GBHRPS
07-11-2010, 03:01 PM
On sale in our Canadian Tire Store was a Black and Decker Thermal Leak Detector, or some would say an infra-red temperature gauge. Normally $100, it was on sale for $35, and I couldn't pass it up.
I have every intention of using it around the house to find air leaks around windows and doors that need caulking, etc., and missing insulation in the walls and ceiling, but I know it'll find other uses when trailering.
At a rest stop or fuel stop, aim it at an axle hub and pull the trigger, and the digital readout will tell you instantly what the hub's temperature is. Compare all 4 axle hubs on the trailer and if one is hotter, there is either a wheel bearing going bad, or a drum brake that is dragging.
Do the same to each of the tires, and if one is running hotter, its most likely under inflated.
Do the same procedure on the tow vehicle's hubs and tires.
I suspect that the temperature differential at varying levels should also tell how full my propane tanks are.
Use it in your refrigerator and freezer to check their fitness. Balancing your trailer furnace heat from area to area should be easier to accomplish.
In the garage it will be easy to find the engine cylinder that's misfiring, or whether a portion of the radiator is plugged, and so on.
And at the very least, at home I can now better balance my heat and air conditioning from floor level to floor level.
I'm sure this won't be for everybody, but for those of us who can't get enough toys, here's one more.
I have every intention of using it around the house to find air leaks around windows and doors that need caulking, etc., and missing insulation in the walls and ceiling, but I know it'll find other uses when trailering.
At a rest stop or fuel stop, aim it at an axle hub and pull the trigger, and the digital readout will tell you instantly what the hub's temperature is. Compare all 4 axle hubs on the trailer and if one is hotter, there is either a wheel bearing going bad, or a drum brake that is dragging.
Do the same to each of the tires, and if one is running hotter, its most likely under inflated.
Do the same procedure on the tow vehicle's hubs and tires.
I suspect that the temperature differential at varying levels should also tell how full my propane tanks are.
Use it in your refrigerator and freezer to check their fitness. Balancing your trailer furnace heat from area to area should be easier to accomplish.
In the garage it will be easy to find the engine cylinder that's misfiring, or whether a portion of the radiator is plugged, and so on.
And at the very least, at home I can now better balance my heat and air conditioning from floor level to floor level.
I'm sure this won't be for everybody, but for those of us who can't get enough toys, here's one more.