Professionals Use Professional Equipment
Anything else is just acting the part...
We currently utilize a high-end professional grade Fluke TiX520 infrared thermal imaging camera.
The key abilities and features of this camera include:
- High performance 320×240 resolution detector with SuperResolution (640×480) capability in software
- NETD (thermal sensitivity) standard resolution of 0.05°C (50mK) can be filtered 40mK for even greater thermal sensitivity
- Temperature Range -20°C to +850°C (-4°F to +1562° F)
- Measurement accuracy of ± 2°C or 2% (at 25 °C nominal, whichever is greater)
- Wide angle and telephoto lenses quickly field swap-able when needed, plus up to 4x digital zoom with every lens.
- Minimum focal distance at approximately 6 inches.
- Handheld portable with 240° articulating lens and a 5.7 inch responsive touchscreen High Resolution LCD display, and 60 Hz refresh rate (smooth image display).
- Laser Sharp auto focus with built-in laser distance meter
- Battery operated and suitable for indoor and outdoor use with 3 hours continuous use per battery pack ( 9 hours reserve available at every inspection)
- Both thermal and visual image capability with IR-Fusion technology
- Streaming Video out (USB or WiFi) and video capture capabilities
- Built-in 5 megapixel industrial performance digital (visible light) camera
- Exported image file formats include BMP, DIB, GIF, JPE, JFIF, JPEG, JPG, PNG, TIF, and TIFF
- Video recording in both standard and radiometric, with file formats as standard (MPEG with AVI encoding) or fully radiometric for desktop analysis and processing
- Auto capture data via interval or temperature parameters
- Operates in the 7.5 μm to 14 μm (long wave) spectral band
- State of the art post-image processing and data analysis with multiple color palette choices.
- On-screen (field adjustable) emissivity, reflected background temperature, and transmission correction.
Why This Matters
There isn’t a single thermal imaging camera on the market that adequately serves all potential infrared applications. Some applications such as industrial furnace inspections and vapor or gas leak detection require specialized infrared equipment. Regardless, many professional grade thermal cameras can accommodate a wider variety of common and specific applications. As the technology improves, manufacturers are able to offer many more choices of thermal imaging equipment than was previously available to suit a variety of uses. Choosing the correct equipment for the job at hand requires education and understanding of equipment specifications for the intended application. This is especially important in the fields of commercial and residential systems or building inspections. Professional equipment and training requires a significant monetary and time investment.
Many providers and individual inspectors unfortunately choose to enter this profession as cheaply as possible with little to no training, and grossly inadequate equipment. Infrared technology continues to improve and change; however, not all thermal imaging cameras are created equal. As technology advances, equipment costs have come down. Consumer demand has created a market for low-end, consumer-grade infrared cameras which have enticed many unwary inspectors to jump on the thermal imaging band wagon. One of the more popular consumer-grade cameras is the FLIR brand C2 camera. It’s a neat device, and completely affordable to the average consumer at a cost between $400.00 and $700.00, but far from adequate for professional use in residential and commercial inspection applications. The resolution and some of the “gimmicky” features for the C2 make this camera a horrid choice for a professional inspector as seen in the composite image here.
The comparison photos depict the difference in image quality as well as accuracy in documenting a known concern. These were captured under less than ideal conditions with merely a 7 degree temperature difference at the surface. The bottom right shows the visible light (digital) image where clearly a stain is visible. The top two images are from the consumer-grade C2 which are unclear and entirely fail to document active moisture in the stain. The bottom left is from the equipment utilized by BC Warner Inspections. It clearly indicates (through the dark amorphous spots in the center) that the stains are indeed active. Now admittedly, a thermal camera was not necessary to determine whether the stain was active or not. Any good inspector would have used a moisture meter to determine the same. But, the images clearly illustrate that low-quality equipment can miss concerns… especially if they aren’t visible to the naked eye first. Worse yet, a poorly equipped inspector with little if any training or experience may inaccurately claim a problem exists when it doesn’t.
Infrared inspections for commercial or residential applications are some of the most complicated applications known to the infrared industry. These applications combine the knowledge of a building inspector with the advanced science behind infrared technology. Not fully understanding either is a disastrous combination for both the client and the inspector, but the client is the one who has the most to lose.
When accuracy, quality, and experience matters, BC Warner Inspections & Thermal Imaging Services is the right choice for your inspection application.