So you've been reading my blog for years (indulge me). And I've finally convinced you of the importance of infrared thermal scanning for predictive and preventative maintenance, energy efficiency scans, and roof scans. You are ready to go buy your own infrared camera and do it all yourself.
While that is certainly possible, I don't recommend it (and not just because that's what I do for a living)! Using a certified thermographer, whether it's IR Infrared Services or another infrared services company, is a better choice. Why?
First, a thermographer will have professional level equipment that generally will produce higher and better quality scans. It's his or her job to have the best equipment available. A high quality (and expensive) infrared camera like those used by professionals means a lower probability of missing or misinterpreting a fault. The cheaper infrared cameras on the market are best used for spot checks - not building envelope or roof scans.
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.
Last, you can't underestimate the value of experience and knowledge. A certified thermographer has been trained to properly read and interpret the results from the infrared scan and has gone through many hours of ongoing training and certification. Why would you trust the safety of your building, electrical equipment, or roof integrity to anyone but a certified infrared thermographer?
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!
Showing posts with label certified thermographers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label certified thermographers. Show all posts
Friday, June 7, 2013
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Preventing Fire Loss and Insurance Costs Through Infrared Testing
In my last blog, I wrote about reducing your commercial energy bill. An added benefit to using thermography to reduce your energy output is that you might also be able to substantially reduce your insurance costs.
By performing an infrared scan as part of your preventative maintenance plan, you may identify possible sources of electrical failure. CNA estimates that more than 30% of fire losses can be attributed to electrical failure. That's a HUGE number that can be largely preventable! (Check out their safety bulletin here: CNA Commercial Property ). In fact, by preventing proof of thermal scans as part of your preventative maintenance program, many insurers will provide discounts on the cost of insurance.
CNA points out that infrared testing can prevent loss due to electrical failure or fire for several reasons, including:
1. Reducing damage caused by over-torquing connections. Infrared can pinpoint which switchgear connections actually need tightening, preventing over-correction and early failure.
2. Detecting loose or corroded connections.
3. Identifying faulty connections.
Remember, electrical connections get hot before they fail - and infrared scanning is the best way to "see" what the naked eye can't. The investment in hiring a certified infrared thermographer is well worth the knowledge that you won't see hundreds of thousands of dollars go up in smoke!
Interested in learning more? Give me a call at 803-3328-2889 and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end 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 and South Carolina!
By performing an infrared scan as part of your preventative maintenance plan, you may identify possible sources of electrical failure. CNA estimates that more than 30% of fire losses can be attributed to electrical failure. That's a HUGE number that can be largely preventable! (Check out their safety bulletin here: CNA Commercial Property ). In fact, by preventing proof of thermal scans as part of your preventative maintenance program, many insurers will provide discounts on the cost of insurance.
CNA points out that infrared testing can prevent loss due to electrical failure or fire for several reasons, including:
1. Reducing damage caused by over-torquing connections. Infrared can pinpoint which switchgear connections actually need tightening, preventing over-correction and early failure.
2. Detecting loose or corroded connections.
3. Identifying faulty connections.
Remember, electrical connections get hot before they fail - and infrared scanning is the best way to "see" what the naked eye can't. The investment in hiring a certified infrared thermographer is well worth the knowledge that you won't see hundreds of thousands of dollars go up in smoke!
Interested in learning more? Give me a call at 803-3328-2889 and let’s talk!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end 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 and South Carolina!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Can Infrared Detect Mold?
Have you ever been inside a building and looked up at the ceiling and seen that tell-tale black mold in the ceiling tiles? Or seen a discoloration around a bulge in a wall? Eeew yuck, right?
Mold, rot, and mildew can be a real threat to a building. Mold is a microscopic fungus that can destroy a building, and cause serious health issues in individuals. It can be exceedingly hard to remediate. Painting over the problem doesn't solve the issue.
How does mold occur? Several ways - all of which have to do with undetected moisture sources. Design flaws, entrained moisture in roofs and walls and water leaks can all be sources of mold growth. This sources of moisture intrusion can often be tracked to poorly installed insulation and vapor barriers.
When insulation and water vapor barriers are missing or poorly installed, condensation problems can occur - creating a nice, dark, moist place for mold to flourish. By the time the mold is actually visible on a ceiling or interior wall, it can be quite a severe infestation.
The answer to the question, "Can Infrared Detect Mold" is No. Mold doesn't exhibit a heat reaction strong enough to be seen by an infrared camera. What a certified infrared thermographer CAN do, however, is to detect moisture. Without moisture, mold growth is very limited.
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 our website or follow us on Twitter: We are proud to offer the very best infrared thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
The ideas for this series of blogs are derived, in part, from Greg Stockton's excellent article Infared (IR) Thermography for Building Managers.
Mold, rot, and mildew can be a real threat to a building. Mold is a microscopic fungus that can destroy a building, and cause serious health issues in individuals. It can be exceedingly hard to remediate. Painting over the problem doesn't solve the issue.
How does mold occur? Several ways - all of which have to do with undetected moisture sources. Design flaws, entrained moisture in roofs and walls and water leaks can all be sources of mold growth. This sources of moisture intrusion can often be tracked to poorly installed insulation and vapor barriers.
When insulation and water vapor barriers are missing or poorly installed, condensation problems can occur - creating a nice, dark, moist place for mold to flourish. By the time the mold is actually visible on a ceiling or interior wall, it can be quite a severe infestation.
The answer to the question, "Can Infrared Detect Mold" is No. Mold doesn't exhibit a heat reaction strong enough to be seen by an infrared camera. What a certified infrared thermographer CAN do, however, is to detect moisture. Without moisture, mold growth is very limited.
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 our website or follow us on Twitter: We are proud to offer the very best infrared thermography services in North Carolina and South Carolina!
The ideas for this series of blogs are derived, in part, from Greg Stockton's excellent article Infared (IR) Thermography for Building Managers.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Infrared Thermography: Is Certification Really That Important?
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!
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!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Why Buying an Infrared Camera is Not Always the Answer
Since an infrared camera can detect heat loss through infrared radiation, does that mean everyone should run out and buy an infrared camera? What about your maintenance team? We talk alot about predictive and preventative maintenance. Is an infrared camera an important tool for your team to have?
That depends. All of the infrared images in the world mean nothing if you don't have someone who has been trained to read them. For example, seeing a uniform heat pattern radiating along the length of a wire has a completely different meaning than seeing a heat pattern with a gradient to it. One means the heat loss is caused by a termination problem, and other is a probable load problem (and no, I'm not going to tell you which is which!)
Different types of surfaces require different heat transfer formulas. These are some of the reasons why we recommend using the services of a thermographer who has been certified and continues to receive ongoing training.
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 and residential end 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 and South Carolina!
That depends. All of the infrared images in the world mean nothing if you don't have someone who has been trained to read them. For example, seeing a uniform heat pattern radiating along the length of a wire has a completely different meaning than seeing a heat pattern with a gradient to it. One means the heat loss is caused by a termination problem, and other is a probable load problem (and no, I'm not going to tell you which is which!)
Different types of surfaces require different heat transfer formulas. These are some of the reasons why we recommend using the services of a thermographer who has been certified and continues to receive ongoing training.
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 and residential end 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 and South Carolina!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
HVAC Commissioning and Infrared Imaging
And last but not least, our series on commissioning ends with a look at HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) Commissioning. Just like mechanical and electrical commissioning, the point of HVAC Commissioning is to ensure that your HVAC system is working the way it is supposed to work. To maximize the energy efficiency of your commercial building, you must be sure that your environment isn’t compromised by inadequate or poorly sealed ductwork, plumbing issues or other problems related to improperly functioning HVAC systems.
This was really brought home to me in a conversation I had with a developer friend of mine. Seems every time a new unit in a block of condos is sold, the new owner turns on the A/C and water leaks start showing up within a couple of days.
It turned out the problem is a missing piece in the air conditioning system – easy to fix, but hard to find. And of course, now the developer is responsible for fixing the leak and the resulting issues (replacing drywall, re-painting, etc.). This is just a simple example of an improperly functioning HVAC system – but multiply this problem in a large multi-system commercial building and the costs rise exponentially!
Like mechanical and electrical commissioning, thermography and thermal imaging have a role to play in HVAC Commissioning. The Building Commissioning Association (BCA), an organization of commissioning professionals, gives this example:
“I also carry a thermal-imaging camera to find leakage in buildings and to see which equipment in existing buildings is on and which is not on…For example, a prep school dining hall was cold and, through thermal imaging, I found that no steam was entering the coil. In the sub-basement, I would have had to crawl under pipes and ducts where rats and mice like to be. Instead, I was able to take thermal images of the ducts to see where the heat was being stopped. I found that the condensate trap had failed at the coil, so no heat was getting through on either duct branch.”*
*Source: http://www.distributedenergy.com/november-december-2009/concept-of-commissioning-2.aspx
This was really brought home to me in a conversation I had with a developer friend of mine. Seems every time a new unit in a block of condos is sold, the new owner turns on the A/C and water leaks start showing up within a couple of days.
It turned out the problem is a missing piece in the air conditioning system – easy to fix, but hard to find. And of course, now the developer is responsible for fixing the leak and the resulting issues (replacing drywall, re-painting, etc.). This is just a simple example of an improperly functioning HVAC system – but multiply this problem in a large multi-system commercial building and the costs rise exponentially!
There are actually three different kinds of HVAC Commissioning:
- Retrocommissioning: Commissioning of an existing system that was never commissioned
- Recommissioning: Subsequent repeat commissioning of a system that was once commissioned
- Continuous Commissioning: Incorporating commissioning activities into operating and maintenance processes so that no separate recommissioning processes are required
Like mechanical and electrical commissioning, thermography and thermal imaging have a role to play in HVAC Commissioning. The Building Commissioning Association (BCA), an organization of commissioning professionals, gives this example:
“I also carry a thermal-imaging camera to find leakage in buildings and to see which equipment in existing buildings is on and which is not on…For example, a prep school dining hall was cold and, through thermal imaging, I found that no steam was entering the coil. In the sub-basement, I would have had to crawl under pipes and ducts where rats and mice like to be. Instead, I was able to take thermal images of the ducts to see where the heat was being stopped. I found that the condensate trap had failed at the coil, so no heat was getting through on either duct branch.”*
Want more information? Call me at 803-328-2889 or drop me an email!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans.*Source: http://www.distributedenergy.com/november-december-2009/concept-of-commissioning-2.aspx
Thursday, June 3, 2010
4 Reasons to Have an Energy Scan as Part of Commercial Building Maintenance
If you are in the business of commercial building maintenance, an easy way to reduce heating and cooling costs is to schedule annual Energy Surveys (also known as Energy Scans). Here are four reasons why:
1. Locate heat loss that is invisible to the naked eye, but clearly identifiable to a thermal scan.
2. Pinpoint missing, wet, and damaged insulation.
3. Locate causes of mold, ice dams, and frozen pipes.
4. Find cold air infiltration and moisture buildup.
The cost to find the root causes of energy loss in your building is a fraction of the money saved by improving building envelope efficiency!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans.
1. Locate heat loss that is invisible to the naked eye, but clearly identifiable to a thermal scan.
2. Pinpoint missing, wet, and damaged insulation.
3. Locate causes of mold, ice dams, and frozen pipes.
4. Find cold air infiltration and moisture buildup.
The cost to find the root causes of energy loss in your building is a fraction of the money saved by improving building envelope efficiency!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/infraredscans.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Outright Failures Identified by Thermal Scans
This month we are talking about maintenance and how thermal imaging should be an integral part of your building maintenance program. It's easy to tie in how catastrophic equipment failure can hurt your business. It's also easy how to see if your equipment is running at peak, it can save you money.
However, infrared inspections can save you money in other ways. And in today's economy, who doesn't want to cut costs?
* Reduced inventory of maintenance parts
* Labor cost savings by avoiding serious equipment failures
(downtime for labor personnel while equipment is non-functional)
* Energy savings by sealing building leaks
* Savings from decreased downtime through increased output
* Reduced waste and scrap parts by improving equipment operation
* Safer working conditions (reduced injuries to maintenance and operating personnel)
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thermalimageguy
However, infrared inspections can save you money in other ways. And in today's economy, who doesn't want to cut costs?
* Reduced inventory of maintenance parts
* Labor cost savings by avoiding serious equipment failures
(downtime for labor personnel while equipment is non-functional)
* Energy savings by sealing building leaks
* Savings from decreased downtime through increased output
* Reduced waste and scrap parts by improving equipment operation
* Safer working conditions (reduced injuries to maintenance and operating personnel)
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thermalimageguy
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Baseline Infrared Imagery
Although I strongly believe in scheduling semi-annual or annual infrared thermography scans as part of your maintenance plan, it is helpful to create a baseline scan for all new equipment as well.
What is a baseline scan? A baseline scan provides baseline data for comparision for subsequent infrared scans. It makes it easier and quicker to troubleshoot potential issues and helps spot problems before they become catastrophic. With baseline scan records, trend analysis of motors and bearings can provide an early warning of impending problems.
Your company invests a substantial amount of money into equipment. To get the best return on that investment, it makes sense to keep that equipment at its peak efficiency - and to have the peace of mind to know it is operating that way from the point of installation. Doesn't it make sense to have a baseline scan done of any new equipment?
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thermalimageguy
What is a baseline scan? A baseline scan provides baseline data for comparision for subsequent infrared scans. It makes it easier and quicker to troubleshoot potential issues and helps spot problems before they become catastrophic. With baseline scan records, trend analysis of motors and bearings can provide an early warning of impending problems.
Your company invests a substantial amount of money into equipment. To get the best return on that investment, it makes sense to keep that equipment at its peak efficiency - and to have the peace of mind to know it is operating that way from the point of installation. Doesn't it make sense to have a baseline scan done of any new equipment?
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thermalimageguy
Thursday, April 1, 2010
What is Infrared Thermography?
Recently I talked to someone about how thermography could reduce his maintenance costs for his building and identify structural issues before they become expensive problems. During our conversation, I realized how it is still a relatively new service for many so I thought I'd do a series of blogs explaining what infrared thermography is and why you should incorporate an annual scan into your building maintenance plans.
What is Infrared Thermography?
Simply explained, it is the production of non-contact infrared or heat pictures from which temperature measurements can be made.
IR Infrared Services uses a portable infrared imaging system to take pictures of your building and equipment. Those pictures show levels of heat in color. For example:
This equipment looks perfectly normal to
the naked eye, right?
But an infrared picture shows a dangerous
issue that, if left unfixed, could cause
alot of expensive damage.
What is Infrared Thermography?
Simply explained, it is the production of non-contact infrared or heat pictures from which temperature measurements can be made.
IR Infrared Services uses a portable infrared imaging system to take pictures of your building and equipment. Those pictures show levels of heat in color. For example:
This equipment looks perfectly normal to
the naked eye, right?
But an infrared picture shows a dangerous
issue that, if left unfixed, could cause
alot of expensive damage.
Thermal images provide visible pictures for quantitive temperature analysis. You can then take corrective action before costly system failures. This is why Infrared (IR) thermography is a valuable tool for predictive maintanence and process monitoring systems.
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thermalimageguy
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Flat Roofs and Moisture Issues
A friend of mine lives in a condo. The condo is part of a group of buildings with flat roofs. There have been repeated issues with roof leaks over this past winter. The roofers have been out multiple times, fixing the leaks when they show up. Drywallers and painters are a constant fixture. In her frustration, she wondered why they can't just find and fix the roof leaks or why they don't just replace the entire roof. She wonders how much her HOA fees will increase because of the repeated visits from the roofers.
It's stories like this that prove the value of infrared imaging. 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. Next time, I'll explain how this works!
It's stories like this that prove the value of infrared imaging. 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. Next time, I'll explain how this works!
IR Infrared Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thermalimageguy
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Federal Tax Credit to Renovate Your Home
I just read a couple of interesting blogs about the tax credits.
If you own your own home and it is your principal residence, this federal tax credit program provides up to 30% of some of your upgrade costs in tax credits back to you. Wow! That can be alot of money at the end of the day.
What is included? The easiest way to find out is to visit the Energy Star website here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index.
The U.S. Department of Energy has a great article that discusses how a thermographic inspection can detect defects and air leakage. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/energy_audits/index.cfm/mytopic=11200
So how does this tie in with a thermographic inspection? Easy. In this economy, you want every penny that you spend to count. An infrared inspection can quickly identify areas where heat is leaking (for example, drafts around windows and doors), where you need to replace insulation, or other structurally weak areas (does your roof need replacing?). This allows you to make informed decisions about what areas of your home need renovating.
The federal tax credit applies to such areas as adding, replacing or upgrading:
Biomass Stoves
Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Insulation
Metal and Asphalt Roofs
Water Heaters
Windows and Doors
Please visit the Energy Star website for detailed information about the homeowner tax credit program and call us for your affordable thermography inspection!
IR Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com.
If you own your own home and it is your principal residence, this federal tax credit program provides up to 30% of some of your upgrade costs in tax credits back to you. Wow! That can be alot of money at the end of the day.
What is included? The easiest way to find out is to visit the Energy Star website here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index.
The U.S. Department of Energy has a great article that discusses how a thermographic inspection can detect defects and air leakage. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/energy_audits/index.cfm/mytopic=11200
So how does this tie in with a thermographic inspection? Easy. In this economy, you want every penny that you spend to count. An infrared inspection can quickly identify areas where heat is leaking (for example, drafts around windows and doors), where you need to replace insulation, or other structurally weak areas (does your roof need replacing?). This allows you to make informed decisions about what areas of your home need renovating.
The federal tax credit applies to such areas as adding, replacing or upgrading:
Biomass Stoves
Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Insulation
Metal and Asphalt Roofs
Water Heaters
Windows and Doors
Please visit the Energy Star website for detailed information about the homeowner tax credit program and call us for your affordable thermography inspection!
IR Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Baby It's Cold Out There!
As temperatures continue to drop around the Carolinas, how sure are you that 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.
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.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Certified Thermographers
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.
IR Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com.
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.
IR Services provides top quality thermographic service at a competitive price to commercial and residential end users in North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.irinfraredservices.com.
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