IR Infrared Services Blog

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

Labels: business infrared inspections, business thermography, certified thermographers, IR Infrared Services, predictive maintenance inspections, process monitoring program, thermal imaging

• motors


• pumps


• bearings


• compressors


• conveyor idlers


• loose connections


• corrosion


• load imbalances

Labels: business infrared inspections, business thermography, commercial thermographers, IR Infrared Services, predictive maintenance inspections, process monitoring program

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.

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

Labels: business infrared inspections, business thermography, certified thermographers, IR Infrared Services, preventing electrical failure

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!

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

Labels: business thermography, certified thermographers, commercial thermographers, IR Infrared Services, thermal imaging

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.

Labels: business infrared inspections, business thermography, certified thermographers, high energy bills

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.

Labels: business infrared inspections, business thermography, certified thermographers, infrared thermal home inspections, predictive maintenance inspctions

When a builder says his homes are Energy Star Qualified, what does that mean? Curious about the requirements?

Here's a quick downloadable file that contains the requirements for the ENERGY STAR Builder Option Package (BOP). A home must meet the specified requirements, and be field-tested
in accordance with the HERS Standards by a RESNET-accredited Provider. More information can be found at www.energystar.gov/homes or we'd be happy to assist!

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.

Labels: business thermography, home energy audit, home inspections in Rock Hill, infrared thermal home inspections, thermography

Let’s talk about two different scenarios:

Your business is humming along, employees are busy and a huge order has just come in from a very important customer. With the economy what it is, you are thankful for this new order and infusion of cash. This order is going to make a huge impact on your business.

And in the middle of it, a vital piece of equipment fails.

Now you are faced with being unable to deliver for your client, a potentially enormous repair bills, employees standing idle, and no idea what is wrong with your equipment. Will it need to be repaired? Replaced?

Scenario two: You have a Process Monitoring Program in place that regularly inspects and monitors the condition of your equipment. A few weeks ago, this regularly scheduled program detected the beginnings of a minor issue with your equipment. A quick visit by a repairperson averts what could have been a major failure. Spending a few dollars on preventative maintenance has saved you many thousands in mechanical equipment failure.

Hmmm…as a business owner or manager, which scenario works better for you?

As part of our Process Monitoring Program, IR Services inspects and monitors the condition of equipment to detect mechanical and electrical problems at the earliest stages, before a failure occurs. Process Monitoring gives you the convenience of scheduling your repairs when the necessary parts and personnel are available. This proactive approach to maintenance allows recalling information on any piece of equipment from the database to evaluate equipment trends and predict possible failures.

Predictive maintenance reflects a sound management philosophy–it means you are managing the maintenance process rather than maintenance emergencies controlling your operation.

A predictive maintenance strategy makes it possible to set your own repair schedules.

• We catalogue the information into a historical database you can use to easily spot anomalies as you monitor equipment deterioration over time.
• Reduces Operational Risk – PdM provides a proactive approach to maintenance control, rather than a reactive response to equipment emergencies that cause unexpected shutdowns.
• Relies on periodic Condition Monitoring (CM)
• Ability to determine the degree of component degradation
• Identifies many problems at the earliest stages, before costly failures occur
• Perform maintenance tasks based on need, rather than an arbitrary schedule
• Increases the efficiency of your maintenance personnel - Eliminates time once wasted on jiggling wires in attempts to diagnose problems
• Pre-identifies problems before they become failures
• Prevent or Reduce Equipment Damage
• Spot small problems before they can become big problems
• Prolong the life of expensive capital equipment
• Prevent or minimize catastrophic failures

Labels: business infrared inspections, business thermography, equipment maintenance, infrared thermal home inspections, process monitoring program, thermographic testing