Hawaii Thermal Imaging Service
Thermal Imaging - Hawaii![]() |
||||||||||
![]() |
||||||||||
![]() |
||||||||||
![]() |
||||||||||
TRIsland Home Inspections is one of the only local home inspections services that uses this technology to evaluate properties. |
||||||||||
What is Thermal Imaging? Thermography is the use of an infrared imaging and measurement camera to "see" and "measure" thermal energy emitted from an object (My dog Lucky was good enough to model for a test shot). Thermal, or infrared energy is light that is not visible because its wavelength is too long to be detected by the human eye; it's the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we perceive as heat. Unlike visible light, in the infrared world everything with a temperature above absolute zero emits heat. Even very cold objects, like ice cubes, emit infrared. The higher the object's temperature, the greater the IR radiation emitted. Infrared allows us to see what our eyes cannot. Infrared thermography cameras produce images of invisible infrared or "heat" radiation and provide precise non-contact temperature measurement capabilities. Nearly everything gets hot before it fails, making infrared cameras extremely cost-effective, valuable diagnostic tools in many diverse applications. As industry strives to improve manufacturing efficiencies, manage energy, improve product quality, and enhance worker safety, new applications for infrared cameras continually emerge. _______________________________________ How Can This Technology Be Useful? Moisture Detection in Walls and Ceilings - Thermal imaging is a great tool that helps to identify water damage in walls, floors, and ceilings. By detecting the difference in temperature between a wet area and the surrounding dry areas thermal imaging can help detect moisture issues that would not be visible during a limited visual home inspection. I follow up any findings with moisture meters to confirm the FLIR Camera readings. FLIR means Forward Looking Infrared. ________________________________________ Electrical Inspections - Loose or dirty electrical connections and other electrical anomalies can be identified. Thermal imaging can detect hot spots in the electrical system not visible to the naked eye, which may be a precursor to a larger issue. The resulting report can be a great aid for the repair electrician hired to address the identified issues. ________________________________________ Plumbing Inspections - Water leaks from the plumbing system often leak undetected until major damage has occurred. I can scan in, under, and around plumbing fixtures in the home to determine if there is active leaking going on. Since this tool is not a moisture meter I will use it to find heat anomalies and then pursue the issue further to attempt to determine the source and cause of the leak. Thermal image scanning can detect temperature anomalies in the plumbing system not visible to the naked eye, which may be a precursor to a larger issue. The resulting Thermal Image Scan report can be a great aid for the repair plumber hired to address the identified issues. ________________________________________ Stucco & EIFS Inspections - Thermal image scanning has greatly improved our ability to perform stucco and EIFS moisture intrusion inspections. If there is rot behind the stucco it is often visible with thermal imaging in the form of heat anomalies. Thermal image scanning also helps to quantify the affected areas of moisture damage. ________________________________________ Wood Destroying Insect Activity - Significant wood destroying insect activity can, at times, be detected using this technology due to the heat generated by active infestations. That's right, active termite activity produces a great deal of heat that is often visible to the infrared camera. Minor activity may not be detectable but areas not normally visible to the naked eye can be identified, and then the appropriate professional can carry out a more invasive and technically exhaustive inspection. ________________________________________ Energy Audits - I do not currently specialize in performing energy audits, but thermal imaging has been a great tool to help homeowners save money, especially now that energy rates are on the rise. Heat loss and/or cold air influx can be detected and corrective actions taken to help improve the energy efficiency of residential and commercial structures. Once the energy wasting areas are identified, changes can be made to make a dramatic difference in energy consumption which means lower cost of energy. ________________________________________ What Thermal Imaging Is Not A MOISTURE METER - The infrared thermal imaging camera is NOT a moisture meter. It simply identifies thermal anomalies. This device greatly aids in identifying areas that require further investigation. X-RAY VISION - The infrared thermal imaging camera is NOT an X-ray vision scope. It does not provide the user ability to see through walls. Instead, it identifies thermal differences on a wall’s surface. A SILVER BULLET - The infrared thermal imaging camera is NOT a silver bullet solution, but when it is used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools and technologies thermal imaging has helped us to identify issues that are rarely identified during the limited visual home inspection process. PLEASE NOTE: It is deceptive to claim that thermal imaging detects moisture because the best that it can do is detect thermal differences. Using the infrared camera to help discover moisture issues can be helpful because once the anomalies are identified, then moisture meters and other diagnostic tools can be used to identify the source of the anomaly. ________________________________________ Thermal Imaging Inspections is a service that is separate and apart from our normal home inspection service and is not included in the basic inspection fee. I will gladly quote you on a combined basis (basic inspection plus thermal imaging) or perform thermal image scan only. On the right is the FLIR BCAM SD which is the camera I use. It represents the gold standard in handheld thermal image cameras; manufactured by the most respected company in the world for thermal image equipment. Visit FLIR’s website http://www.flir.com/ |
||||||||||