In-ear vs infrared thermometers

[scooterism]

Just wondering if the infrared style therometers are just as accurate as the in-ear type?

When the kids are sick it can sometimes get a little tricky to stick something in their ears.

Love to read your thoughts..

 

[malt junkie]

Hospitals including high dependency and acute care facilities for children use the in ear type.

Works for them, works for me.

 

[Stouter]

I had thought about using one of the infrared style ones for brewing but the one we got for the kids was horribly inaccurate no matter which way we used it or however closely we followed the destructions. After that I got spooked and didn't consider it for something as important as brewing.

 

[WE5TY]

Some research: (if the linky works!!)

http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0011393X1300...t=1501151832_730d9058eeeb8713ae49c6d2e4db9e30

I work in a paeds icu... I use the good old 'under the armpit' digital thermos until kids are about 3 then the tympanic (ear) type on older kids (invasive temp monitoring on really sick kids). At home I use the armpit method on my kiddies

 

[unwrittenlaw]

The Braun in ear has been good to us and we are constantly on fever watch

 

[Mardoo]

We run a daycare and the Braun in-ear makes life soooooo simple. Spendy, but worth it.

 

[MHB]

I suspect its a horses for courses thing.
The "medical" ones should be very accurate over a narrow range
Industrial probably much less accurate but work over a much wider range.

Have a really hard look at the spec sheet, it should give both the working range and precision over that range.
Bit like scales, cant afford 0.01g gram precision over 25kg, but its pretty easy to get that precision over 25g.
Mark

 

[Stouter]

I suspect its a horses for courses thing.
The "medical" ones should be very accurate over a narrow range
Industrial probably much less accurate but work over a much wider range.

Have a really hard look at the spec sheet, it should give both the working range and precision over that range.
Bit like scales, cant afford 0.01g gram precision over 25kg, but its pretty easy to get that precision over 25g.
Mark

Have you used these on Brewing stages MHB?
Seems an easy solution if accurate enough. I've just dismissed them as inaccurate so far is all.

 

[MHB]

Yep, the industrial not the earwig thing.
They don't like reflective surfaces (like SS) you might need to put a bit of black electrical tape or heat proof paint where you want to take a reading, steam gets in the way of reading the surface under it... The good (i.e. accurate enough to be worth the effort) aren't cheap but I found it useful.
I had a good Hanna one worth a couple of hundred bucks - one day I had a paper weight - it just died, at this stage I cant afford to replace it with one I would trust, not when a very good lab thermometer can be had for $20 or less.
Mark

 

[Stouter]

So with a section of black gaffa or such on the side of my urn I might get a reasonably accurate reading?