# Thermal imaging



## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Industrialsparky said:


> Hello was just wondering I any of you guys have any IR programs


Hello some of the guys here do that and may chime in if they see your thread.

Welcome aboard............:thumbup::thumbup:


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## Industrialsparky (Jul 10, 2012)

HARRY304E said:


> Hello some of the guys here do that and may chime in if they see your thread.
> 
> Welcome aboard............:thumbup::thumbup:


Thanks I just got a certification for it and love it I think it's a great program to prevent some down time in a lot of applications


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

Industrialsparky said:


> Thanks I just got a certification for it and love it I think it's a great program to prevent some down time in a lot of applications


It is a great preditive tool, problem is, most of the yahoos out there doing it have not been properly training or are certified thermographers and have no idea what they are doing, so IR scans have had a bad rap for the last few years due to inaccurate reports.


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## Industrialsparky (Jul 10, 2012)

Zog said:


> It is a great preditive tool, problem is, most of the yahoos out there doing it have not been properly training or are certified thermographers and have no idea what they are doing, so IR scans have had a bad rap for the last few years due to inaccurate reports.


I totally agree with you its worth it's weight in gold of you ask me people would be dumb to not use it and get the training they need to properly use it!


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## Spark Master (Jul 3, 2012)

I disagree, because you must do the imaging during full load summer time peak usage. otherwise the results are somewhere meaningless.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Spark Master said:


> I disagree, because you must do the imaging during full load summer time peak usage. otherwise the results are somewhere meaningless.


The flip side is that really hateful problems will often show under normal loads. At least you might catch a few, is my theory.


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## Industrialsparky (Jul 10, 2012)

I'll have to disagree about the summer time comment you can spot problems even if it isn't dead of summer all tho yes they have to be under a load


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## Spark Master (Jul 3, 2012)

I just changed a panel board with a burnt buss bar. thermal imaging only would have shown a problem with the A/C running. The A/C breaker melted to the buss bar.

But here is the question. After it melted, and cooled off, would it still run hot ????? Eventually there was no voltage to the A/C unit, or intermittent voltage. It lost a phase. But no voltage to the A/C unit, no current flowing to heat up the breaker again. So what would thermal imaging show you after the hot spot cools off???

And roof top units don't draw much current during heating season.


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## Industrialsparky (Jul 10, 2012)

You have a good point ! But I must say we use ours almost on a daily basis and it has done wonders but it can do everything just got done with my thermography classes and it's amazing what they can see


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Spark Master said:
 

> I just changed a panel board with a burnt buss bar. thermal imaging only would have shown a problem with the A/C running. The A/C breaker melted to the buss bar.
> 
> But here is the question. After it melted, and cooled off, would it still run hot ????? Eventually there was no voltage to the A/C unit, or intermittent voltage. It lost a phase. But no voltage to the A/C unit, no current flowing to heat up the breaker again. So what would thermal imaging show you after the hot spot cools off???
> 
> And roof top units don't draw much current during heating season.


It's just another tool in the toolbox. Doesn't have magical properties. There's no substitute for a thorough visual inspection.


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## Industrialsparky (Jul 10, 2012)

Couldn't have said it better my self !


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