Technology and equipment is becoming increasingly more sophisticated. I'm always surprised by the equipment people have stashed away! Remember when PCs first became available for your house? I think I now have more computing power on my phone (not that I've figure out how to use all the features)!
Sometimes all this instant technological availability means I run into business who already have some infrared equipment. Why use a certified thermographer if you already have a small infrared camera?
First, a thermographer will have professional level equipment that generally will produce higher and better quality scans. It's his job to have the best equipment available. For example, would you use a mobile phone camera to take your Christmas family photo or a high quality camera? Having a relatively small number of pixels, low resolution and small field of view, there is a higher probability of missing or misinterpreting a fault. These devices are best used for spot checks.
The sophisticated level of technology and the value of use makes infrared cameras expensive. One really must look at the economics of purchasing an IR camera. There is a lot of economic merit in using an experienced, qualified full time thermographer, delivering a quality service with good equipment at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a camera to be used occasionally by relatively inexperienced operators.
Interested in learning more? Call me at 803-328-2889 and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.irinfraredservices.com/ or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Infrared Thermography: What is Your Tipping Point?
For the last several years, I have blogged about the benefits of using thermal infrared scans to ensure the safety and integrity of commercial buildings. We've talked about creating and implementing predictive maintenance programs, using thermography to make sure your assembly lines and mechanical equipment are functioning with adequate parameters. I've explained how what you can't see CAN hurt you, your business, and your employees. We've discussed various applications for thermal camera surveys - from colleges to homes to large corporate buildings. I've showed you how commercial insurarance companies think infrared scans are so important that they actually lower the premiums for companies that schedule annual scans of their buildings and electrical equipment.
As building maintenance personnel and supervisors become more knowledgeable about the benefits of commercial thermography, business has continued to grow. I'm thankful for that. My question to you today is - what is the tipping point? At what point does knowledge about prevention and detection using infrared thermography become the decision to pick up the phone to schedule an appointment? I know that I have alot of (mostly quiet!) readers out there - I invite you to comment. I'm curious to know what motivated you to add infrared thermography to your maintenance programs!
Interested in learning more? Call me at 803-328-2889 and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.irinfraredservices.com/ or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
As building maintenance personnel and supervisors become more knowledgeable about the benefits of commercial thermography, business has continued to grow. I'm thankful for that. My question to you today is - what is the tipping point? At what point does knowledge about prevention and detection using infrared thermography become the decision to pick up the phone to schedule an appointment? I know that I have alot of (mostly quiet!) readers out there - I invite you to comment. I'm curious to know what motivated you to add infrared thermography to your maintenance programs!
Interested in learning more? Call me at 803-328-2889 and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.irinfraredservices.com/ or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Winter has arrived! Have you completed your building's thermal scan yet?
Lots of snow in the mountains and freezing temperatures - looks like winter has arrived. As temperatures continue to drop, how can you be sure you are not losing precious heat because of unseen heat loss? Rather than put another sweater on (and maybe some gloves and a hat!) consider a thermal imaging scan.
A infrared inspection will inspect the quality of insulation inside your building, as well as numerous other areas where heat loss can occur, such as cracks or breaks in building seals. Temperature scans inside and outside – along ceilings, floors, walls, windows, doors, vents and pipes – immediately show problem areas. A thermal imager with a blower door will quickly locate other sources of heat loss, such as insufficient insulation or broken seals, leaking HVAC ductwork or improper construction techniques.
Another quick hint is that wood alone is NOT a good insulator. Replacing inefficient wood doors with insulated fiberglass or metal doors is a good investment. With energy prices out of sight, replacement costs can be recovered quickly.
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
A infrared inspection will inspect the quality of insulation inside your building, as well as numerous other areas where heat loss can occur, such as cracks or breaks in building seals. Temperature scans inside and outside – along ceilings, floors, walls, windows, doors, vents and pipes – immediately show problem areas. A thermal imager with a blower door will quickly locate other sources of heat loss, such as insufficient insulation or broken seals, leaking HVAC ductwork or improper construction techniques.
Another quick hint is that wood alone is NOT a good insulator. Replacing inefficient wood doors with insulated fiberglass or metal doors is a good investment. With energy prices out of sight, replacement costs can be recovered quickly.
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.irinfraredservices.com/ or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Amazing use of Thermography! Fracking and Released Gases
As I've mentioned in the past, one of the people who works for me is a college student. She's taking an environmental science class, or as she not-so-fondly refers to it "Dirt Class." Last week she was excited to see infrared thermal imaging used in yet another real-world setting.
Turns out her class is looking at fracking. Now, no political statements here - fracking is a way to release natural gas for use as a fuel source. It is supposed to be a clean and environmentally friendly way to release this almost un-exhaustible source of fuel. Basically, highly-pressurized water and chemicals is forcibly injected into the rock layer. The rock fractures and gas is released and captured. Fracking is highly controversial.
All that water and chemical has to go somewhere - and that's where my favorite student made the connection. You see, alot of the water is vented back out as steam which appears quite benign. Only through the use of infrared cameras can you see the chemicals also being released into the atmosphere. Here's a video from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (www.gao.gov), entitled Vented Gas Visible Through Infrared Camera.
Now, I sincerely hope you don't have to call me to check for dangerous gas emissions leaking from your home or business - but isn't it nice to know you could? Remember - what you don't see - CAN hurt you.
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
Turns out her class is looking at fracking. Now, no political statements here - fracking is a way to release natural gas for use as a fuel source. It is supposed to be a clean and environmentally friendly way to release this almost un-exhaustible source of fuel. Basically, highly-pressurized water and chemicals is forcibly injected into the rock layer. The rock fractures and gas is released and captured. Fracking is highly controversial.
All that water and chemical has to go somewhere - and that's where my favorite student made the connection. You see, alot of the water is vented back out as steam which appears quite benign. Only through the use of infrared cameras can you see the chemicals also being released into the atmosphere. Here's a video from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (www.gao.gov), entitled Vented Gas Visible Through Infrared Camera.
Now, I sincerely hope you don't have to call me to check for dangerous gas emissions leaking from your home or business - but isn't it nice to know you could? Remember - what you don't see - CAN hurt you.
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.irinfraredservices.com/ or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
University Uses Infrared Scans to Locate Steam Pipeline Issues
I recently got a call from a local University who was having problems with their buried steam lines. This system was approximately 50 years old and supplied steam to the residence halls and other University buildings. They were buried approx. 6 feet under the ground and crisscrossed the campus under lawns, roadways, sidewalks and parking lots.
The problem was that the steam lines were leaking and the heat was affecting the area above the lines, killing grass. Visible steam was coming up through numerous manhole covers, even in the middle of a very warm summer day in August in South Carolina!
We scheduled the infrared scan at 5 in the morning to allow us to have a differential temperature in the ground. Even at this hour some of the latent heat remaining in the ground from the sun of the daytime, measured 80 plus degrees F. We then started from one end of the line and progressed to the other end, marking abnormally high temperatures with marking paint.
We determined the general condition of the piping was poorly insulated with surface temperatures of 100 degrees F plus, probably due to methods of insulating at the time and the breakdown of the insulation over time. We additionally discovered areas of extremely high surface temperature in the 150 degree F range and some manhole covers that were close to 200 degrees!
These areas will be dug up and repairs made to the lines and insulation. We also found a steam line that extended out into a parking lot and just ended under a car. It was later determined that this line had gone to a maintenance shop which had been torn down years ago and the line had not been capped.
So what's the moral of this story?
Finding and fixing costly leaks and reducing liability (can you imagine if someone stepped a barefoot on a 200 degree manhole cover? Yikes!) is an important use of infrared scanning technology. By using infrared thermography, this university saved thousands and thousands of dollars in detection costs, and was able to find and fix the exact problem. Now that's a smart school.
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
The problem was that the steam lines were leaking and the heat was affecting the area above the lines, killing grass. Visible steam was coming up through numerous manhole covers, even in the middle of a very warm summer day in August in South Carolina!
We scheduled the infrared scan at 5 in the morning to allow us to have a differential temperature in the ground. Even at this hour some of the latent heat remaining in the ground from the sun of the daytime, measured 80 plus degrees F. We then started from one end of the line and progressed to the other end, marking abnormally high temperatures with marking paint.
We determined the general condition of the piping was poorly insulated with surface temperatures of 100 degrees F plus, probably due to methods of insulating at the time and the breakdown of the insulation over time. We additionally discovered areas of extremely high surface temperature in the 150 degree F range and some manhole covers that were close to 200 degrees!
These areas will be dug up and repairs made to the lines and insulation. We also found a steam line that extended out into a parking lot and just ended under a car. It was later determined that this line had gone to a maintenance shop which had been torn down years ago and the line had not been capped.
So what's the moral of this story?
Finding and fixing costly leaks and reducing liability (can you imagine if someone stepped a barefoot on a 200 degree manhole cover? Yikes!) is an important use of infrared scanning technology. By using infrared thermography, this university saved thousands and thousands of dollars in detection costs, and was able to find and fix the exact problem. Now that's a smart school.
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.irinfraredservices.com/ or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Help! My Roof is Leaking!
Did you see the recent pictures of the unexpected snow up north? Wow. Of course, after the dig out, a whole new host of issues often occurs. After a bad storm, often roof leaks make their appearance. Unfortunately, the source can be hard to find - and in the middle of a cold winter, you don't want to spend time on wet and rotting insulation, fixing and repairing roof issues, or figuring out why the seals around your chimney aren't holding! So now just might be the time to schedule an infrared roof scan for your building.
Often the place where the leak shows up can be very far away from where the actual roof damage exist. As water enters the roof through the waterproofing layer(s) by tears, cuts, poorly sealed penetrations, failed flashings and caps, the insulation below can become laden with water and trapped in the roof substrate. If left in disrepair, the concrete deck absorbs or traps water, the wood deck rots. The metal deck rusts, and water intrudes into the building’s interior. Often the visible signs (wet walls, for example) are not even close to the actual roof damage, so examining the roof above where the leak occurs often reveals nothing. That's not where the problem is.
Infrared imaging is a proven method for identifying and defining moisture problems in your roof. This way you can correct problem areas without the tremendous expense of replacing the entire roof.
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
Often the place where the leak shows up can be very far away from where the actual roof damage exist. As water enters the roof through the waterproofing layer(s) by tears, cuts, poorly sealed penetrations, failed flashings and caps, the insulation below can become laden with water and trapped in the roof substrate. If left in disrepair, the concrete deck absorbs or traps water, the wood deck rots. The metal deck rusts, and water intrudes into the building’s interior. Often the visible signs (wet walls, for example) are not even close to the actual roof damage, so examining the roof above where the leak occurs often reveals nothing. That's not where the problem is.
Infrared imaging is a proven method for identifying and defining moisture problems in your roof. This way you can correct problem areas without the tremendous expense of replacing the entire roof.
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.irinfraredservices.com/ or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Major Equipment Failure Stops Production In South Carolina!
Now there's a newspaper headline sure to cause nightmares. Could it be you?
Let’s talk about two different scenarios:
Your business is humming along, employees are busy and a huge order has just come in from a very important customer. With the economy what it is, you are thankful for this new order and infusion of cash. This order is going to make a huge impact on your business.
And in the middle of it, a vital piece of equipment fails.
Now you are faced with being unable to deliver for your client, a potentially enormous repair bills, employees standing idle, and no idea what is wrong with your equipment. Will it need to be repaired? Replaced?
Scenario two: You have a Process Monitoring Program in place that regularly inspects and monitors the condition of your equipment. A few weeks ago, this regularly scheduled program detected the beginnings of a minor issue with your equipment. A quick visit by a repairperson averts what could have been a major failure. Spending a few dollars on preventative maintenance has saved you many thousands in mechanical equipment failure.
Hmmm…as a business owner or manager, which scenario works better for you?
That's what I thought. Predictive maintenance reflects a sound management philosophy–it means you are managing the maintenance process rather than maintenance emergencies controlling your operation.
A predictive maintenance strategy makes it possible to set your own repair schedules. Manufacturing and production facilities can't afford slowdowns because of poor planning and unexpected equipment failures. Is it time to schedule your annual infrared equipment inspection?
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
Let’s talk about two different scenarios:
Your business is humming along, employees are busy and a huge order has just come in from a very important customer. With the economy what it is, you are thankful for this new order and infusion of cash. This order is going to make a huge impact on your business.
And in the middle of it, a vital piece of equipment fails.
Now you are faced with being unable to deliver for your client, a potentially enormous repair bills, employees standing idle, and no idea what is wrong with your equipment. Will it need to be repaired? Replaced?
Scenario two: You have a Process Monitoring Program in place that regularly inspects and monitors the condition of your equipment. A few weeks ago, this regularly scheduled program detected the beginnings of a minor issue with your equipment. A quick visit by a repairperson averts what could have been a major failure. Spending a few dollars on preventative maintenance has saved you many thousands in mechanical equipment failure.
Hmmm…as a business owner or manager, which scenario works better for you?
That's what I thought. Predictive maintenance reflects a sound management philosophy–it means you are managing the maintenance process rather than maintenance emergencies controlling your operation.
A predictive maintenance strategy makes it possible to set your own repair schedules. Manufacturing and production facilities can't afford slowdowns because of poor planning and unexpected equipment failures. Is it time to schedule your annual infrared equipment inspection?
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.irinfraredservices.com/ or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Should I Just Buy an Infrared Camera?
Technology and equipment is becoming increasingly more sophisticated. I'm always surprised by the equipment people have stashed away! Remember when PCs first became available for your house? Not quite the streamlined netbooks on the market today!
Sometimes all this instant technological availability means I run into customers who already have some infrared equipment. Why use a certified thermographer if you already have a small infrared camera?
First, a thermographer will have professional level equipment that generally will produce higher and better quality scans. It's his job to have the best equipment available. For example, would you use a mobile phone camera to take your Christmas family photo or a high quality camera? Having a relatively small number of pixels, low resolution and small field of view, there is a higher probability of missing or misinterpreting a fault. These devices are best used for spot checks.
The sophisticated level of technology and the value of use makes infrared cameras expensive. One really must look at the economics of purchasing an IR camera. There is a lot of economic merit in using an experienced, qualified full time thermographer, delivering a quality service with good equipment at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a camera to be used occasionally by relatively inexperienced operators.
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
Sometimes all this instant technological availability means I run into customers who already have some infrared equipment. Why use a certified thermographer if you already have a small infrared camera?
First, a thermographer will have professional level equipment that generally will produce higher and better quality scans. It's his job to have the best equipment available. For example, would you use a mobile phone camera to take your Christmas family photo or a high quality camera? Having a relatively small number of pixels, low resolution and small field of view, there is a higher probability of missing or misinterpreting a fault. These devices are best used for spot checks.
The sophisticated level of technology and the value of use makes infrared cameras expensive. One really must look at the economics of purchasing an IR camera. There is a lot of economic merit in using an experienced, qualified full time thermographer, delivering a quality service with good equipment at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a camera to be used occasionally by relatively inexperienced operators.
Interested in learning more? Call me at and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.irinfraredservices.com/ or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans. We are proud to offer the very best thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
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