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Using an infrared camera for home inspection
Looking for the best infrared camera for home inspection? Read on.
Infrared cameras are indispensible tools for home inspection. They are quick way to find everything from drafts around windows and doors to gaps in insulation that are hidden inside a wall. You can identify if your foundation is lacking insulation or if you are losing lots of heat through your attic door or fireplace. These fixable problems may be costing you an average of $200 to $400 per year according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Getting an infrared camera to quickly identify where energy leaks are happening as well as verify that any work done is fixing the problem will quickly save you money.
What is an infrared camera?
While traditional visible-light cameras capture images of objects radiating light visible to the naked eye, an infrared camera captures infrared light, which the human eye cannot see. All objects radiate some form of heat energy, but some wavelengths within the electromagnetic spectrum are invisible, including infrared. Sensors in an infrared camera capture a particular range of invisible energy emission (700-1000 nm) and then express each heat value (or wavelength) through a set of corresponding colors. The resulting image is called a thermograph and is usually viewable on a LCD screen.
Why would you want to use an infrared camera for home inspection?
Infrared cameras essentially see temperatures - turning them into colors on a screen. If you home is leaking heat in the winter or cool air in the hot summer then you can find those leaks with an infrared camera. Infrared cameras are also effective at identifying water leaks, because water is almost always cooler than it’s surroundings. You can quickly see if there are water leaks in a crawl space, along a basement wall, or even from a drone being flown over farmlands inspecting piping. Overheating electrical components are especially dangerous and can quickly become a fire hazard. Infrared cameras make quick work of idetifying any electrical hotspots in an electrical box, light switch, or even just finding plugged in electrical devices that are using power while they aren’t bing used.
How to use an infrared camera for home inspection
When you use an infrared camera for home inspection it will work best when there is at least a 20 degree difference between the inside and outside of the building. This will work if it’s hot outside with the air conditioning on indoors or cold outside with a heater on indoors - both conditions provide adequate temperature contrast.
Common culprits for infrared cameras include doors, windows, exterior outlets, ducts, and connections to the outside such as cables or plumbing fixtures. Areas that might need additional insulation include attics, walls, floors, foundations, crawl spaces, and ducts. Older homes that have not been well maintained can usually benefit the most from air sealing and adding insulation. Air leaks and insulation gaps are also often created during renovations, when contractors are drilling holes or moving insulation around.
Shop Teslong infrared cameras today!
Teslong makes the best infrared camera for home inspection, which can be used for identifying air leaks, energy loss, and other thermal problems when you are performing a house inspection. Infrared cameras are also great for finding people or animals in the woods, quickly locating water leaks, checking for properly functioning plumbing, identifying overheating electrical components, and many other applications.
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