Why Level 3 Thermographer’s produce better thermal Imaging inspections.
In our experience highly qualified thermographer’s produce higher quality and more technically consistent thermography inspections. Highly trained Level 3 thermal engineers can troubleshoot, calibrate equipment, interpret data, and create reports.
It also allows our engineers to develop inspection procedures and severity criteria for our clients, as well as interpreting relevant codes, and manage a client-based thermography program, including overseeing and providing training and testing, and calculating the return on investment for the program.
When you are employing a thermographer, you should check to see that they incorporate the high specifications possible for their inspections. Are they certified to Level 3 and do they use large format FLIR thermal imaging cameras?
Their specification should include:
Level 3 thermographic certification
Level 3 qualified thermographers
Large format FLIR cameras with 45-degree lenses
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Use Level 3 Thermographers for high quality results.
While thermographer certification represents an investment, it is an investment that typically pays in the long run. Not only do Level 3 certified thermal engineers produce higher quality inspections, but their thermal inspections are also more technically consistent! Uncertified, or lower-level thermographers are more likely to make costly and even dangerous mistakes! these mistakes may even result in serious consequences, such critical problems being completely missed. While the appropriate qualification is important, written inspection procedures are also important for attaining high-quality results and reportage.
It also allows our engineers to develop inspection procedures and severity criteria for our clients, as well as interpreting relevant codes, and manage a client-based thermography program and calculating the return on investment for the program.
Our Level 3 thermographer’s can provide high quality quantitative data. This involves utilising accurate temperature measurement and temperature criteria to grade or assess the severity of exceptions. One benefit of this type of inspection is that it allows our thermographers to consider the load on the building envelope at the time of the inspection, the equipment type, and classification as well as changes in ambient operating conditions. It also allows thermographers to identify problems that are not presenting as exceptions.
What type of buildings require thermal imaging surveys?
There are many different types of buildings that require thermal imaging surveys, here are just a few:
Commercial Buildings
Office Blocks
Schools and Colleges
Warehouses & Storage
Military Infrastructure
Flats, Houses & Residential Tower Blocks
Housing Stock (Councils & Property Managers)
Flat Roofing
Always use a high-quality thermal imaging camera
As we cannot see the infrared (IR) spectrum with our eyes, we need to use a device which can detect the “invisible” energy. A thermal imaging camera can do this. The camera builds a pixelated image (much like a normal camera) of the IR radiation which allows us to “see” and measure the apparent temperature of the surface. For high quality thermal imaging reports, it’s really important a high-resolution thermal camera is used.
The resolution of the camera is how many pixels the camera has on the scene. Higher resolution means that each image contains more information: more pixels, more detail, and a greater likelihood of getting an accurate measurement – that is why we always use cameras with a minimum of Resolution of 640×480 pixels along with Ultramax imaging for up to 1.2 MP thermal resolution. Here is some more information on why you should use high quality thermal imagining cameras.
Then there’s the importance of the camera’s temperature range, which is the entire span of temperatures the camera is calibrated to and capable of measuring. Some thermal cameras have multiple ranges to measure a wider span of temperatures more accurately.
You should always ascertain the temperatures you are likely to encounter for the type of application – selecting a camera with a higher temperature range is especially important for certain industrial applications, such as measuring high-temperature equipment like furnaces, kilns etc.
Then there is thermal sensitivity, this describes the smallest temperature difference you can see with the camera. The lower the number, the better the thermal sensitivity of the infrared system.
If the targets you need to measure typically have small temperature differences, a camera with a low sensitivity is important as it can be used for subtle applications, like detecting moisture issues.
In general, more entry level cameras will have fixed focus, and high-performance cameras will have either manual or automatic focus. The advantage of manual vs. automatic focus comes down to user need.
Ascertaining the surface temperature of a building helps our thermography engineers to decipher what is being detected, such as missing insulation, thermal bridging, and other building heat loss aspects. We can also detect objects which contain moisture using different thermographic techniques.
What is building thermography?
Building thermography is usually a qualitative methodology, this means we look at temperature comparisons rather than absolute temperatures. Therefore, thermal images are often used with the temperature scale removed, as it’s more important to highlight the anomalies, patterns and relative temperatures. The anomalies show up by using high contrast colours. The colour scale shows relatively cold as black/purple/blue through to relatively hot as yellow/red/white.
We hope this information has been helpful.
If you require a Thermal imaging survey our professional and certified Level 3 Thermographer’s will carry out your thermographic Inspections for BREEAM compliance in accordance with all necessary standards and current regulations.
All we need are a few details such as floor plans and elevation drawings and the building location to provide a quotation. We will also send across our informative checklist to help you prepare for the thermal survey.
Please contact us for more information
If you would like to contact us for more information on our thermal imaging services, please contact visit our website.
Alternatively, if you would like more information on how to prepare for your thermal imaging survey, please visit our website here or download our thermal imaging checklist.