Thermometer FAQ's If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact our Technical Support at 1-877-221-1252 Office hours: Monday thru Friday from 8am to 445pm CST. Click here for thermometer instructions.   Q: What fluid is in your tube thermometers? A: There is no mercury in any of our thermometers; the fluid in our tube thermometers is mineral spirits with red dye.   Q: What does NSF mean? A: The NSF symbol, which can be found on a kitchen thermometer dial or casing, indicates that the thermometer has passed strict safety standards guided by the National Sanitation Foundation. It is most often seen on thermometers used in restaurants and foodservice preparation facilities.   Q: My main unit is reading an indoor temperature but dashes for outdoor temperature, why? A:You have what we call signal interference. There is something within your home or area that is interfering with the signal from the remote sensor to the main unit. You may want to relocate your units or bring them closer together.   Q: My wireless weather station periodically beeps, why? A:Make sure that any alert and/or alarm features are deactivated first. Constant, sporadic beeping is generally due to the unitís ability to detect a foreign radio frequency of another wireless unit when that unit transmits a signal. Wireless devices that may cause beeping but are not limited to these devices are; scanners; computers w/wireless keyboard/mouse; or other wireless weather instruments. Essentially, any wireless devices transmitting on a radio frequency have the potential to interfere with each other. Limit the amount of wireless devices to lesson the chance of interference. When beeping occurs, one device will need to be deactivated.   Q: I am not receiving an accurate outdoor temperature, why? A: If you want to know if your unit is reading correctly you can place the main unit and remote sensor side by side. The indoor temperature and outdoor temperature should read with in our industrial standard of +/- 2 degrees.   Q: Is the remote sensor for my weather station water proof? A:The remote sensors are not ìwaterproofî meaning ìable to submerse.î ìWater resistantî or "weather resistant" is the applicable description for these sensors. Prolonged exposure to cold weather may cause damage to the LCD panel in addition to draining your batteries. And of course battery corrosion will harm the units. Extreme heat will cause your batteries drain and more importantly, to explode and corrode in the compartment also. Although the units are intended for outdoor use, placing them in a protected area will preserve the life of the unit.   Q: Where on the remote sensor is the ìTXî button and how do I change it from Celsius to Fahrenheit on my remote sensor? A:To register the remote to the base unit by pressing the ìTXî button for three seconds. The ìTXî button is inside the battery compartment of the remote sensor. Remove this covering and underneath is your battery compartment and setup buttons, some units are equipped with a ìC/Fî button as well as a ìTXî button inside this battery compartment. To read remote in Fahrenheit, press the ìC/Fî button at this time also. Than replace the cover. Both buttons, "TX" & "C/F" are hidden inside the protective backing to ensure weather and water resistance of this unit that is intended for the outdoors.   Q: When I plug the probe into my digital meat thermometer it will only register HI, why? A:When the probe is not plugged in to the meat thermometer that section will read LO, but before placing the probe in to the meat the probe than will register room temperature. If it will only registers HI after the probe is plugged in than you have a bad probe. You can purchase additional meat probes by calling 1-800-777-0565.   Q: My dial thermometer is stuck at one temperature and has never changed, why? A:The thermometer may need to be calibrated. You can find those instructions for calibrating your thermometer in Product Instructions.   Q: Do you have any licensed products? A: We are proud to present licensed products on our indoor/outdoor thermometers. Our licenses are: Hautman Brothers and Wild Wings. You can find out more about them by visiting their Web sites: Hautman Brothers: www.hautman.com Wild Wings: www.wildwings.com   Q: Where can I go if I want to learn more about temperature? A: For more information about temperature, visit: U.S. Government's Web site about food safety is www.foodsafety.gov or go to www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/thermy/meet.htm   Q: Where can I learn more about weather? A: For weather information visit www.accuweather.com   Q: Where can I buy your products? A: Click here to find out.   Food Safety Facts: Click here to learn about proper insertion of a meat thermometer. Safe eating should be everyone’s concern. More than 9,000 Americans die every year from foodborne illnesses. We’re eating more outside the home -- 40% of the American food dollar today is spent in restaurants, paying others to prepare our meals; we eat food from around the world; and, we have a growing senior population whose immune systems are more vulnerable. The USDA is doing their best to protect consumers from unsafe food, but proper food storage and safe in-kitchen preparation remain essential. Our greatest weapon in the battle for food safety is fought in the home and at restaurants by using thermometers properly. Hamburger Facts: 1 out of every 4 hamburgers turns brown before it’s been cooked to a safe internal temperature. Color is not a sure indicator of whether food is safe to eat. Always use a food thermometer. Often, when meat is "ground up" to make hamburger, bacteria that may have been present on the surface of the meat can end up inside the burger. When this happens, bacteria are less likely to be killed by cooking if the proper temperature is not achieved. Fridge Facts: 23% of consumers’ refrigerators are not cold enough! To discourage the growth of foodborne bacteria, your refrigerator should be set at 40º F (4º C). Using a food thermometer is the only way to ensure foods are received, held and cooked at safe, proper temperatures. This will prevent bacteria growth or harmful microorganisms from causing any foodborne illnesses. The temperature required to destroy different pathogenic microorganisms can vary. Therefore, proper cooking temperatures are dependent on the type of food being cooked (see USDA recommended internal temperature chart). Safety temperature guidelines for handling foods: Receiving Refrigerated foods at or below 40ºF Frozen foods at or below 0ºF Storing Refrigerated foods at or below 40ºF Frozen foods at or below 0ºF Dry foods at 50ºF Holding Cold foods at or below 40ºF Hot foods at or above 140ºF Cooling Obtain 40ºF or below within 4 hours Reheating Obtain 165ºF or above   Thermometer Usage and Tips: Calibration Ice water method: Use 50/50 mixture of ice and water. Immerse thermometer stem a minimum of 2". Wait 30 seconds. Set the pointer at 32ºF. Boiling water method: Bring pot of water to rolling boil. Immerse thermometer stem a minimum of 2". Wait 30 seconds. Set the pointer at 212ºF. Thermometer types Thermistor: Uses a resistor (ceramic semiconductor) in the tip, allowing use in various thicknesses of foods. Bimetallic coil: Uses a coil made of two different metals bonded together, each having a different rate of expansion. The coil expands when heated. The thermometer stem must be inserted 2-3 inches into the food for proper measurement.   Click here for thermometer instructions.