Technology does not stand still. Modern houses are equipped with autonomous boilers that optimize fuel consumption for space heating. However, there is a situation when the devices for monitoring the energy costs of heaters show unreasonably high rates of its consumption. In this case, the owners should carry out thermal imaging surveys. They will allow you to identify and eliminate heat losses that depend on the size of the building, on materials, on the area of opened windows and doors, and other factors.
The essence of thermal imaging surveys
Heat loss is very common in residential areas, both in high-rise buildings and in modern private homes. Therefore, the issue of reducing energy costs is relevant for each type of houses. Thermal imaging inspections of buildings can solve it.
After construction, thermal imaging inspections of buildings help to identify structural defects, cracks and malfunctions. This technique has proven itselfas one of the main ways to diagnose structures after the construction of structures.
Scanning of apartment buildings, private cottages and other structures is carried out using infrared thermal imaging. This allows you to see the object in completely different colors. Zones with increased heat losses are painted in warm colors of the spectrum, and zones with their minimum indicators are painted in cold colors.
What the survey reveals
Thermogram is an image in infrared rays, which is based on the temperature distribution of the object's fields. It is built using a thermal imaging device. It creates an image that clearly shows areas of overheated or supercooled surfaces.
Thermal imaging inspection of buildings reveals the following:
- defects in thermal insulation on walls, roofs, foundations and window openings;
- defects in electrical and thermal equipment;
- leaks through hidden pipelines;
- zones of condensation and accumulation of moisture.
The method of thermal imaging diagnostics will reveal and eliminate defects at the stage of rough construction. At the stage of commissioning the object by the contractor, this technology will allow assessing the quality of construction work. This will allow in the future to avoid additional costs for redoing poor-quality actions performed by builders.
Benefits of conducting a survey
One of the advantages of conducting thermal imaging control is the possibility of a contactless, remote process. This is very convenient for surveying buildings such as apartment buildings.
Infrared imaging devices are small in size and weight. They are easy to carry to the site of the examination. This contributes to the rapid manipulation and a large number of serviced objects. Testing costs are minimal.
The image appears on the device screen instantly. This allows you to process the result in just 2-3 days. Moreover, this does not depend on the size of the object. The overview of the device allows you to examine both small (from a few centimeters) and large (up to several hundred meters) buildings and structures.
The presented technique does not harm human he alth and is recognized as environmentally friendly.
How the examination is done
To obtain the most accurate result, it is better to examine apartment buildings and private cottages during the heating season. In this case, the room must be continuously heated before this for at least 3 days.
Before the test, all materials stored nearby should be removed from the walls. You will need to move furniture away from the walls, remove carpets, if any. You will also need to free the corners and baseboards. Thermal imaging survey reveals the maximum heat loss in these areas.
Regardless of the illumination, a heat audit will allow you to determine with high accuracy the temperature emitted by each point of the dwelling. This allows you to generate a thermogram. She will show youareas where it is necessary to carry out repairs, strengthen thermal insulation materials or other work. This will greatly improve indoor energy efficiency and reduce home heating costs.
Building Error Detection
Thermal imaging diagnostics allows you to identify errors made during the construction of a building that cannot be determined with the naked eye. If in some place the thermal insulation is not done correctly, the thermogram will definitely show this.
If building codes have not been fully implemented, moisture will accumulate in some places of the structure. This will lead to the formation of fungus and microorganisms that will destroy the insulation materials. The presented survey is also able to identify such areas.
Mold also negatively affects the he alth of people living in an apartment or house. Thermal imaging surveys show areas of possible condensate collection with a special color. Eliminating them will not be difficult, based on the report of the survey team.
Air leaks can also be detected using this technique. The pressure inside the room in this state of affairs will be lower than outside. Air will leak through leaky places. The thermal imager will help to identify structural defects that lead to drafts and eliminate them.
What else the survey reveals
The presented method allows you to identify the peeling of the wall plaster that has begun. This will allow timely reconstruction. The infrared image will also show the underfloor heating system. If water pipes walled up inbase, have a leak, the device will identify its exact location. This also applies to central heating systems.
On flat roofs, thermal imaging control will reveal leaks. The thermogram will allow you to replace only those sections of the roof where defects in roofing materials were found. This will significantly save the customer's repair costs.
Heat audit will also improve the fire safety of the house. He will provide information about the places of overheating of the chimney. Places of increased fire risk will also be visible on the thermogram.
Having become familiar with the benefits that thermal imaging surveys provide, anyone can quickly and inexpensively check their home for heat loss and all kinds of defects in building materials, as well as layout. This will save significant money on space heating and prevent the need for an early overhaul of the building.
