Facts to Remember About Electrical Thermal Imaging/IR
Remember, it’s infrared, IR. Electrical thermal imaging is not some sort of voodoo and is not an x-ray.
“If you cannot visually see the item you are trying to shoot then you can’t shoot it.”
If people tell you they do not have to remove the covers of electrical equipment to perform this service, this is not a reputable or honest service provider and you should RUN THE OTHER WAY. These are what should be considered the shysters of the IR industry. And should be thought of as stealing your money from you.
Also, when you are not getting an accurate, effective overview of the condition of your electrical system, it may leave you with a false sense of security. If you can see a hot spot without removing the covers there is a very good chance you on the brink of a very serious situation and possible even catastrophic failure. The ideal situation with the use of IR is to detect the issue through a regularly scheduled program and trending.
- Repair the issue by re torquing the connection.
- Re-terminate the connection.
- Replace the damaged or affected piece of equipment.
Electrical thermal imaging should all be conducted through scheduled shutdowns or maintenance.