Inspection / Infrared Thermography

What is Thermography?

Thermography is the use of specialized infrared cameras to see differences in temperature. Because infrared radiation increases with temperature, the cameras are able to produce a thermogram (a heat signature–based image) showing relative areas of coolness and warmth in a room, on an object or even inside the walls of a building. Thus, the colors in a thermogram, from black for cold to white for hot, provide a clear image of heat distribution and dispersal.

Who uses Thermography?

First developed in the early 1960s for industrial equipment evaluations, advances in the technology have made today’s small, handheld infrared cameras accessible for a variety of professional applications, including

• Home Inspections
• Energy Audits
• Commercial & Industrial Facilities
• Roofing Repairs and Installation
• Plumbing Inspections and Repair

Thermography as part of a Home Inspection

A complete thermographic evaluation conducted at the time of a home inspection will reveal areas of concern that a conventional inspection simply cannot evaluate. These include:

• Moisture inside walls and in ceilings
• Missing or inadequate insulation
• Short circuits, bad wiring and other areas of high electrical resistance
• Areas of substantial heat loss such as old or improperly installed windows and door seals
• Leaks in pipes and A/C ductwork
• Moisture behind EIFS synthetic stucco or vinyl siding
• Detect nests of pests such as mice and termites

Correctives may include additional thermostats, heating vents, humidifiers in key areas, new windows or moisture correction. Regardless, it’s best to know about problems before you try to buy or sell a property. For this reason, many home buyers now insist upon a clause requiring a thermographic scan as part of their home inspection.

Thermography as part of an Energy Audit

Homes unnecessarily lose energy due to a variety of reasons: poor air flow, low quality or missing insulation, improperly functioning HVAC and/or ventilation systems, cracks in window or door seals...the list goes on. Rather than continue to lose energy and money, many home and business owners are opting to have a professional energy audit with a thermographic scan of their structure. The relatively low cost of the audit is easily offset by the increased efficiency and lower utility bills after corrective measures are implemented based on the inspector’s findings.

Thermographic scans work best when there is at least a 20°F difference in outside versus inside air temperature. As such, the best time to have a thermographic energy audit in the northern states is during the winter with the home’s heat turned on; in the southern states the best time is in the summer with the home’s air conditioning turned on.

Use in Conjunction with a Blower Door Test

By using a blower door to accentuates the amount of air coming into your home, a thermograpic scan more clearly detects faulty areas in the building shell and reveals areas for improvement typically not noticeable. For this reason, many energy auditors use a blower door when conducting their evaluation.

Electrical & Mechanical Applications

Mechanical Inspections

As machines age they become less efficient and consequently produce more heat in areas that are failing or improperly functioning. Trained mechanical inspectors using thermographic equipment can pinpoint areas of inefficiency in equipment such as:

Electric Motor Evaluations

An electric motor operating above its temperature threshold suffers permanent damage that increases exponentially as it gets hotter. A thermographic evaluation allows technicians to accurately assess a motor’s operating temperature and to make corrections.

Electrical Applications

High resistance areas, such as those that result from a poor connection or failing component, produce thermal energy. Using thermographic equipment, trained inspectors can locate areas in need of attention thereby avoiding costly, and potentially dangerous, system failures.

Roofing Applications

Finding leaks in roofs used to be a trial and error process, often failing to correct the problem. Using a thermographic scan, however, inspectors and roofers can pinpoint the exact regions of the roof where moisture is being retained. After being exposed to the sun all day, areas with dry insulation will be warmer than those areas exposed to moisture. However, over time the wet areas will retain the built–up energy longer. For this reason, a thermographic roof inspection conducted during the day will reveal wet areas as cooler than dry whereas one conducted at night will indicate the opposite.

Plumbing Applications

Leak sourcing can be a time consuming, invasive and expensive process. Thermographic scans make it possible for plumbing professionals to detect leaks in concealed areas such as under floors, inside walls and ceilings. Because thermographic scans are able to detect minute temperature variances (as small as .06°C), areas losing even a small amount of water are clearly visible to a trained thermographic professional