Thermal Imaging for Home Insulation

Why is Home Insulation Important?

Insulation problems are one of the most common uses of an infrared camera. When insulation is missing or not installed properly, there would be obvious signs of it, which we will discuss later in this article. If a wall is not well insulated, the studs will be the warmest part of the wall. Insulation that is missing or improperly installed is also quite easy to feel. 

There are many reasons for a homeowner to want to live in a well insulated home. Firstly, in a well maintained and insulated home, the temperature would be cooler during the Summer and warmer during the Winter making it a more desirable place to live in. Another reason is that without a good insulation, there could be leakages in certain areas of the home which could lead to more expensive gas bills and electricity bills. No matter how elegantly a house is designed, a badly insulated house would not be an enjoyable place to live in. Using an Infrared Camera, all of these problems can be identified and the data it provides can help homeowners make a decision on what to do as a solution and save them a lot of money in the long term.

Here are a list of problems that could occur due to a badly insulated home:

• The temperature is cold during Winter and warm during Summer.
• Heating and cooling bill is unusually high.
• The wall gets cold when the outside temperature drops
• The furnace is on all the time when it’s cold.
• Air conditioner is constantly running when it’s hot.
• The floors are cold during winter.
• You can feel drafts in your home.
• Ice dams form on the roof in cold weather.

How Thermal Imaging helps maintain home insulation

For many years, thermal imaging cameras have served as an extremely valuable tool for homeowners. An infrared camera translates heat, or thermal energy, into visual light, which is the different colors we see in a thermal image. The blue areas represent the colder spots while colors like red and yellow generally shows the hotter spots (Please note that this could change depending on the thermal camera or the color palette in use). In order to determine whether or not a house is well insulated, thermal images need to be taken from various angles of the house so that accurate analysis can be made. If there are any spots that are unusually hot or cold compared to normal, it likely means that there is an insulation void in that area. Other problems such as electrical problems and termites can also be determined using these thermal images. The colors shown in the thermal images and the temperature are indicators of how serious a problem is and what action needs to be taken in order to fix the problem.

Infrared cameras are most commonly used to determine the temperature and ventilation level of HVAC, which is the main system of the house that determines how well or badly a house is insulated. Having the ideal level of temperature and ventilation level allows the residents to live in comfortable conditions, helping them save costs as energy is being distributed appropriately, which is also good for the environment.

Previously, many different methods like visual inspection of the entire house and smoke and blower door tests have been used to determine insulation voids. Some of these methods are still currently used to check insulation, but the results may not be as accurate and may take more time than using an infrared camera. The emergence of infrared Cameras has made this process much more efficient. The best part of infrared cameras is that in addition to determining which spots have unusual problems, the colors of the image and the temperature helps reveal the extent of the problems.

Save Money With Thermal Imaging

Having an infrared camera makes the process of home maintenance much easier, with accurate data that helps homeowners make decisions while saving them time and money. Insulation is like a blanket for buildings/homes. If that blanket gets thin, worn, or develops a hole, all the heat the blanket is supposed to keep in seeps out. Insulation, especially poorly applied insulation, can similarly wear out over time, causing heat leakages that can drive heating and cooling bills through the roof. Spotting an insulation leak with thermal imaging is now much more affordable for a lot more people, thanks to the development thermal technology.

According to reports from the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling costs have taken up to 50-70% of energy used in the average American household. Many home owners are not aware of this problem and this is the reason the bills are so expensive in some homes. If people start to pay attention to their home insulation and take action to improve insulation, it would be beneficial to the environment due to the lower energy usage and also beneficial to homeowner's wallets.

Perfect Prime has a great selection of Infrared Cameras that can be used to help you maintain the best insulation for your home. Check out our selection here: https://perfectprime.com/pages/thermal-imaging-camera