The Refco LP-88 has a trigger that you hold to begin taking measurements. You can take measurements as an average or in min/max mode. You can either hold the trigger or set the Refco LP-88 to lock mode, which runs constantly and doesn’t require you to hold the trigger.

The spot-to-distance ratio is explained on the side of the Refco LP-88, which is nice for us and lets us know how accurate our measurements will be. The safety information is on the bottom, and the main concern is to keep the laser away from people’s eyes or reflective objects that may reflect the laser into somebody’s eyes.

Be sure to set the thermometer for the correct emissivity of the surface you’re measuring; infrared thermometers measure surface temperature, not air temperature. In general, most of the things we will be measuring have an emissivity of around 0.9 (reflective materials have much lower emissivity ratings). You can use an emissivity chart to get the most accurate measurement.

Once you set the proper emissivity and understand the limitations, you can use an infrared thermometer to measure circuit breakers against one another for a comparative diagnosis. You can also use an infrared thermometer for comparative diagnosis on condensing fan motors in light commercial applications with several units in a row.