Thermal Scan

Thermal Scan

A Professional Energy Auditor in Knoxville will always use thermography, also known as infrared scanning to detect thermal defects and air leakage and energy loss in building envelopes.

Thermographic Inspections: How They Work

Thermography measures surface temperatures by using infrared video and still cameras. These tools see light that is in the heat spectrum. Images on the video or film record the temperature variations of the building’s skin, ranging from white for warm regions to black for cooler areas. The resulting images help the Knoxville energy auditor determine whether insulation is needed to save energy. They also serve as a quality control tool, to ensure that insulation has been installed correctly.

A thermographic inspection is either an interior or exterior survey. The Knoxville energy detective decides which method would give the best results under certain weather conditions. Interior scans are more common, because warm air escaping from a building does not always move through the walls in a straight line. Heat loss detected in one area of the outside wall might originate at some other location on the inside of the wall. Also, it is harder to detect temperature differences on the outside surface of the building during windy weather. Because of this difficulty, interior surveys are generally more accurate because they benefit from reduced air movement.

Thermographic scans are also commonly used with a blower door test running. The blower door helps exaggerate air leaking through defects in the building shell. These air leaks appear as black streaks in the infrared camera’s viewfinder.

Thermography uses specially designed infrared video or still cameras to make images (called thermograms) that show surface heat variations. This technology has a number of applications. Thermograms of electrical systems can detect abnormally hot electrical connections or components. Thermograms of mechanical systems can detect the heat created by excessive friction. The Energy Detectives use thermography to detect heat losses and air leakage in building envelopes. The most accurate thermographic inspection device is the thermal imaging camera, which produces a 2-dimensional thermal picture of an area showing heat leakage.

The thermal imaging camera allows the Energy Detectives to check the effectiveness of insulation in a building’s construction. The resulting thermograms determine whether a building needs insulation and where in the building it should go. Because wet insulation conducts heat faster than dry insulation, thermographic scans of roofs can often detect roof leaks.

Before Purchasing a New Knoxville Home

You should have a thermographic inspection done before purchasing a Knoxville house; even new Knoxville houses can have defects in their thermal envelopes. You may wish to include a clause in the contract requiring a thermographic scan of the house. A thermographic scan performed by a certified Knoxville technician is usually accurate enough to use as documentation in court proceedings.