings, distance-to-spot ratios, ambient reflections, and more. This handbook gives you the working knowledge to get reliable readings in real-world environments, not just in a laboratory.
Written for maintenance professionals, technicians, and engineers, it covers the physics of infrared measurement without unnecessary math, explains how to match an instrument to a specific task, and provides field-tested techniques for measuring everything from rotating machinery to moving conveyor products. You will learn how to identify common measurement errors before they cost you time and money.
The book also covers routine maintenance and calibration verification, surveys the major brands and their market positions, and explores concrete business opportunities in reselling, calibration services, and consulting. Each chapter builds on the last, creating a complete reference you will return to as your measurement needs evolve.
Reader Reviews
Mary Williams
★★★★★I've been doing HVAC maintenance for fifteen years and thought I knew infrared thermometers. This book showed me I was getting away with sloppy technique, especially with emissivity on different pipe materials. The chapter on understanding what the device actually measures changed how I work. Worth every penny for anyone who doesn't want to just trust the number on the screen.
Betty Martin
★★★★★Solid reference material. The chapters on choosing a unit and maintenance are genuinely useful and I've referenced them a few times already. I dropped a star because the chapter on business opportunities felt like an afterthought - I was hoping for more concrete numbers on margins and startup costs. That said, for the technical content alone, this is the best handbook I've found on the subject.
Paul Hernandez
★★★★★Finally a reference that treats the reader like a professional. No fluff, no cheerleading, just clear explanations of distance-to-spot ratios, the emissivity problem, and why your readings might be lying to you. The troubleshooting section alone saved me from sending a perfectly good unit back for recalibration. This sits on my workbench now, not on a shelf.
Anna Harris
★★★★★Good practical coverage for someone like me who uses these in a food processing plant. The examples about measuring reflective surfaces and the section on verification procedures were exactly what I needed. It's not the most exciting read, but it's precise and well organized. I just wish the troubleshooting chapter had a quick-reference flowchart or something visual to speed things up.
Jason Young
★★★★★This is the book I wish I'd had when I started my electrical inspection business. Chapter one alone is worth the price - it explains why two different guns give different readings on the same breaker panel, which is something I field questions about constantly. The selection criteria section is practical and the brand overview helped me diversify my tool kit. Highly recommended.
Kathleen Thomas
★★★★★Decent handbook overall, and the technical content on emissivity is better explained than in any manufacturer document I've read. My complaint is that it felt a bit dry in places, and the FAQ section had some overlap with earlier chapters, so it didn't feel as efficient as it could have. Good for reference, but you won't sit down and read it cover to cover for fun.