Thermography & Thermal Imaging of Electrical Systems

Thermography electrical inspection is a popular testing method often used for detecting poor connections, deteriorated or faulty insulation, unbalanced loads, and a variety of other issues in electrical components. These issues could lead to excessive use of energy, equipment failure, extra maintenance costs, unscheduled interruptions, and several other problems.

Thermography – How it Works

Also referred to as infrared inspection thermographic electrical scans are based on sensing heat emissions from an object’s surface. People use various test instruments for identifying and converting infrared radiation to thermal images or temperature values, which can come in handy for assessing the object’s thermal condition. Infrared cameras are arguably the most common thermal imaging electrical suspensions device.

Thermal Scanning of Electrical Systems

As you would expect, energized electrical appliances generate loads of heat due to electrical resistance. The heat generated is based on the intensity of current running through the system, along with the resistance of various individual components in the system.

Once the components start deteriorating, the resistance begins to increase, resulting in a localized heat increase as well. Similarly, poor connections generally have increased resistance compared to proper connections. Thermal imaging of electrical panels can be very useful for identifying the differences in temperature.

Advantages of Thermographic Inspection

According to the National Fire Protection Association, around 10% of fires that take place in manufacturing properties happen because of failures in the electrical system. These could be things like a failure in terminals, electrical insulation, and other related components. Failures like these can expose people to electrical circuits, increasing the possibility of death or serious injuries caused by electrocution.

By identifying and repairing high resistance connections, you can significantly decrease the chances of electrical wire breakdowns and keep other similar issues at bay. Thermography for electrical panels has plenty of other advantages like reduced repair costs, lower outages, etc. If your circuit has high resistance, its current flow will increase and when that happens, your power consumption goes up as well.

What’s more, excessive current draw often causes vital electrical circuit components like transformers, circuit breakers, and fuses to fail ahead of time. Failures like these often result in increased repair and maintenance costs, along with business interruptions.

Thermal Imaging Electrical Inspections

While thermographic scans are useful for various things, they are particularly beneficial for properties with too much power consumption, multiple distribution systems, branch circuits, etc. Organizations that use too much electricity should always perform thermal imaging electrical inspections to steer clear of danger.

Who Can Perform these Inspections

Companies can perform these inspections by hiring a qualified consultant or choosing someone in-house.

Kato Electrical has the best electricians with 6 years of experience operating thermal scanning equipment.

Also, conducting one test may not be enough for some buildings, especially those consuming too much energy. Instead, it would be better if you scheduled these inspections regularly.

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