Inspection of electrical equipment with infrared technology is one of the most effective preventative measures one can take to avoid system failures and worse, electrical fires. In fact, insurance companies require these inspects of your systems whenever you wish to renew your fire insurance policies with them. You can do infrared inspections on equipment such as electrical switchboards, high-voltage distribution equipment, motors and corresponding controllers, transformers and other control panels

 

With the use of thermal imaging technology inspectors can find what we call “hot connections”, which will show up sharply on camera in red and white-hot colours. Over time your electrical connections oxidize, which increases its electrical resistance. That resistant area will grow hot from the current passing through it, which poses a fire hazard and a risk of electrical failure. 

 

Causes of these hot connections can also be due to bad connections, overloaded circuits, broken strands in copper wires, unbalanced loads in the system, running an open circuit, and short circuits. By using a thermal imager to detect these problems early on and fixing them, you can avoid a total shutdown of your grid, saving you money on overall maintenance costs and avoiding surprise downtime.

 

Infrared electrical inspections also allow you to better plan and schedule your maintenance so you’re not simply reacting to problems as they arise. By inspecting your equipment on a regular basis you can determine which equipment is in urgent need of replacement and which are minor enough to be scheduled for a later date. This also allows you to balance and plan your operation costs, spacing out repairs to elevate financial strain.

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