Thermography or Infrared Imaging involves taking pictures - just as in photography.  However, the camera records the intensity not of visible light, but of infrared radiation that is just outside the visible waveband for humans.  Infrared radiation is emitted by all objects with intensity and frequency in proportion to their temperature.  That is, cool objects emit little infrared, while hot bodies emit relatively more and higher frequency infrared, and the two are easily distinguished on a thermal image.

Thermography is a non-destructive, non-intrusive subsurface imaging technique and thus fits perfectly with Enviroscan’s other services.  Uses of thermography include the obvious inspection of residential and commercial buildings for heat loss (due to conduction through poorly insulated areas, or airflow through actual gaps), as well as many less well-known applications, including:
 

• Detection of moisture behind walls and under floor coverings,
• Detection of roof leak locations and latent moisture,
• Detection of leakage in HVAC systems,
• Tracing of buried steam pipes, and location of steam and water pipe leaks,
• Inspection of electrical systems to spot imminent failures or fire hazards,
• Building analyses to detect grouted columns in CMU, stud spacings, missing insulation and termite activity,
• Detection of voids or moisture within or beneath concrete slabs or asphalt,
• Early warning of bearing failure, misalignment or other problems in mechanical equipment.

New uses are discovered constantly, so please call us even if you are not sure we can help.  This is definitely a technology that can help people and businesses “Go Green” by saving energy.  More importantly, it saves money.  The cost of an inspection to spot heat loss, roof leaks or imminent mechanical or electrical failure is the exemplar ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure.

Enviroscan thermographers are certified through courses that surpass ASNT SNT-TC-1A guidelines, and are accredited by the International Electrical Testing Association, which develops standards for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Images:

top right: IR image of missing insulation in a residential wall

top left: Overheating circuit breakers

middle right: Insulation gaps behind powder coated steel panelling (dots are fasteners)

middle left: Drain cleaner attacking a blockage in a PVC sink drain (note also hot feed tube on left, cold on right)

below: CMU construction, imaged on a cold day, with grouted cells in orange (cooler) and ungrouted cells in yellow (warmer)
 

  Radiant heating pipes in a concrete walkway