Thermal imagers have been used by the military and manufacturing facilities for a long time. Recently, they've been refined and specialized for building science applications and I just bought one. It's loaded with report software and using my laptop, I can burn a CD real time.
These imagers reveal temperature anomalies so you can see where a building leaks or is infiltrated by air and where it traps moisture. Having this information is crucial if a homeowner is going to make improvements in the right order. There is definitely a correct order for some projects. Here's an example.
Have you heard the horror stories about dual-pane windows? In the Q&As that follow my talks on How to Go Green without Going Broke, I certainly have! People are spending $15,000 and more to replace all their old windows, without getting more than a two-dollar reduction in energy bills.
Dual panes can't save energy unless your walls are insulated (this doesn't apply if you live in a fishbowl/Eichler). They can make rooms less drafty and quieter, but the warm air will still find its way out the uninsulated walls, like it always has. NOTE: replacing a window with dual panes reduces that window's heat loss by 50% or less. And because windows typically account for only 25% of a wall, the cost/benefit ratio is not that attractive.. As part of a whole house upgrade or new construction, dual panes make a lot of sense -- and they're the law. But before you decide to replace all your windows with dual pane products, determine whether and how well your home is insulated.
Until recently, that's been difficult to do. Now, a thermal imager can show you where and how badly your home leaks. You can also identify areas of potential mold growth. Some pest control companies are using them now, because thermal imagers can detect the presence of termite nests as well.
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very cool Lorna. Which model
very cool Lorna. Which model did you get-- sounds like you'd recommend it? - maxmsf
FLUKE Flexcam with Fusion
Hi Max;
The infrared imager I purchased takes both visible light and infrared images, and you can blend them and create picture-in-picture images. (The latter make it easier for clients to understand what they're seeing.) In my certification course, the ony person with a cooler camera was the instructor.
I bought it two months before the course, planning to have the operation part of it mastered by then. Yeh, right. It's as much a hand-held computer as it is an imager, so it involved learning new software as well as how to capture clear images. It was good to be prepared along those lines though -- I still had to spend the evenings in my hotel room, studying theory. The course was a great, hands-on experience.
I definitely recommend this imager, and I recommend Snell Infrared for training. John Snell is an industry pioneer.
Thermal Imaging
There are many different types of thermal imaging. I have seen small ones that anyone can use or you can pay to have someone come to your home and work area by area. We have recently used thermal imaging photos taken from a plane to compare side by side structures and compare the different building material. To see the pictures check out my latest blog. Thermal Imaging is wonderful and not as expensive as you would think.
Cardinal Building Systems, Inc.
Building Efficiently for Energy Savings