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How Does Wall Moisture Develop?

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Moisture problems in a building can be a huge issue for businesses. The problem with moisture is you sometimes don’t even know it’s present until it’s too late. Once mold and mildew start forming, you could be dealing with significant repairs and potential health issues for yourself and your employees.

The good news is regular thermographic scanning can detect areas where wall moisture is present. This allows you to address the area before it gets worse and causes significant issues. How does wall moisture really develop and what can you do to prevent it? Here are some facts and points to consider.

Poor Construction or Drainage

Many infrared inspection services realize wall moisture is simply a result of poor construction, especially in the drainage system. Some structures simply aren’t built to handle water drainage, no matter how structurally sound they are. This is one of the reasons why infrared thermography testing is critical before purchasing or leasing a new office space. When water sets in certain areas, especially on the roof of a building, wall moisture is inevitable. Thermographic scanning plays a large role in identifying large-scale issues that could lead to wall moisture at some point.

Cracks or Holes in the Wall

Any time you have cracks or holes in your wall, there’s a huge risk of moisture intruding. Moisture could hide in between the walls for a long time before you ever notice an issue. However, when you do an infrared thermography scan, thermographers will be able to detect the presence of moisture because of the temperature difference in certain areas. When these areas are identified, you can address the crack or hole immediately to prevent mold growth or other larger issues.

Humidity and Heat

If your building is in an extremely hot and humid environment, you always have to be concerned about moisture developing where it shouldn’t be. When you combine moisture with heat and small spaces, you’re sure to develop mold and other issues requiring extensive repairs.

The good thing about infrared inspection services is the IR technology can quickly and easily identify areas where moisture is present. This could be on a roof, in walls, in a basement, HVAC systems or anywhere else you normally don’t look. Humidity and heat are uncomfortable to begin with, but the combination can also lead to tough consequences for your business if it leads to wall moisture.

Infrared Consulting Services is the leader in providing the best thermographic scanning services in the industry. Our certified thermographers can not only detect wall moisture, but can also help you identify the root of the issue so it won’t occur again. Be sure to contact us to set up an appointment or to learn more about our services and how we can help your business.

infrared electrical inspection

What Happens in an Electrical Systems Failure

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One of the worst nightmares any business has to worry about is a possible electrical systems failure. Not only does an electrical outage slow down or completely halt production, it could lose the business money or, more importantly, put lives at risk. In order to prevent these failures from occurring, you need to know what happens with an electrical systems failure. If you don’t know the causes, then you won’t be able to know how to fix the root of the issue.

Causes of Electrical Systems Failures

The majority of electrical failures are because of failed electrical insulation. This insulation is designed to keep the high voltage from going places it shouldn’t be. But when the insulation is torn or compromised in any way, a serious electrical failure could occur.

Loose electrical connections are also another big cause of electrical failures. A loose connection will generate excessive heat and could eventually cause a fire or other damage.Unless you have an infrared electrical inspection conducted, it’s very difficult to detect a loose connection or even faulty electrical insulation.

Dangers and Risks

Not only will production likely shut down when electric systems fail, a real possibility of fire and explosion exist. Anyone near the source of the electrical failure will be at risk of serious injury or death because of the explosion or flying debris as a result. The best way to protect employees from this is to conduct regular thermal imaging electrical inspections.

What to do When Electrical Systems Fail

The first thing you should do when your electrical systems fail is to order an electrical infrared survey. This survey will be able to identify the root of the issue and can help to detect any other potential problems. Once all of the problems are identified, the faulty components can be fixed.

Preventing Electrical Systems Failures With an Infrared Electrical Inspection

The best way to prevent electrical systems failures in the future is to conduct at least an annual infrared electrical inspection on all components in the facility. Not only will this ensure your business won’t experience any shutdowns, but you’ll also be keeping your employees safer.

Infrared testing is critical when it comes to electrical safety. You can do your own testing throughout the year, but no human can see what an infrared test can see. The best thing about infrared electrical testing is you don’t have to shut down your facility to run the test. A professional can come in while production is still happening, so you won’t have any down time.

At Infrared Consulting Services, we strive to keep every company safe from electrical systems failures and other potentially dangerous issues. Whether you’ve had an electrical infrared survey conducted at your facility or not in the past, be sure to contact us to learn more and to schedule a survey today.

data centers

Keep Data Centers Running with Infrared Testing

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Many companies and business owners think infrared testing is just for heavy machinery and things like a building’s roof or HVAC system. However, having thermal imaging electrical inspections in data centers can help ensure the entire company is running at peak efficiency.

The hardest part for thermographers is surveying the numerous circuit boards and other devices and comparing them among the different surveys. However, this type of detail is exactly what companies need to keep their data centers running.

Negative Impacts of Data Center Downtime

Companies today use infrared testing to avoid costly shutdowns. The financial impact alone of shutting down production for even one hour can be significant. Any industry is negatively affected by data center downtime, so it’s crucial for thermographers to do a thorough job any time they conduct an infrared electrical systems survey. That’s why so many hire a professional.

What happens with an electric systems failure could vary depending on the type of equipment. That’s why thermographic scanning will analyze circuit boards, servers, cooling systems, switchgears and any other electrical equipment. With the highly sensitive equipment, certified thermographers have to keep detailed records just in case some equipment becomes faulty shortly after the testing; it’s that good. The thermographer has to be able to indicate the equipment was in good working condition at the time of the scan.

How Infrared Testing Prevents Electrical Failure

Numerous things can go wrong when dealing with electrical equipment. A plug can overheat, a wire can be exposed or a server could become overloaded. The importance of electrical testing and inspection in data centers can’t be overstated. Due to the size of some data centers, it’s nearly impossible for a maintenance professional to inspect every plug or piece of equipment on a routine basis. That’s why infrared testing is critical to help locate faulty equipment more efficiently.

Servers are Constantly Running

Even when employees go home for the day, data centers and servers never take time off. These pieces of equipment are designed to handle big loads, but malfunctions can happen at any time. As a result, data centers have to have more frequent infrared electrical inspections than other pieces of equipment in the building. Even one server going down could quickly and drastically impact a business.

Performing IR Testing at Data Centers

When you hire a certified thermographer to conduct an IR electrical systems survey at your company, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing every piece of equipment is in good shape. If something needs to be repaired or replaced, you’ll know it right away.

The cost of infrared testing is minimal when compared to the potential consequences of having to shut down a data center. Whether you’ve done infrared testing in your company in the past or not, contact us for details about the process.

Steam traps experienced the benefits of infrared inspection.

What You Need to Know About Infrared Steam Trap Testing

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Facility or plant managers always look for ways to save money and be more efficient. Faulty steam traps account for thousands of wasted dollars, which could be prevented with regular maintenance and testing. The maintenance of steam traps is often overlooked due to other priorities, but they still need attention. With the help of thermal imaging services, faulty steam traps can be identified quickly and easily to help them run more efficiently, saving you money and energy. Here are some points you need to know about infrared inspection for steam trap testing.

Temperature Measurements

Measuring the temperature in and around steam traps may not be the best test to perform since its temperature naturally varies. Still, infrared consulting services will likely do a quick temperature analysis just to determine whether there are any extremely noticeable temperature differences.

Infrared testing will measure both the outlet and inlet temperatures to see if there are any significant differences. This is an effective method for simple steam traps, but may not tell the whole story for more complex steam traps.

While infrared testing is important for finding temperature measurements, proper preventive measures should also combine other tests as well, such as sound.

Steam Traps Will Eventually Fail

Like any machinery, steam traps aren’t meant to last forever. When a steam trap begins showing signs of failure, it’s time to either repair or replace it. One of the main benefits of infrared inspection is the ability to identify an issue before it escalates and your steam trap needs replacement. A company definitely doesn’t want to risk inefficient processes because of a faulty steam trap.

When to Test Steam Traps

Since it’s difficult to detect a faulty steam trap with the naked eye, it’s recommended to frequently use thermal imaging services to get ahead of any issues. A simple infrared thermography analysis could help you estimate how much energy is being wasted on a particular steam trap so you can decide whether it’s time to repair or replace it.

With all the moving parts facilities use on a daily basis, steam trap maintenance often gets overlooked. The importance of regular infrared testing on steam traps can’t be understated, contact us to schedule an appointment today!

Identify moisture issues early with infrared thermography.

How Can Infrared Thermography Help Find Unwanted Moisture?

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What all business and property owners need to understand is moisture could be present behind walls, ceilings and floors and you may not even know it. Most of the time, you won’t know there’s a problem until you can actually see the moisture. With the help of infrared thermography, unwanted moisture can be detected before it becomes a larger and costlier issue. Not only will this save money, but it will also keep everyone safe from mold risks.

Understanding the Technology

Infrared detection technology can create images using infrared lighting based on an object’s thermal condition. Some infrared cameras will actually tell the temperature of any given object and can provide infrared images to determine temperature differences.

The key to infrared problem prevention is locating areas of temperature differences. These temperature differences could be the sign of existing moisture. Most of the time, no one can see this moisture or feel the temperature differences with the naked eye or with normal senses, but infrared cameras can detect it and bring the issue to light.

When Should Infrared Technology Be Used?

Regular infrared thermography testing is highly recommended because you never know when moisture could be present. Sometimes it is the tiniest of leaks or cracks that cause the largest issues, and you wouldn’t know it without using infrared technology. When an expert provides you with the testing results, they will also recommend a course of action to take. Most of the time the repairs won’t take long and won’t be costly, but the longer you wait, the more potential damage could occur.

Advantages of Using Infrared Technology for Unwanted Moisture

You could walk around your property looking and feeling for moisture and temperature differences or you could hire an infrared thermography professional. Testing will prove more effective since most moisture isn’t detectable with the naked eye. Plus, it will save a great deal of time since infrared technology can be used to survey large areas quickly. Once the testing is done, you will have clear images of where potential problems are rather than having to guess.

The advantages of using infrared thermography testing for unwanted moisture speak for themselves. To learn more about the process or to schedule a survey, contact us.

Infrared Consulting Services infrared roof moisture survey

A Brief Guide to Roof Leaks: What Causes Them and What Can Be Done About Them Pt. 2

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If you only examine the surface of your roof to determine if there are any leaks, you may be overlooking some important factors. Sometimes a roof leak isn’t evident until you go deeper and get an infrared roof moisture survey completed. Many times these surveys can detect a leak before they even occur, saving your business a lot of time, money and unnecessary headaches. Part two of this two-part series discusses the infrared inspection process.

Infrared Scanning Process

The average person will struggle when trying to learn the science behind the infrared thermography process. Instead, business owners just need to look at it as a more in-depth way of seeing what’s going on with their commercial roof.

Infrared cameras and equipment measure temperatures of the roof to determine the presence of moisture. Discrepancies with the temperature of one area compared to adjacent areas could determine the presence of moisture and a possible leak.

The infrared scanning process usually occurs in the evening hours when the roof has been exposed to sunlight for an extended amount of time. Sunlight causes the roof to heat up, making the temperature rise in areas with trapped moisture. Without the use of infrared cameras, it’s impossible to see or feel the temperature differences in most cases.

When to Use Infrared

You can certainly use infrared consulting services to conduct a roof survey when you’ve discovered a leak on your own. However, you would be better off having an infrared expert come out before it gets to that point. Doing so will help you save some money and prevent major damage.

The average business owner may think they can’t detect a roof leak until it rains. However, with the technology of infrared thermography, roof moisture can be detected at any time. There’s never a bad time to get an infrared roof inspection.

Preventative Maintenance

Having an infrared roof moisture survey completed frequently will help prevent major damage from roof leaks. The infrared inspection process can take a little bit of time, but it rarely interrupts your day-to-day business operations. Once you have the results of the inspection in your hands, you can determine whether the roof needs to be repaired immediately or not. Preventative maintenance goes a long way in protecting the integrity of your roof, but you may not know what needs attention unless you have an infrared test conducted.

It’s difficult to predict when a roof will begin leaking, so that’s why infrared technology should be used on a regular basis. Even the experts at Infrared Consulting Services have a difficult time identifying problem areas with the naked eye. That’s why the importance of infrared can’t be understated.

If you need to schedule a roof inspection, or would like more information about the inspection process, be sure to contact us today.

Infrared Consulting Services infrared thermography

A Brief Guide to Roof Leaks: What Causes Them and What Can Be Done About Them Pt. 1

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The best way to prevent roof leaks is to know what causes them in the first place. Sometimes a roof leak can be a quick and easy fix, but other times it can take a significant amount of effort, even for professionals. It’s always advisable to commission infrared consulting services to conduct a routine survey of your commercial roof, just as a preventative maintenance measure. Some problems with your roof may be easy to identify, but some may not be. In this first part of our two-part guide, we will look at some of the causes of commercial roof leaks.

Standing Water

Many commercial buildings, especially older ones, have flat roofs. Unless the proper drainage system is in place, those roofs are prone to standing water. It’s easy to guess what standing water can do to a roof. The sheer weight of the water alone can compromise the integrity of the roof. If that’s your main problem, you don’t even need an infrared thermography test to determine what needs to be fixed.

Roof Penetrations

Objects like drains, pipes, vents, gas lines and HVAC units could penetrate through the roof membrane. Any object cutting through the roof could cause a roof leak. When you have an infrared roof moisture survey, many times the source of the leak is identified near a penetration object. These objects require frequent maintenance to ensure the water seal is strong and effective.

Membrane Damage

A roof membrane’s main function is to prevent water from coming into the interior of the building. Membrane damage generally isn’t a problem until the building begins to age. After the sun and weather beat down on the roof for many years, it eventually will begin to crack or split. When this happens, it’s probably time to get in touch with an infrared consulting services professional to determine the severity of the damage and how to fix the roof most efficiently.

Old Age

When you have an infrared roof moisture survey completed, the professional will likely ask how old the roof is. A roof isn’t going to last forever, so any kind of water leak or moisture penetration could simply be because the roof is old. If the roof as a whole doesn’t look structurally sound enough to prevent water from entering, it may be time to replace it completely rather than just patch up current problem areas.

These are just a few common causes to roof leaks, but there are many others as well. Part two of this guide will discuss the inspection process, but feel free to get in touch with us if you would like more information about the causes of commercial roof leaks.

Motor systems can improve with infrared consulting services.

How Infrared Consulting Services Can Help Improve Your Motor Systems

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Having a motor maintenance program in place is one of the most overlooked aspects in companies today. By doing a circuit analysis and thermography inspection, you can predict when to perform maintenance rather than waiting until it’s too late. Many people underestimate the value of infrared testing. However, the cost savings in the long run are significant enough to give infrared testing a serious look. Here are some ways infrared services can help improve your motor systems.

Identify Any Potential Repairs Needed

Infrared problem prevention methods will provide you with results you wouldn’t otherwise see. It’s difficult for anyone to see or feel when the temperature of any part of a motor is warmer or cooler than the other. With infrared testing, you can easily identify hot spots, which could cause problems in the short-term or long-term. Performing a test to identify potential repairs before a problem occurs is a big cost saver.

Makes Motors More Reliable

Any infrared consulting services will look at your motor from the standpoint it should be running perfectly. It’s much easier to diagnose a problem if you are looking at the motor in general, rather than just a specific component or two. When you have a professional do routine infrared testing on your motors, they will be able to compare how the motor looked the previous time versus during the current test. As long as routine testing is completed, you’ll have a better chance of having a more reliable and efficient motor.

Predictive Maintenance

When you do a thermography inspection, you are essentially conducting preventive maintenance. Whether or not you think there is a current issue with a motor, it’s still a good idea to get infrared testing done regularly. Since it is impossible to detect some problems with the naked eye, IR testing can help you see a potential problem before it escalates and becomes costly.

Infrared testing is an essential part of any predictive maintenance program for motors. When it’s completed correctly and routinely, companies will experience much lower maintenance costs, as well as higher productivity, more reliability and increased uptime. Without a solid predictive maintenance program, you’re leaving the health of your motor to chance. The money you spend for routine motor maintenance upfront will pay for itself in the long run.

Many companies are beginning to see the benefits of having an infrared problem prevention program in place. Our consultants at Infrared Consulting Services can identify problems at any workplace, even if there doesn’t appear to be an issue at all. If you need to schedule an infrared test for your motors, contact us today to set up an appointment or to get more information about the procedure.

Consider IR thermography to look for little known problems.

Four More Little-Known Uses for IR Thermography

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Companies today are beginning to see the importance of conducting routine infrared testing. In fact, IR thermography testing is required in some places. Infrared technology is most commonly used in detecting roof moisture, electrical inspections, building envelopes, high voltages and other objects and structures. However, there are other uses people may not be aware of. Proper awareness of the benefits of infrared technology outside of the basic uses will help prevent potential costly issues. Here is a list of four uses for infrared technology you may be able to benefit from.

  1. Transformers

Fluid-filled transformers must have the proper liquid level to perform properly. Over time, the gauges can become difficult or impossible to read, leaving people to guess at what the liquid level is. Thermal imaging services can help detect the fluid level in transformers and indicate when there’s a radiator cooling issue. If you have a warm transformer tank with a cool radiator, you know there’s a risk of the transformer overheating.

  1. Terminations and Splices

IR thermography is typically used for terminations and splices as a safety precaution. In many cases, before professionals go underground to work on splices, infrared testing must be performed to ensure safety. Infrared testing can also identify problems relating to conductor integrity.

  1. Switchgears

Identifying possible thermal failures of important switchgear equipment is crucial for worker safety. In some cases, permanent thermal sensors have to be installed to identify problems immediately. Outdoor switchgear assemblies have strip heaters to regulate the temperature during different times of the day or year. Thermal imaging services come into play when there is no detection of heat, meaning there’s a problem that needs to be addressed before a larger issue occurs.

  1. Items Not Carrying Current

Most of the time, infrared consulting services will take a quick look at the entire job site, in addition to the specific equipment they’re testing. The reason behind this is to detect heat from objects that shouldn’t be carrying current. Inductive heating can be a hazard to workers and equipment and it would go unnoticed without infrared testing.

Another item generally not carrying current is a ground connection. If infrared testing indicates a ground connection has increased in temperature, it signifies a potential problem.

Infrared technology has many more uses than the common ones associated with it. At Infrared Consulting Services, we know the ins-and-outs of infrared technology and can help in any industry. For other little-known uses for infrared technology or to learn how we can help provide your company with routine IR testing, contact us at any time!

Find hidden moisture with infrared thermography.

How Infrared Thermography Can Find Your Hidden Roof Moisture

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One of the scary things about owning a business is not knowing what’s going on without your knowledge or control. You generally know how your employees are performing, but what you may not realize is your building is slowly deteriorating. Roof moisture is the cause of some costly maintenance fees, which can do some serious damage to your bottom line. The bad part about it is you can’t always detect roof moisture on your own. Hiring a certified thermographer is one of the best ways to prevent a larger issue from happening with your roof. Here is how it works.

Professionals Know Where to Look

With the help of infrared thermography and experience, professionals know exactly where to look to find moisture. There are many types of roofs, and moisture doesn’t get trapped in the same places in all of them. When you have an infrared roof moisture survey conducted, the operator will identify the problem areas using their expertise and the technology available to them.

Distinguishes Wet Spots from Dry Spots

The process of radiational cooling occurs when the sun radiates heat onto the roof during the day and the heat goes back into the atmosphere at night. This process is important for infrared detection technology because wet spots in the roof containing moisture will remain warmer much longer than dry spots.

The infrared thermography equipment detects the heat distribution on the roof of your building and can determine if a particular location is warmer than the others. Warmer spots are clear indicators of moisture. Once the complete analysis is done on your roof, the expert will recommend whether they think it’s time to take action to correct the problem now or if it can wait until another time. However, when you’re dealing with moisture where it’s not supposed to be, it’s usually better to take action immediately.

Finding hidden roof moisture requires an experienced professional to conduct an infrared inspection. Business owners are often surprised their building has hidden moisture since there usually aren’t any visible signs. The importance of catching the problems early can’t be understated.

For more information on the process of finding hidden roof moisture in your building, contact us. We have a staff of professionals ready to answer any questions you have and to provide you with the preventive maintenance service you need to keep your business flourishing without unnecessary repair costs.