I HATE NICE WEATHER!

Technorati Tags: cold weather,save money,energy loss,weatherization,thermal,infrared scanning

I’m kidding right?

As I sit here in SoCal, enjoying another balmy 80+ degree day, it is hard to believe that the cold weather will soon be upon us.  We are already getting a taste of it.  The night time temperatures are dropping into the low 50’s and rain is predicted for the end of the week with temperatures in the low 60’s during the day.  I guess that is our version of winter.  I have spent time (10 years) in the Sierras where it is already getting below freezing at night.  Soon there will be snow on the ground up there.

Why do I hate nice weather? (from a business standpoint)

Although we have all become accustomed to “another day in paradise” climate living here in Southern California, it does get cold and nasty now and then.  That is when my Thermal-Diagnostics business really takes off! After the last rain we had a few weeks ago, I booked three thermal inspections to find moisture leaks. That is one of the mainstays of my business at my MagicLeakFinders.com website.  I do a lot of this type of Infrared Scanning and I’ve been very successful at finding the leaks that other can’t.

How does this work?

Infrared has the ability to “see” in a different wavelength of light or radiation that the human eye cannot. Due to the physics and thermodynamics of various materials, the camera can see the heat differences between wet and dry materials. 

 

Here are a couple of examples of wet roofs.

Infrared scanning is not only for roof work though. I can find moisture intrusion inside the house as well.  Many times moisture does not leave any visible signs on the walls or ceilings but the infrared camera cannot be fooled. It will “see” the damp areas due to the heat difference created between the wet and dry materials.

Condensation is a problem.

There is a physical property of air called its “Dew Point”.  The dew point is the temperature at which moisture contained in air will condense (change state) and become liquid rather than vapor. 

If warm, moisture laden air, comes in contact with a cooler surface that is at the dew point temperature for that humidity level, it will change state from vapor to liquid.  This is what causes the condensation on the inside of your windows and on that cold drink glass.  Okay, so how is that a problem you ask?  Condensation on the windows can run down and pool on the sills and other parts of the window causing wood rot or other damage.  It’s the condensation in other, unseen places that is the bigger problem.  If you have a central heating and cooling system, during the cooling season, un-insulated or improperly insulated metal parts of it can get cool enough to cause condensation on them.  This can drip down and saturate building insulation or soak through sheetrock ceilings damaging paint and causing stains and is a target for mold.  during the heating season, leaky joints in the ductwork can introduce warm, moist air into the attic, causing moisture to condense on the cooler portions of the attic framing and roof deck. One big problem I often find is bathroom exhaust fans being vented into the attic rather than to the exterior.  Big No-No!

Where does this moisture come from?

We provide it by just living in the house! It comes from cooking, bathing, even breathing. We actually pump a significant amount of moisture into our own environments.  In the “old days” when houses were not as well sealed as they are today, the natural air changes that occurred due to leaky windows, doors and general construction flaws pretty much took care of this problem for the most part.  Now we are all about being “energy efficient” and we have created a whole new problem, the “tight house”.  The air changes that used to occur naturally do not happen and we now need to create them artificially with proper ventilation systems. When you exhaust air from a building, it creates a negative pressure difference inside the house. This increases the flow of cold, outside air into the house though poorly weather sealed windows and doors.  While you are paying to heat or cool your house, Mother Nature is fighting you!

The laws of thermodynamics tell us that heat always flows toward cold.  If you are heating your house, the heat is trying to get out to where it is cold.  If you are cooling your house, the heat is trying to get back in.  By using thermal infrared scanning, Magic Leak Finders can locate those air leaks so you can seal them up and save some money.  The money you save on energy bills can often cover the costs of using the service within a few months.  After that, it’s all gravy!

Contact Dana at MagicLeakFinders.com or call me at 818-470-3909

Big Electrical Scanning Job

Technorati Tags: thermal,infrared,planned maintenance,predictive maintenance,medical infrared,veternarian,energy savings,electrical infrared scanning

One of the many uses for Infrared Thermal Scanning is in the area of electrical systems. Thermal-Diagnostics just completed a large job for a Logistics company in Whittier, CA

The Job

Starting with a 750KVA transformer on the exterior of the building:

On through the main panel;

And to the various sub panels:

and Step-down transformers;

A fire pump system;

and an emergency diesel generator, I must have walked two miles to cover it all.

This was a typical electrical fault scan required for fire insurance rating by one of their customers.

The value of Thermal Scanning in a Preventative Maintenance program.

Thermal scanning has been a staple in the PM and PdM fields (Planned maintenance & predictive maintenance)  It is one of the tools used, along with ultrasound, vibration analysis and laser alignment to keep a factory's equipment running at top performance and to maintain reliability standards.

In a recent White Paper on PdM, an example was given of using IR Scanning to monitor the chain drive conveyor system in a GM V-8 engine assembly plant.  In the example, a bearing was spotted that was showing thermal indications of incipient failure due to lack of lubrication. Cost of "pro-active correction" = $80 for labor and materials.  Projected cost of allowing it go run to failure worked out to be over a million dollars in labor, materials and lost production!  Now, you tell me IR inspection it too expensive!

How can this be applied in a "residential" environment?

Thermal Scanning is not just for commercial or industrial applications. Its benefits are just as valid for a residence. Possibly more so since they often do not get the attention of a professional crew of maintenance personnel, working full time. Residential maintenance is more often "reactive" rather than pro-active, unfortunately.

Thermal Scans for Residential Properties:

• Moisture intrusion from plumbing and roof leaks.
• Missing or miss-installed insulation.
• Dangerous Electrical faults / fire hazards.
• Energy Loss scans for air infiltration/exfiltration & missing or damaged weather stripping.
• Failures/faults in embedded radiant heating systems.
• HVAC system air leaks and damaged or blocked condensers.
• Insect infestations. Got bees in your walls? I can see them!
• Concrete block wall (CMU's) grout missing.

Infrared is also used in Medical and Veterinarian diagnosis settings.  Did you know that a Medical Thermal Scan can detect breast cancer as soon as 10 years earlier than a conventional mammogram? 

Veterinarians use Thermal Scanning for horses, to diagnose soft tissue damage that does not show up on an X-Ray. 

The thermal scan will quickly show areas of excessive blood circulation (inflammation) or lack of blood flow due to soft tissue injury sustained by the animal.  Their only tools before the introduction of IR was observation and palpitation (physical manipulation). There are even training courses being offered to Thermographers now to learn this niche application of Infrared use.

Visit my Infrared related websites here:

Thermal-Diagnostics  &  Magic Leak Finders

GOT SHORTS?

I'M TALKING ABOUT ELECTRICAL SHORTS!

Short circuits, overloaded circuits, faulty breakers, over-fused panels and damaged wiring are one of the main causes of house fires.

According to the US Fire Administration, during a typical year, home electrical problems account for 67,800 fires, 485 deaths, and $868 million in property losses. Home electrical wiring causes twice as many fires as electrical appliances.

Most electrical fires result from problems with "fixed wiring" such as faulty electrical outlets and old wiring. Problems with cords and plugs, such as extension and appliance cords, also cause many home electrical fires.

In urban areas, faulty wiring accounts for 33% of residential electrical fires.

Many avoidable electrical fires can be traced to misuse of electric cords, such as overloading circuits, poor maintenance and running the cords under rugs or in high traffic areas.

The problem is, that you may never notice the problem lurking there, ready to flash into flame until it actually does. This is where Thermal Infrared scanning comes in. A thermal camera actually "sees" heat, not visible light like your eyes. Here is an example:

This is what an overheated wire looks like to the IR Camera

By scanning the home, including the main electrical panel, sub panels, outlets & switches and other electrical components, you can spot problems that can then be diagnosed by an electrician and corrected before it burns your house down.

During my regular "visual only, general home inspection" I often find older, outdated panels, a very old style of wiring called "Knob & Tube" and a lot of "homeowner" style additions to the electrical systems. These are all huge red flags! Older, outdated panels and knob & tube can prevent you from getting fire insurance in many cases. It is statistically proven that an under powered house of less than 100 amps of service is much more likely to have overloaded circuits. There may only be 4-6 circuits for the whole house with only one outlet in a room. (current requirements, in comparison, are for at least 7 circuits just in a kitchen alone)

Where are you going to plug in your big screen TV, the game system plus lamps, electrical heaters, computers, toaster oven etc. etc. You can see how it is so easy to overload that one plug by adding an extension cord or a multi-plug adapter to get more places to plug all this in.

Does this look familiar? This would add up to about a 30 amp draw on this 15 amp circuit! (not counting the "kitty" night light LOL)

Is your house still on glass fuses? That's like from ancient times! Back in those days they printed "In God We Trust" on the penny because people would place them under burnt out fuses to make the circuit work until they remembered to replace the fuse, if they ever did. This, in effect makes the circuit wire the fuse. Not a great idea. Red hot wires inside wood walls or in the attic with cardboard boxes stacked over them or, better yet, covered with insulation, is a great way to "remodel" the house a bit sooner than you had planned. This of course would be a "full, foundation up" job since that is all that would be left.

Have I convinced you that an IR scan for electrical problems of your house might be a good idea?

Dana Bostick Magic Leak Finders

Got Leaks?

GOT LEAKS?

I CAN HELP YOU FIND THEM!

Water leaks into your house can be a real pain! They can result in mold, wood rot, damaged paint and finishes, destroyed furniture, warped flooring and more. All amounting to potentially thousands of dollars in damage and repairs.

I am amazed that people actually know about an existing leak but do not actually do what is needed to locate and stop it. At least not effectively.

The last three Thermal Infrared Inspections I have done were to locate leaks that had gone on for years! One was a rather large medical office building that had been fighting roof leaks into examining rooms (making them unusable) for two years. They had several roofers out to find the leaks and make repairs. In a matter of a few hours, I located the source with an Infrared scan done from the interior and on the roof, marked the spots for repair and solved the ongoing problem to their satisfaction.

Another was a large three-building condo project in the Marina. Their problem had been going on for 11 YEARS! THIS IS TRULY NUTS! Two hours of work with my Thermal Infrared camera, combined with my knowledge of building science, revealed the problem to be located in some deteriorated flashing on the side wall of an upper floor that could not be reached except by erecting scaffolding. Infrared really does see what the naked eye cannot. The scan showed moisture saturation behind the wood exterior siding that they were not even aware of. I was able to show them the probable path the water was taking to get inside and show up where it eventually did. The entry point was over 20 feet away! No wonder they could not find it! "Roofers don't do siding". They had spent many thousands of dollars having a new "spray-on foam" roof installed in an attempt to resolve this ongoing problem. WRONG WHY!Unfortunately , leaks are often, incorrectly, attributed to a roof when the the roof is not the problem. "The right why leads to the correct solution" Infrared scanning, if done by an experienced operator, can produce the "right why" in many cases.

A final "case study" I will give is sort of funny. In this case, the homeowner had been fighting a leak problem for several years by doing his own diagnosis and then throwing a ton of money at the solution he though was the right one. He had a two story house with single story extensions on both sides. There were french doors onto these lower sections that were decks. He had correctly diagnosed that the decks were the source of the water but just not the exact right place. he spent many thousands of dollars putting new, high-tech" deck coatings on them only to have the leaking continue. He was rather upset to say the least. He called me out to do an Thermal Infrared scan to try to locate the problem. Now here is the funny part. I didn't even need the infrared scanner to locate the leaks! He was paying for the scan so I did "wave the camera around" a bit and verify the location of the moisture intrusion in the ceiling of the living room. I even found one spot he did not know about since it did not show up visually but was there on infrared and verified by moisture meter. His real problem was those damn french doors! (Side Note: they are almost always a problem) They had been installed without proper "pan flashing" under the threshold and they were too low, almost flush with the exterior deck level. Any exterior door needs to be installed properly, with at least 1-2 inches between the the bottom of the threshold and the deck/slab. They should have pan flashing under the threshold that prevents any water from moving to the interior and directs it back out doors. Once I had explained this concept to him, he saw where the true problem lay and resolved to have the doors properly re-installed.

So when you have a leak, it may not be coming from where you think it is! Get a Pro in to determine the "exact right why" and you have a good chance of handling the problem the first time.

Dana Bostick Magic Leak Finders