MikeSharp01 Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 32 minutes ago, newhome said: Ha ha - I should have read this first. Thank you! What's a black magic marker - sounds like some spell No it is actually a brand of chocolate which you melt onto the pipe and you get a perfect reading. NOT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 We are on page 20 so 44% of the way to boxing in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 9 minutes ago, PeterW said: Black tape ..?? Had to take a trip into the Aladin's cave of shite again in search of black tape. Still not working with black tape. Reading a bit higher at 50 but it's still bollox as I pretty much burn my hand on the pipes so I'd say over 70. I can keep my hand on the PHE at 55. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 It says the dog is 22 but she's got a thick coat so not sure how accurate that is either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 29 minutes ago, newhome said: Thanks! I will go in search of the markers with the nice smell. I know the ones you mean - a bit addictive . 98 was way too hot for my hand! That pump is reading over 100 today and I just burnt myself on it again. You know how you have to touch something 'just to check' You flick a drop of water at it and see what happens. @SteamyTea will now explain what happens at different temperatures. If the water makes a fizzing noise or you can fry an egg on it, the pipe is too hot to touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 14 minutes ago, Ferdinand said: You flick a drop of water at it and see what happens. @SteamyTea will now explain what happens at different temperatures. If the water makes a fizzing noise or you can fry an egg on it, the pipe is too hot to touch. Hmm, it's a bit narrow for an egg. I might be able to fry an egg on the 100 degree pump though! I will go in armed with water and see what happens . The truth is though that I already know that it's too hot to touch as my hand tells me that already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) Hmmm...accuracy on those cheap laser IR thermometers. I think mine was a fiver off eBay. An inch from the radiator, 37deg. Stand back 10' and point at the same spot and it's reading 30deg. It is at least useful if measuring components for comparitive purposes as long as you do it from the same distance. Edited February 25, 2018 by Onoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 Mine was a tenner from Amazon (Prime so delivered next day). It doesn't seem that sensitive to distance as long as I'm in reasonable striking distance, but it won't read those copper pipes with any accuracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) 6 minutes ago, newhome said: Mine was a tenner from Amazon (Prime so delivered next day). It doesn't seem that sensitive to distance as long as I'm in reasonable striking distance, but it won't read those copper pipes with any accuracy. Sounds better than mine! The black marker pen or dab of black high temp paint should help. With the pen a couple of goings over might be needed. The problem is the laser reflecting off the shiny surface. Same as when kids point a laser at a balloon. More chance of it popping if you mark a black spot on it. The black absorbs more energy and the spot heats up. Edited February 25, 2018 by Onoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 laser's nothing to do with it, it's only a sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 We could, just for a laugh, all make a mug of tea and measure the temperature of the mug from a distance of 12", midway up the china. A white much would be best (cause I only have white ones). Then we can all see what readings we have. Best to do it before the teabag is stirred, say 60 seconds after pouring in boiling water. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: Best to do it before the teabag is stirred, say 60 seconds after pouring in boiling water. See I told you black tea was better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) 13 minutes ago, newhome said: See I told you black tea was better I just write down a white T on a piece of paper. Can't read it. Black T is better. Come on @Nickfromwales, this is going downhill like Konrad Bartekski The Madman. Edited February 25, 2018 by Ferdinand 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 1 hour ago, Onoff said: Hmmm...accuracy on those cheap laser IR thermometers. I think mine was a fiver off eBay. An inch from the radiator, 37deg. Stand back 10' and point at the same spot and it's reading 30deg. It is at least useful if measuring components for comparitive purposes as long as you do it from the same distance. What were the results like when you obeyed the instructions? *innocent face* 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted February 25, 2018 Author Share Posted February 25, 2018 @PeterW and @Nickfromwales must be making progress as they've asked me for the UFH plan. That's a big step on from the shite that is my TS / boiler / solar set up! Here are the plans (assuming readable - they are old and grubby) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Enough or I will pull the trigger 32°C 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 But the other side of my head is only 30°C Think something is missing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 54 minutes ago, dpmiller said: laser's nothing to do with it, it's only a sight. So why does a standard laser pointer without the IR bit still pop the balloon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 4 hours ago, MikeSharp01 said: Seem to be drifting off topic a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 8 minutes ago, newhome said: @PeterW and @Nickfromwales must be making progress as they've asked me for the UFH plan. That's a big step on from the shite that is my TS / boiler / solar set up! Here are the plans (assuming readable - they are old and grubby) Now unless I am going blind ... where is the TS and Boiler on that plan ..??! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 3 hours ago, SteamyTea said: Unlike the cafe I was in earlier. Large family with small farting baby, that kept screaming until mother popped her tit out and smothered the little bugger. PMSL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 3 minutes ago, Onoff said: So why does a standard laser pointer without the IR bit still pop the balloon? Didn't burst this one, it went off on its own, very spooky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Whilst a powerful enough laser might well burst a balloon, my point was that the laser aint part of the IR measuring system... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 When using an IR thermometer (strictly speaking it's a bolometer) then there are a few things worth noting down. Firstly, as already mentioned, the laser pointer has nothing to do with the measurement, it's just a guide as to roughly where to point the thing, and is extremely inaccurate when used close to the thing you're trying to measure. If you look at the business end (with the laser OFF) then you will see that the laser is offset from the conical black hole that has the bolometer sensor at the bottom of it. When using it close to a pipe, then line up this hole with the pipe, don't use the laser guide. Secondly, the bolometer is calibrated for a specific surface IR emissivity, usually around 0.9. Shiny surfaces may be as low as 0.1 or less, so will very seriously under-read. Ideally, paint the surface to be measured with something like a thin coat of white or grey matt paint, as that will have a surface IR emissivity that's pretty close to 0.9. Finally, the further away you are from the thing you are trying to measure, the larger the area that the sensor will "see". It will effectively average the temperature over the whole area it "sees" which may well also make it under-read when measuring small, hot objects. Try and place the measurement aperture as close as possible to the object you want to measure and try to make sure that object has an emissivity as close to 0.9 as possible and you should get a reasonably accurate measurement. As guide, here is a link to the surface emissivity of some materials: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emissivity#Emissivities_of_common_surfaces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 My bollockometer came with a little chart that showed the accuracy at different distances and how large the sample area is. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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