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Infrared Camera Inspections

Building Science-to-Sales Translator

Infrared Camera Inspections

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Technical Description

A thermal x-ray uses an infrared camera that senses radiative surface temperatures rather than visible light. As a result, it takes photographs or videos that expose surface temperature anomalies. When looking at an infrared image, darker areas are cooler and lighter areas are warmer. For example, in an exterior image of a wall on a cold day, areas with inadequate insulation, significant air leakage, thermal bridging, or inefficient windows would appear with light colors exposing significant thermal losses. Additionally, moisture problems would reveal themselves with a distinctive ‘drool pattern’ and color variation. Thus, thermal x-ray diagnostics are very useful for finding thermal, air leakage, and moisture problems.

Alternate Terms

Advanced Thermal X-ray Diagnostics

Disclaimer

This content is a work created with funding provided by the United States Department of Energy under Contract no DE-AC05-076RL01830 for the operation of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The information and guidance provided by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in the content are intended solely for educational purposes only and do not constitute formal training or certification. It is provided with the explicit understanding that neither the United States Government nor the United States Department of Energy, nor the Contractor, nor any or their employees, nor any jurisdiction or organization that has cooperated in the development of these materials, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness or any information, apparatus, product, software, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or Battelle Memorial Institute. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Viewers assumes full responsibility for all actions that they may take from information provided in this content including ensuring the safety, code compliance, and proper functionality of any products they choose to install. Installation and use of such products should be performed in accordance with local regulations and manufacturer instructions.