Most system components fail due to heat and increased resistance. What causes increased resistance? A number of factors may play a role, including loose connections, age, wear, oxidation, or even improper installation. All of these can increase resistance which will in turn, cause a component to emit more heat.
- Infrared cameras detect the heat emitted before the equipment failure occurs, allowing for early detection and correction. Infrared thermography (IR) offers your facility the following benefits:
- Improves system performance
- Increases energy efficiency
- Prevents incidence of equipment failure through early intervention
- Protects the safety of building occupants
- Facilitates commissioning, determining whether systems are operating to meet design intent
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that an IR survey be performed every year for commercial and industrial buildings. ConServ routinely employs IR in preventative maintenance inspections. Our FLIR cameras will search for building moisture intrusion, find leaks in piping systems, and scan electrical panels for potential outages, allowing our technicians to correct the issue before it can lead to system failure, inconvenient downtime, and costly repairs.
ConServ first utilized IR at the Burnham Institute for Research in Lake Nona. Our technicians scanned every piping joint on the project, including several miles of pipe and thousands of fittings. Connections included brazed copper, welded steel, PVC slip joints, mechanical couplings, and poly connections. The critical nature of the lab experiments and the financial consequences of failure determined that even the most minor leak could be catastrophic. This new infrared technology allowed us to see and correct any potential trouble areas, which was invaluable to system integrity.
Infrared thermography cameras produce images of heat radiation that are invisible to the naked eye. They also provide precise, non-contact temperature measurement capabilities. The higher the object’s temperature, the greater the infrared radiation emitted as evidenced in the above photo of an overheated pump motor.
ConServ technicians use IR to identify a variety of issues, including but not limited to:
- Potential problems in building electrical panels, switch gears, disconnects, motor starters, motors, pumps, and drives
- Inadequate insulation and building envelope leaks
- Moisture, water damage, and inefficient HVAC systems
To learn how infrared thermography can be incorporated into preventative maintenance to improve system efficiency for your facility, contact ConServ.
ConServ Building Services, LLC provides excellent commercial HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing, and general construction services to businesses across the Southeastern United States. To learn more about ConServ, visit www.conservonline.com.