HVAC Shop Blog

Surface temperature measurement is one of the most common diagnostic tasks in HVAC-R — and one of the most frequently done wrong. A dirty contact surface, poor probe placement, zero insulation from ambient air, and reading before the display has settled: these four mistakes alone account for most of the inaccurate results tradies bring back from the field. This guide covers correct technique from surface prep through to documentation, so every reading you take is defensible, repeatable, and actually tells you something useful about the plant you're working on.