Energy Auditing

Home inspections &

Weatherization
with Thermal Imagers

Peter Hachey
Fluke Electronics Canada LP
Agenda

• General Introduction
• Thermography Principles
• Inspecting with IR
• Thermal Imaging in the Building Envelope
• Other Applications
• How to choose a thermal imager
• IR analysis and reporting software
• Summary
Overview of Thermography
Knowing a little about thermography helps!
What is Thermography?

• Infrared radiation is emitted by all objects

• The amount of radiation increases with temperature
• It is the science of “seeing” temperature by measuring the
radiation emitted from an object and converting this data to a
corresponding digital, or visual image called a thermogram
• We are only measuring the surface temperature!
What Does a Thermal Imager Do?
• Displays the thermal patterns on a given
surface by converting temperature data
to a digital image

• Provides visual verification and

documentation of problems, before and
after

• Reduces liability, improves efficiency,

adds revenue stream
Why Thermal Imaging?

• Easier & more effective inspection

• Customers request it
• Be more competitive
• Build a business or…
• Add to your business portfolio
Thermography Benefits
• Measurements are:
– Non-contact
– Obtained without disturbing
structure
– Very sensitive to problem
characteristics
– Detect problem before
significant damage
– Can scan large areas
quickly
– Identifies specific location
What Do We Look For?
• Air infiltration
– Energy use
– Comfort

• Insulation issues

• Moisture

• Construction problems
Where Do We Look?
• Indoor
– Walls
– Floors
– Ceilings
– Ducts

• Exterior
– Thermal bridging
– Windows & doors
– Construction joints

• Roofs
• HVAC/R

• Electrical and Mechanical Systems

Air Leaks Become Visible!
• Fast location of air leaks and missing
insulation
• Non-destructive
• Easily document & report findings to
property owner
Three Modes of Heat Transfer
Heat Transfer

• Heat transfer can be:

– Transient: temperature is constantly and significantly changing
– Steady state: heat flow is constant with time
Thermal Capacitance
• The amount of energy an object needs
to absorb or release in order to
change temperature
– Water heats and cools slowly because of its
high heat capacity
– Air heats and cools rapidly because of its
low heat capacity

• How quickly this change take place

depends on thermal capacitance and
thermal conductivity – not time.

• Which has the highest thermal

capacitance?
– Copper
– Steel
– Brick
– Wood
– Water
Successful IR Audit

• Air Leaks – ASTM E-1186

– ∆T of 5°C for Air Leak Inspection

• Insulation – ASTM C-1060

– ∆T of 10°C° for Insulation Inspection
Inspecting with IR
• Stabilize home
• Turn HVAC off 10-15 min after arrive – before scan
• Perform visual inspection of building envelope
• Work systematically – follow route
• IR image appears hot or cold depending on climate
• Inspect from both inside and outside
• Validate findings with other tools
Range, Level & Span
• Range
• Span
• Level
• Saturation Colors

Span = 30°°F
Level =65°°F
Level and Span
keep span narrow and adjust level as needed

Auto Manual
Focus is CRITICAL
• Focusing an IR imager is different
than a visible camera
– Infrared images are naturally
283.8°
less sharp

• Best focus is critical for accurate Unfocused Image

temperature measurements

• Anything but focus can be 362.2°

modified/optimized later with PC
software
Focused Image
Air Leaks Image Courtesy of Structure Tech Home Inspections

• Common causes:
– Door & window gaps
– Exterior wall electrical outlets
– Recessed lights
– Attic penetrations
– Ducts / Vents
Air Leaks
• Locate exact leak point
Insulation
• Common causes:
– Missing
– Settled
– Wet
– Insufficient
Moisture or Air Infiltration?
Moisture
• Implications:
• Wet insulation does not perform
• Insulation settles
• Mold
IR Moisture Detection

Evaporative Moisture Cooling (EMC)

– Wet materials evaporating water will
reduce the surface temperature in a
controlled environment until
equilibrium is reached (dry)
– EMC causes thermal anomaly on
surface, even when surface is dry
– Temperature difference can be >0.2°C
MOISTURE
37 Master Thermography Presentation – JWP-4
Moisture Intrusion
Moisture in ceiling
 Detecting Water Leaks

40 Master Thermography Presentation – JWP-4

Moisture
• Water entering building structure
through:
– leaks in building envelop
– failed and poorly installed
plumbing
• Condensation caused by:
– improper construction
– poor building management
– air leakage

All of which can cause health, comfort, safety and financial issues
MOISTURE
Other application for thermography
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Electro-mechanical
• HVAC
• Roofs (flat to low slope types only)
Roof Inspections
• Visually inspect roof before day of
survey
• Plan inspection grid
• Make note of obstacles
• Know the roof type!
• Monitor the weather closely
47
Electrical Inspections

• Easily find electrical

problems at the panel or on
mechanical equipment
Steam Traps

Normal

When operating properly,

the steam side is hotter
and the condensate side is
cooler.

Faulty
Other!

Alarm threshold set at 40°C Alpha Blending set at 50%

How to choose a thermal imager

• STEP 1: Analyse your needs

• STEP 2: Speak to an expert

• STEP 3: Talk with your peers

• STEP 4: Work with a local supplier

• STEP 5: Take a test drive!

10/24/2011 Fluke Confidential 53

What is Your Application?

Building Diagnostics / Inspection

• Thermal imagers designed for this
• Measure smaller range of temperatures
than industrial thermal imagers
• Require high thermal sensitivity
Look for the following Features
• Image fusion Technology
• Large crisp images
• Made for rough environments
– Documented and proven drop tests
• Easy-to-use
• Flexible data storage
• Voice annotation
• Simple and full-featured analysis and
reporting software
– Ideally, should be included free of charge
• Maximum warranty included free
– 2 year warranty should be the minimum
• Look for “The complete package”
More detailed features
Designed to help you work more efficiently in the
field:

• Adjustable Emissivity
• PIP and image blending functions
• Level and Span adjustment
• Image Format (e.g. jpg, bmp, etc.)
• Voice Annotation
• Selectable Temp Scale (scales F and C)
• Date Format
• Time Format
• Camera screen back light
• Background Temp adjustment
Field replaceable lenses
• Must be easy to add at any time
• Easy to install (avoid fragile on-board
electronics)
• Typical lens in Building Diagnostics:
Wide angle

Telephoto Lens
Wide-angle Lens
 Analysis and Reporting Software

• Create professional reports

• Look for software which is included at

no additional charge, with no license
agreement and no costly upgrades

• You can optimize everything besides

focus, range and distance (FoRD) in
the software afterwards

• Customizable templates makes your

life easier!
Example of IR software:

Modify:
- Temperature range, color palette, emissivity, background temperature,
IR/visual image blending, and add markers and text annotations

Export Images & Temp Data to Word / Excel

Create reports in off-the-shelf word processing software (MS Word)
Questions?
Thank You!
Peter Hachey
Level I Thermographer
Fluke Electronics Canada LP
1-800-363-5853 x251
peter.hachey@fluke.com