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Cost of Electrical Systems Fire (and How to Prevent Them)

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Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent every year in property damage as a result of fires in industrial environments. These fires can be caused by a number of factors, but one thing they all have in common is they can be prevented. It’s easy to understand the benefits of infrared inspection for companies, especially when used as a disaster prevention tool.

The scary thing about electrical systems fires is you may not even know something is wrong until it’s too late. By incorporating thermographic scanning into your regular maintenance budget, you’ll be able to put your company in a safer spot.

Causes of Electrical Systems Fires

Electrical equipment is going to be hot in most cases. Fires can occur when dust, dirt or grease is covering the equipment. Those particles provide fuel for a fire to continue burning, rather than being short-lived if the equipment were clean. Other causes of electrical fires include:

  • Overloaded circuits
  • Exposed or damaged wiring
  • Overloaded outlets
  • Worn extension cords
  • Static discharge

With the high-paced work occurring in industrial workplaces, it can be difficult to spot a potential electrical issue. However, all it takes is a little spark from one of these components to cause a potentially devastating fire. That’s why many companies are leaning on IR thermography to identify any possible issues so they can be fixed before a disaster occurs.

Preventing Electrical Systems Fires With Thermographic Scanning

It’s obvious how to avoid fires started by some of the most common causes, like replacing damaged wires or extension cords. However, these are just temporary fixes, for the most part. Instead, the best way to prevent electrical systems fires in your workplace is to incorporate regular thermographic scanning into your schedule.

With a thermal imaging survey, you don’t even have to shut down your operations most of the time. A thermographer can come to your workplace and give you a comprehensive view of what may need to be fixed or replaced. Infrared thermography detects heat and moisture and is clearly identified on the survey. When these spots show up, it’s a clear indication that something isn’t how it should be and needs immediate attention.

Have a Plan in Place 

The great thing about IR thermography is companies are able to detect problems they didn’t even know they had. This is especially important when it comes to electrical equipment. Have a plan in place to have a thermal imaging survey conducted quarterly, or at least a couple times each year.

Not only will these surveys create a safer work environment, but they could save your company thousands, if not millions, of dollars by avoiding potentially devastating fires. A regular survey, along with general maintenance and awareness on a daily basis, will go a long way in ensuring your company doesn’t have to deal with an electrical fire.

To learn more about the technicalities of infrared thermography, or to schedule your next survey, be sure to contact us.

Find energy leaks with thermal imaging services.

Five Least-Expected Places for Air Leaks to Occur

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Air leaks are a common problem, but few people investigate them before it’s too late. This shouldn’t be the case for anyone, especially if they’re involved in a commercial facility where efficiency is key. Thermal imaging services, as well as your own vigilance, can easily help tackle this problem. The first element of prevention is knowing where to look! Here are five rarely suspected problem spots you may want to watch out for in your facility.

1. Basements

If your facility has a basement, this may be a good place to check. This is one of the most likely areas of a building to lack proper insulation, which quickly leads to circulation issues. You should know the amount of insulation and similar properties within your facility’s basement. If it isn’t at the proper level, you should anticipate some form of leaking and invest in taking care of the insulation as soon as possible. If you aren’t sure how to check for leaks, a thermal imagining inspection is a great way to ensure your basement is air tight.

2. Ventilation

Proper air vents and other similar mechanisms are highly important to the maintenance of a commercial facility. Temperatures can easily skyrocket in these structures, making it vital to have decent circulation. You’ll want to run maintenance on your ventilation occasionally to make sure they’re functioning properly. Thermal imaging services can help you detect improper ventilation in your structure. Malfunctioning vents are a surefire sign of unwanted leakage. The best ventilation systems typically have covers with magnetic and detachable properties, as well as insulation padding.

3. Air Ducts

Air ducts are just as likely as vents to have some sort of leak slipping through them. Be sure to check these at the same time you check your vents, especially if your facility relies on air conditioning for daily productivity. You don’t want the comfortable and cool air to slip right out where it shouldn’t be. Luckily, with the help of a thermal imaging inspection, you can easily find out where the problem areas are!

4. Overhead Lights

People rarely suspect their overhead lighting of being leaky and inefficient. In fact, as long as the lights are functioning, we assume they’re working at 100 percent! This actually may not be the case. Certain types of overhead lights, such as recessed lighting, rely on insulation to remain functional and safe. Be sure to check whether your ceiling lights need this type of preparation and whether it is in place. If not, know this poses a risk to your facility and employees and should be addressed soon.

5. Electrical Sockets

This is yet another quite common, but typically unheeded, source of energy leaks. It’s also the hardest to detect. To pick up on the efficiency of your commercial facility’s electrical sockets, you need to rely on a thermal imaging survey to read the output of your sockets and determine whether they’re at a normal rate. Without it, you could be negatively impacting the performance of your equipment and reducing productivity.

While these aren’t the only areas of your facility susceptible to leaks, they are the most common ones that should be inspected. Contact us to learn about other preventive measures and how our thermal imaging services can help!

Reveal problems with a thermal imaging survey.

Why Do I Need Infrared Testing for My Manufacturing Facility?

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Manufacturing plants need infrared testing.

Infrared testing can help manufacturing plants.

Reveal problems with a thermal imaging survey.

A thermal imaging survey can reveal problems.

If you’re in the manufacturing business, you may have heard of infrared testing, but haven’t used it for a number of reasons. Maybe you aren’t sure of all the benefits, or you haven’t had time to make the change from traditional inspections to infrared testing. Whatever your reasons, there are many more benefits to consider when hiring an infrared testing service for your commercial facility.

What Does Infrared Testing Do?

Certified Thermographers conduct a thermal imaging survey on your equipment to scan it for any potential problems. They will use their own equipment to record yours photographically. This photograph is monochromatic, and the intensity of the shades correspond with the specific temperatures of your equipment. When a piece of equipment begins to malfunction, the first sign is usually a spike in temperature that is often undetectable otherwise. This sudden and severe rise in temperature can signal any number of problems, including:

  • Faulty components
  • Poor internal connectivity
  • Imbalances
  • Exposed circuitry
  • Energy overload

No matter the source of a problem, too much heat coming from a device is often the first and biggest sign complete failure looms in the future. This can occur in any piece of equipment, regardless of age.

How Does Infrared Testing Solve My Problems?

  1. Problems are Identified Early – By hiring an inspection professional to take a look at your equipment, they can easily pinpoint problems you may be experiencing. Best of all, these inspections can detect problems before they truly start, making them an excellent preventive tool. This allows you to catch problems before they can unfold into something more severe, which can save you lost productivity and costly repairs down the road.
  2. Machinery is Maintained More Efficiently – By allowing you to take care of the problem early, you will be eliminating the steep costs associated with repairs, which can add up to thousands of dollars. You will also be avoiding downtime within your facility, which means you won’t be losing valuable productivity. Also, your machinery will last much longer.
  3. Production Won’t be Halted – Another benefit comes in the form of how these inspections are performed. Electrical thermal imaging is not invasive. Traditional methods may halt your production for several hours but your team will be able to carry on a normal work day while the infrared testing takes place. This means there will be no interruption in workflow for your daily operations and you will be able to review the results at your convenience.

For an easier and more cost-efficient option for your commercial inspection, infrared testing could be the best choice for your manufacturing company. For more information on how this important preventive testing measure can ensure maximum productivity, contact us.

Locate potential problems with electrical thermography.

The Unseen Problems Your Infrared Electrical Inspection May Find

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While heat is a good thing in the cold winter months, it may not always be positive for your business. For instance, improper wiring can cause electrical circuits to overheat, possibly causing a fire. Getting an infrared electrical inspection using electrical thermography can provide the information you need to  ensure the safety and well-being of everyone who works in your building.

Identify problem spots early with an infrared electrical inspection.

Infrared electrical inspection can identify problem spots early.

Bad Wiring

The problem with bad wiring is it isn’t always made evident by inconsistent lighting or electronic operations. Conducting a thermal imaging survey of your electrical systems can help identify problem areas so your electrician can resolve the issue before you experience major loss.

Roof Moisture

Roof moisture surveys are used by building and facility managers around the world in order to locate moisture trapped in the roofing assemblies of their properties, plants and factories. Infrared detection can be used on almost all types of low slope roofs. With this technology, imagers can detect differences in heat on the roof and easily pinpoint any uneven heat dissipation and retained moisture. This excess moisture could lead to future problems for your building’s roof, including collapse. If it’s time for your regular inspection, infrared testing can be performed identify wet insulation areas.

A thermal imaging survey is a great way to find hidden problems before they show themselves. By the time these issues become evident to the naked eye, serious damage has often occurred, which requires more expensive repairs. Whether you save your business from a fire due to bad wiring, curtail high gas or electric bills or prevent water damage, the cost of one of these inspections is well worth it to ensure your building is protected from damage.

If you’re looking for a company to perform electrical thermography in your place of business, contact us. We take pride in providing the assistance you need to identify hidden issues before they become expensive.

Identify problems with your machines for infrared consulting services.

The Benefits of Infrared Inspection

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Infrared inspection is best applied to electrical environments. It can be used to conduct a thermal imaging survey to scout for potential problems in electrical equipment. When electrical machinery begins to malfunction, it gives off an exceptionally high level of heat. Infrared scanning is designed to detect this. Infrared scans depict the temperature of a given unit of equipment through the use of color coding, with the lightest shades representing the hottest temperatures.

If you manage a manufacturing facility or similar, infrared consulting services may be of interest to you in terms of maintaining your equipment. For further proof, here are some of the benefits of infrared inspection.

Infrared Inspections Improve Your Machinery’s Lifespans

Even newly-purchased equipment can run into unexpected snags or malfunctions without warning. There are all sorts of reasons for this, from defective parts connected to the equipment to the way the equipment was set up in general. Sometimes you move locations to find your normally reliable equipment doesn’t work as well in the new environment as it did in the old.

No matter the circumstances, it is all too easy for equipment to develop malfunctions you can’t immediately see but can be quickly located with the help of infrared scanning. It’s better to take protective measures and catch problems before they escalate because it not only boosts the life expectancy and functionality of your equipment, but it saves you in other areas of business as well. The longer your equipment is able to last, the longer it can serve you and help you turn a stable profit.

 

Learn the benefits of infrared inspection.

Do you know the benefits of infrared inspection?

Infrared Inspections Make the Workplace More Secure

Malfunctioning equipment comes with a large number of risks. Fires can erupt from dysfunctional equipment that reaches too high of a temperature or that was not set up properly. There are a vast number of other mishaps that can occur when faulty equipment goes unchecked. Unsafe workplaces can lead to shutting down your facility, costing valuable time that could be devoted to production.

Infrared Inspections Save Money

Remember: requesting a thermal imaging survey is much cheaper in the long run than ordering repairs to already expensive machinery. Beyond the costs of repairs, equipment that shuts down can no longer function. This can hinder the production process. If you cannot produce, you lose even more money. Equipment that’s on the verge of breaking bleeds heat, which can hurt you financially. Infrared readings can track the source of wasted energy and help solve the problem, saving your funds.

If you’d like an infrared scan performed, contact Infrared Consulting Services. We employ only expert thermographers who will provide efficient and expedient readings and reports for your facility. We also provide suggestions to improve any problem equipment. For more information, contact us.