Thermal imaging identifies faults before they cause problems

To prevent fire risks, it’s becoming more common for business owners to provide thermal switchboard survey reports to insurance companies as part of their commercial premises fire risk assessment. Thermal survey switchboard reports are a valuable business document that can lower insurance premiums and help businesses save money.

A thermal imaging camera will pick up elevated heat coming from a problem area. The fault could be due to a range of things, from a loose connection on a circuit breaker, an overcurrent problem on a circuit or something as simple as a loose screw. Usually, these kinds of faults are invisible to the naked eye.

Thermal imaging can pick up faults invisible to the naked eye.

Thermal imaging cameras allow inspectors to see hot spots, which can identify faults before they become a problem. Hot spots are often traced to a high-resistance connection with multiple causes of failure.

Predictive maintenance reports include an IR image along with a visual image. The commercial sector is beginning to embrace the use of infrared technology as it allows businesses to calculate the cost savings associated with reduced breakdown, maintenance and downtime. Annual switchboard and electrical distribution system thermography surveys give facility managers a clear picture of their assets’ condition, leading to better asset-related business decisions.

Following on from an IR inspection, repairs can be scheduled to fix potential problems before they become costly failures, causing incidents like fires. By identifying the problem early, remedial work can be planned around business operations and costs far less than if left to the point where equipment fails. Since thermography surveys can be completed with no interruption to business operations, they represent a valuable and cost-effective way to pre-empt equipment problems.

Thermal imaging surveys can also be useful in domestic situations. Common problems like power drop-outs, electrical appliances not working or household lighting playing up can be caused by a switchboard fault, which can easily by identified by a thermal imaging survey.