Sometimes things aren't really obvious

Specific Inspection Topics Interior Inspections
21

David,

Did you attend the Building Science 3.5 day course?

I’m still debating which course would be more valuable for newbies getting into infrared technology.

The Building Science course or the Level One Thermography course.

22

Level one may go where you don’t want to go.

They took a poll of level one students in the class and it was agreed that about 80% or more of the Level one was covered in the Building Science course.

You need to know how to use the camera and how to apply the camera. The Building Science covers both. About a day and a half covers the level one stuff. The rest is Building Science.

It is a very compressed course. If your class comes prepared, you will cover a lot in a very short time. We skipped quickly over much of the stuff that the instructor knew the class was up on and spent time where we were weaker.

When your done, you will be a Certified Building Science Thermographer. Think that about says it all for HI’s. I think I got as much, if not more from the Building Science part as I did from the level one stuff.

It has to do with qualitative vs. quantitative analysis. HI’s do not need much in the way of Quantitative (documented temperature readings), which level one covers in more detail. Qualitative covers what you are seeing in the scan. It doesnt matter what the absolute temperature of a wall is, you need to know if the temperature you are seeing through the camera is what is really happening, and if you are seeing an anomaly that accurately indicates a system failure is eminent.

23

David,

Read the course outlines. I think you’ll find that BS is where you want to be. Level One has much to do with the history and application of IR. Building Science has to do with IR and it’s application to buildings.

http://www.infraredtraining.com/courses/

Once I was made aware of this, the choice was perfectly clear. . .

Here is the BS brochure. . .

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/cms/Documents/Building_Science.pdf

Compared to the Level 1 Thermography Course Outline

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Introduction

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Infrared Thermography Applications Overview

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Basic Camera Setup and Operation

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Thermal Science Fundamentals

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Heat Transfer

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Fundamentals of Infrared Science

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Thermal Measurement

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Electrical Applications

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Thermography Safety

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Mechanical Applications

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Building Applications

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Review

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Final Exam

24

Compared to the Level 1 Thermography Course Outline

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Introduction

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Infrared Thermography Applications Overview :Covered

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Basic Camera Setup and Operation:Covered

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Thermal Science Fundamentals:Covered

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Heat Transfer:Covered

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Fundamentals of Infrared Science:Covered

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Thermal Measurement:Covered

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Electrical Applications:Covered a little.

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Thermography Safety:Covered

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Mechanical Applications:Covered very little.

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Building Applications:Covered

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Review :Done

http://www.infraredtraining.com/images/bullet_blue.jpg

Final Exam :50 questions closed book.

We did all this in 1 1/2 days. Then we went into all the different building designs (commercial and residential). Building envelope construction and designs. Methods of testing building envelopes. Big coverage on Vapor, Moisture and Air retarders and the correct application of each. How to determine the actual R Value of a wall with the IR Cam. Conduction, convection & radiation and their effects on the building. Heat, moisture and UV radiation damage to buildings. History of construction evolution and how things got worse with every improvement in energy efficiency. Lab work. Causes of building degradation. Lots of breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks. Just a few off the top of my head…

25

Dave V. and others
My brother Peter and I were there with Dave Anderson and he puts it very well. There was 24 of us in the class from all types of business - HI’s, corporate predictive maintenace, energy audit business and others. There’s a lot of information to digest in 3.5 days, like Dave said my head is still spinning, but well worth it. Take the Building Science course, so much of it applies to what we doing in the HI business. The Level 1 has a lot to do with theory etc. and is useful if you’re applying it to electricity, motors, industrial equipment and the such, more so than to buildings. Like Dave A. stated we covered a lot of that in the first 1.5 days of the building science class, then consentrated on how to apply IR to the building - looking for temperature deviations caused by water and air, how water or air can infiltrate a building envelope and much, much more.

I would also recommend purchasing the camera prior to the course, play around with it, you’ll need it for class participation and homework assignments.

Good luck to all and enjoy the course:D

alan

26

Just as much as everyone has said, I would recommend downloading Will Deckers PP on thermal imaging and study it before you go.

It will help prepare you for the course.

27

Thank you, Gentlemen.

I’ve got to get involved in this Thermal imaging sooner rather than later.

28

David,

I have a picture of the front of a house on my website that I took with the FLIR BCAM SD. I had to stand back near the street but it worked fine for an overall view.

http://www.jbandersoninspections.com/thermal-imaging.htm

29

Hi Jeff,

Those are some good pics! Do you have the quick view software that allows further manipulation of the photos. I noticed the FLIR logo in the corner was still there which goes away when quick view is used.

Are you interested in sharing some thermal pics? If I email you some pictures from my FLIR BCAM SD would be willing to share these?

Thanks.

30

I’ve got the software, although I haven’t used it much at this point.

I am always open to sharing info and photos with other inspectors. What would you like from me?

31

Jeff,

I have been using the software more now and I am getting used to it.

Can I use the pictures you posted on this thread?

Thanks.

Jeremiah

32

Certainly. Feel free. . .

33

Thank you Jeff.

34

Very good stuff from all. I enjoyed reading this thread.

Bump.