Thermal imaging obviously offers some huge benefits that 75% of the public are clueless about. There was a story last week on prime-time news about general Spring Season home maintenance that was basically common sense.
If an HVAC company can get interviewed on prime-time news about how it’s a good idea to look over your swamp cooler before using it in the Spring than it seems like thermal imaging would be a definite news story.
Have any of you ever tried or managed to get the news interested in covering a story about thermal imaging? Any ideas that might peak enough interest to where The News might be interested in spreading the news about thermal imaging?
It has to do with the FREE advertising to a limited number of Vendors of IR services. With HVAC, there are literally so many companies that can perform a service call, that there is no perception of impropriety. Think about it. How many companies do IR in your city VS HVAC?
Brandon,
I have been able to do it 4 times now so not that hard, you just have to be creative…
Story submitted on construction on the freeway (see IR images of heavy equipment) Led to some pretty good free advertising).
Reported on a fire: CBS
Equine Imaging: CBS
Energy Audit: NBC
I hope you will be joining us in San Diego for http://thermalimagingconference.com where we will be having some of the discussions on things like this and more. It is a open conference so you don’t need to be a member of United Infrared to attend and if you view the members only area of NACHI, you can see a special offer for InterNachi members. This Jump Start program is for people considering infrared for their business. Will be a good opportunity as most all the manufacturers will be there in exhibit hall so you can try before you buy…
The need to get Insurance Companies more involved and understand the benefits vs cost is much more important in my mind then homeowners, or the general public, the money is in inspecting commercial and industrial property, not residential or anything the general public may want inspected, but I could be wrong.
At issue with the insurance company’s use of this technology, however, is their use of it to deny coverage or to deny payment of claims for unresolved pre-existing conditions. This is why they are providing it “free” since it will increase their own bottom line.
Imagine being the inspector of a home that was found by you to be free of defects … purchased by the buyer … and subsequently found, through the insurance company’s free IR analysis, to be defective and uninsurable until significant and expensive repairs are made.
In areas where thermal imaging is known to be in use by insurance companies, it seems to me to increase the need for inspectors (for their own protection) to either perform it, defensively, or to disclaim it, vigorously, in their contracts.
I guess the bottom line to my post is that insurance company’s are getting more involved with IR and the benefits to them may be, in the end, at cross purposes to those of the inspector and buyer.*
You are not wrong 95% of all my IR works is a direct result of a insurance requirement to have their electrical panels scanned. I do many small factories and the phone conversation always starts out (our insurance company requires)