Thermal Imaging Cameras and the Energy Audit Checklist

Thermal cameras (also known as infrared cameras) are useful tools for home energy auditors in identifying areas in which homeowners might require additional insulation or seal air leaks. Their heat maps show various temperatures with white areas showing hotter temperatures while cooler areas appear red or yellow on their maps.

1. Check the Temperature
Thermal imaging cameras are versatile inspection tools that are often relied upon to identify missing insulation, HVAC air flow issues, radiant heating malfunctions, compromised roofs and compromised roofing structures. Furthermore, thermal cameras offer invaluable data that makes professional reports much simpler to comprehend.

Thermal cameras can detect cool spots on walls and ceilings that indicate moisture issues caused by roof leakage or condensation problems.

Cool spots may indicate an air leak in an insufficiently air sealed attic. Such leaks allow methane gas, which is extremely toxic and depletes oxygen from the area, to enter, making its presence potentially life threatening. A thermal imager is an invaluable way of quickly pinpointing its source.

2. Check the Airflow
Thermal imaging cameras have long been recognized as invaluable inspection tools, used to uncover missing insulation, HVAC air flow issues, radiant heating malfunctions and compromised roofing conditions. Furthermore, thermal cameras can help detect invisible leaks and gaps within homes that would otherwise go undetected by naked inspection.

Cameras produce a heat map in which different colours represent various temperatures; hotter areas appear as red while cooler ones show up as blue, making it possible to identify cold or drafty spots in walls and ceilings that can be fixed using caulking or weather stripping.

The camera can also identify moisture in wall cavities caused by plumbing leaks or condensation. Damp areas change temperature more slowly than dry areas, making them more obvious to the camera.

3. Check the Insulation
Thermal imaging helps pinpoint insulation damage for quick repairs that save both money and time, eliminating expensive replacement costs.

IR cameras use infrared radiation to generate images or ‘thermograms’ of thermal areas, with each pixel representing an individual temperature point, while different colour schemes highlight various issues; red-green images show heat losses while blue-purple ones reveal cold spots such as drafts or moisture issues.

Most thermal cameras also capture regular digital images that can be superimposed over the thermal image to help quickly locate areas of concern. Some models even come equipped with text and voice annotation capabilities as well as software that enables comprehensive reports.

4. Check the Electrical System
Electrical circuits generate considerable heat, making any issues visible through thermal imaging devices. While spot radiometers measure radiation at one location at a time, thermal imaging devices provide more comprehensive analysis by covering an entire area or pan across it. Furthermore, non-contact inspection tools improve safety by enabling you to inspect systems while they’re still powered on.

Thermal imaging can quickly identify areas with missing, sagging or wet insulation as well as air leakage around windows, doors and electrical outlets that will assist homeowners in prioritizing energy savings efforts. Furthermore, thermographic scans can detect excessive friction within mechanical systems which create hot spots.

5. Check the Plumbing System
An energy auditor using thermal imaging can detect plumbing system problems such as hot water leaks that waste significant energy and cause health issues like mold or mildew growth.

Cool spots on a thermal camera could indicate moisture issues such as shower leakage or an uninsulated pipe running against walls. Moisture damage to insulation leads to air quality and comfort issues that compromise air quality and comfort levels in homes.

Thermal cameras can identify problems that the human eye cannot, particularly during audits in inclement weather. Wind can mask air leaks by diluting any differences between inside and outside temperature contrasts.

6. Check the Heating System
Utilizing a thermal camera allows us to inspect areas in our house where heat escapes due to poor insulation or air leaks, helping us focus our energy-saving efforts in areas that could yield the greatest savings potential.

Auditing attic insulation and checking un-insulated interior partition walls for cold spots that indicate gaps between wall studs are also ideal uses for this non-invasive camera, which allows access to hard to reach places without jeopardizing building integrity.

Find cameras with high resolution that allow you to combine the thermal image with digital photographs for easier identification of problem spots and lessen time spent analyzing data later.