Free infrared inspection clinics for NACHI members.

Inspection Education Topics Inspection Education & Training
21

Great info.

22

I don’t do IR work (yet, still considering it) but have attended several seminars and had demos from all the major IR manufacturers. Some things that I’ve concluded so far:

  1. IR detects temperature differential. That’s all; it’s not xray vision. Temperature differential may be caused by several things that a home owner may be interested in: moisture evaporation, insulation gaps, high resistance contacts in electricial systems (but only visible when carrying load), heat from undesired critters (WDI, rodents).

  2. Lots of things must be understood to properly interpret the images. Thermal envelope, emissivity, the characteristics of the material being viewed, etc.

  3. Proper training is a must or you will shoot yourself in the foot. Several sources offer training. Probably for a HI application, figure on a Level 1 course at 1 week and $1500 plus expenses, and a Building Science course for 1 week and $1500 plus expenses.

  4. If you want to do a proper home energy audit, you really need to get a blower door and training on that too.

  5. You absolutely need to have a contract addendum that spells out your limitations otherwise you will end up in court trying to explain why you promised to see thru walls and did not.

  6. If you thought some realtors view HI as a deal killer, they view HI with IR as the kiss of death. Others may be more enlightened.

  7. With a good camera and proper training, it will open up markets other than just HI. The FLIR web site has several applications posted. However these markets may already be well served by folks who have been in the IR business for many years. You will probably need a camera well above entry level to serve these additional markets.

23

Hi to all,

there is certainly a lot more to thermal imaging than just a 3 hour presentation, but having attended the Tampa event earlier this week with Joe Burkeson, we both came away from the seminar with a great understanding of the potential for this technology, (and a burning desire to write very large checks to FLIR :mrgreen:)

Regards

Gerry

24

Glad to hear that it was useful.

I just signed up for the one in Orlando.

25

I just wonder if there is a market for it in Orlando. What do you think Greg.