Digital Infrared Thermometers?

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I’ll confess I saw someone else ask this question in a FB group, but I know there’s folks in here that could answer the question. 

How accurate are digital infrared thermometers that are rated to read 2700F, compared to a type K thermocouple and a pyrometer?

In the comments on FB, people were saying they used an infrared thermometer to check to see if their pots were fully dry, which seemed like a nifty secondary use.  No one at the time of writing had said anything about accuracy at cone 6 though. 

I’ll confess, I don’t love my pyrometer. It seems to tap out at the top end of my firing cycle, right when I need it. And it seems like its off more than a bit. I only spent $80 Canadian, so that also might be a factor.

[Mark C.]

digital infrared thermometers-I have two of them and use them to check wheel bearing temps on boat trailers  during tripe and such. I did look at outer temps on kilns, chimmneys etc last year.

They are not a subsitute for a good digital pyrometer. They only read at the red dot.-that said they are cheap on amazon and tell you what up around the studio and hose and car/truck

PS if you think digital ones are bad at cone 6 try cone 11 my range. That where my oxygen meter with platinum thermocouple shines-still cones are your best friend

I do go thru the type k thermocouples pretty fast with about 28 glaze fires a year on car kiln.

[neilestrick]

There are a lot of variables that affect how accurately those read, especially the surface quality of the piece being measured- whether it's glossy, matte, smooth, rough, etc, as well as how accurately it's able to focus in on one specific spot inside the kiln or whether it's catching the edge of the spy hole as well. Also the area right by the open spy hole may be cooler than the rest.

I've tried a couple of the cheap  $5-10 Amazon digital pyrometers and they actually read quite accurately with a good type K thermocouple when I've compared them to what my kiln controller is reading.

[Bill Kielb]

7 hours ago, Callie Beller Diesel said:

How accurate are digital infrared thermometers that are rated to read 2700F, compared to a type K thermocouple and a pyrometer?

For most, not all that accurate especially at upper ranges. Thermocouples are in general pretty reliable and accurate as there is not a bunch that can go wrong with welding two types of wire together. Having said that thermocouples have drift and more importantly the thing that reads the thermocouple (Pyrometer part) varies considerably in capability and guaranteed accuracy with price so accuracy of low cost pyrometers can suffer a bit. Still I would take the low cost pyrometer over a low cost non contact thermometer.

For Pyrometers folks are often surprised when they put the same thermocouple on two different readers  and get very different temperatures in different ranges. For the most part though they are probably within 1% or less at full scale accuracy and plenty good for clay but also why using cones is the only accurate way.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

Sounds like I just need a different pyrometer then.

Thanks guys! 

[Bill Kielb]

2 hours ago, Callie Beller Diesel said:

Sounds like I just need a different pyrometer then.

This is assuming you checked for the usual loose connections and are comfortable with the imbed distance of the thermocouple and not some drafty odd cold spot etc…..