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Infrared Thermography Can Even Detect Gas Leaks

When companies think of infrared thermography, they generally think about moisture detection. However, with today’s technology, specialists can also detect gas leaks. This is a huge deal in terms of safety, cost savings and overall productivity in the workplace. Gas leaks can be dangerous in any industry, but especially so if you’re a part of the oil and gas industry. We’ve seen plants explode before as a result of a gas leak so it’s better to be safe than sorry when dealing with such a dangerous chemical.

Cost Saving Benefits of Gas Leak Detection

Not only will hiring infrared problem prevention experts keep you and your employees safe, but it will also help your bottom line. Any time gas is leaking out of a chamber, dollars might as well be pouring out instead. Infrared inspections can detect even the slightest holes or cracks where gas could exit. As a result, you know exactly where to focus your maintenance efforts to help save on the costs of wasted gas.

Productivity and Maintenance Prevention

When certified thermographers come out to your work site to inspect the property frequently, you’ll be able to boost the productivity of your workers since they won’t have to inspect the equipment themselves. It’s impossible for your employees to record every minor detail with your equipment so infrared cameras can record and compare the changes over time. Most employers agree doing a full in-depth infrared inspection for gas leaks is better than having employees spot-check equipment occasionally.

Health Advantages

Any time you can reduce the amount of natural gas emitting into the air, you’re helping out the environment. Companies don’t want the negative attention of being known for creating an unhealthy environment because of poor maintenance practices so infrared thermography is the way to go from that aspect. Also, frequent infrared inspections help prevent explosions caused by gas leaks, which we all know can be devastating for the company and surrounding patrons.

Gas leaks may not seem like a big deal on a small scale, but you never want to ignore them. Your employees likely don’t have the time or the equipment to properly detect and fix a gas leak. Hiring certified thermographers is the best and safest route to take. Contact us if you have any questions or if you’d like us to come out for an inspection.

How Can Infrared Thermography Help Detect Mold Growth?

Mold growth can happen anywhere in commercial buildings, no matter how well you take care of the daily maintenance and cleaning. All it takes is a leaky water pipe or a slight hole in a roof and mold could be present within a day or two. The best way to ensure you don’t have a major mold problem in your building is to detect mold growth early on. With the help of infrared thermography, you can detect where mold could potentially grow and get ahead of the problem before it takes over.

Frequent Building Inspections Help

Mold grows in the most inconvenient locations, making it difficult for the average person to see. It’s always best to hire infrared consulting services to do an infrared inspection on your building frequently. The process of infrared inspection is quick and can easily detect conditions promoting mold growth.

With the use of an infrared camera, experts can detect slight temperature differences in parts of walls and roofs, which are usually indications of favorable conditions for mold. Since the temperature differences aren’t noticeable by just touching the area, professionals must use infrared thermography.

Detecting and Preventing Mold Growth

When your company uses infrared problem prevention services for your building, you save a lot of money in the long run. Having an infrared inspection done on a regular basis will not only detect the presence of possible mold, but can also help you determine what maintenance needs to be done.

The problem may be as simple as patching a hole where moisture can enter, or you could detect a larger issue that could have been detrimental to your business. It’s a scary reality when you don’t know what is growing behind the walls of your building. The best thing to do is get ahead of the problem, and the only way to do that is with infrared thermography.

As a business owner, one of your main priorities should be keeping your employees safe. The presence of mold could have lasting negative effects on your company. When you’re looking for infrared consulting services, give us a call and we will be happy to come out to take a look. Whether you want to schedule regular testing or just want a thorough inspection first, we are here to help.

How and Why to Utilize Infrared Technology With Your Construction Project

September 29, 2016/in Infrared inspection services, Thermographic imaging /by I R Test

Infrared technology isn’t a new technology by any means, but it is fairly new to the construction industry. Detecting gas leaks, moisture leaks, mold and structural integrity are all ways infrared thermography can be beneficial for construction. Every company has safety procedures and protocols to follow, but it’s nearly impossible to detect every minor issue. That’s where the help of infrared cameras comes in. Not only will a company save their own man-hours, but they will also help increase productivity and prevent a potential disaster from occurring.

Uses For Infrared Technology in Construction

Infrared inspection services can detect problems before they occur. The technology can look at machines, electrical components, faulty materials and even the actual foundation of the project once it’s set. When the infrared cameras detect a potential problem, it’s better to fix the issue right then rather than waiting until a larger problem occurs. Since one issue could lead to bigger problems with construction, infrared technology has saved some projects.

Prevent Maintenance and Potential Disasters

With an infrared electrical inspection, you can more easily identify an issue before it becomes a costly repair. This could range from the machinery being used to the actual wiring of the building being constructed. As far as the machinery goes, there’s nothing worse than working on a big project and having a machine break down. Infrared inspections can sometimes prevent that from happening if conducted in a timely manner.

Re-Evaluate Procedures and Protocols

When you undergo infrared thermography inspections, you may be surprised at the results. The inspections can help companies identify problems that may be systemic rather than just an isolated issue. Of course, you won’t be able to tell the difference unless you conduct multiple inspections consistently.

When you have these inspections completed, you can more easily re-evaluate your procedures and protocols and target the issue more directly. You may need to focus on the preparation of the machinery and other equipment before you even get started. Preventing breakdowns and keeping the production moving are the two things infrared inspection services provide to help keep your business booming.

Whether you’ve considered hiring a professional to do infrared testing with your construction project or not, be sure to get in touch with us to learn about your options. Many companies are surprised at the results of the testing, but are appreciative since they generally identify issues before they become problematic and costly.

Infrared Technology Can Identify Hidden HVAC Issues

September 27, 2016/in Infrared inspection services, Thermographic imaging /by I R Test

The HVAC system in your building works hard around the clock to keep your employees or tenants comfortable—but how can you ever tell if your system is running as efficiently as it could be? Sometimes it’s impossible to tell unless you use infrared cameras. There are many benefits of infrared inspections for companies, but the potential cost savings is at the top of the list. Your HVAC system is an important component of your company, so you need to make sure it’s taken care of properly as well as identify any hidden issues potentially lurking.

How Infrared Cameras Work for HVAC

When dealing with HVAC systems, infrared thermography experts generally don’t know what to look for when they perform an inspection. In other words, the client doesn’t know if anything is wrong, so it’s up to the expert to determine it. Infrared cameras can detect air leaks, temperature, blown fuses, bad connections and much more. These are all things that may not necessarily immediately affect the performance of your HVAC system, but you could be wasting money because it’s working harder than it needs to be.

You May Not Know A Problem Exists

When your HVAC is working harder than it should to keep you comfortable, you’re spending more money than necessary. Infrared problem prevention is one of the best ways to ensure your HVAC system is working properly. Even the smallest air leaks could lead to additional and unnecessary costs out of your pocket. It may seem tedious at times, but you really don’t know how much money you’re wasting until you get an inspection completed. You will probably be surprised when you get your next bill and see how much lower it is after it has been running efficiently!

Potential Cost Savings With An Infrared Inspection

You have to pay upfront for an infrared thermography inspection. Sometimes experts may determine your HVAC is running properly, but most of the time there is something wrong if it hasn’t been inspected in a while. Hidden issues are very common with HVAC. If you don’t find them, you’ll be wasting money and energy on a daily basis. The harder you make your system work, the more likely it is to fail and need to be replaced earlier.

The long-term savings are evident when you look at the benefits of infrared inspection. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your HVAC system or if you’ve never had an inspection completed before.

What Impact Could the NFPA Leave on Electrical Thermography?

September 13, 2016/in Electrical thermography /by I R Test

For an organization with no regulatory power, the NFPA sure is influential. When it comes to infrared thermography, no other organization has generated more of an impact over the last few decades than the NFPA. It all starts with two documents that have completely changed the face of electrical thermography.

Since the NFPA doesn’t have any regulatory power, they rely on other organizations to give their recommendations some legs. When OSHA adopted the recommendations from the NFPA documents, it created a huge demand for infrared cameras in the United States and worldwide.

Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance

This is the first document from the NFPA to leave an impact on the IR thermography industry. It goes into detail about the importance of preventive maintenance, which could reduce overall costs, increase safety and even provide a boost in production. The document goes on to state the conditions under which a routine thermography inspection should be conducted, especially with newer equipment or any type of change in the current systems in place. This may seem like a common sense rule of thumb, but it wasn’t a standard until the NFPA took a stand.

Workplace Electrical Safety

This is the second document from the NFPA, which discusses the types of protective equipment people must wear when working with live equipment. Different types of equipment require people to be a certain distance away or wear a certain amount of gear to protect them. If you don’t comply with these standards, you are putting yourself and your company at risk of being fined for violating them.

The new performance procedures for electrical thermography inspections have completely changed the industry. Companies are able to manufacture and distribute new infrared technology in many shapes and sizes, and it’s all due to the standards set forth by the NFPA.

At Infrared Consulting Services, we can help your company comply with the strict standards and regulations set in motion by the NFPA. Our professionals provide businesses with the highest quality IR thermography inspection services to help keep your property safe and also help you save money. Contact us today to learn how we can work together to improve your standards and processes when it comes to infrared thermography preventive maintenance.