Thread: Thermal Imaging Camera Recommendation

In an efford to add more value to my inspection services, I am considering purchasing a TIC, but I would like to keep my cost to a minimum. Are the cameras priced in the $2,000-3,000 effective? Any brand to avoid? Do some manufacturer offer a trade up program?

Any information would be greatfully appreciated.
Jack

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Jack,
Several company's out there will lease a Flir for about $300 a month. Try them out before buying. You might also want to make sure you don't add liability to yourself by interpreting the information from a picture with the proper training. This can be pretty expensive. One of the local guys in the Dallas area uses an IR camera and has a Mechnaical Engineering Degree. I would just like one to use while hunting.

Jack,

The training itself is about $1,500 or more. Used to be anyway.

You will want a decent infrared camera, which likely means spending somewhere around $5,000 and up for the camera.

Traing so you can say you are "certified" plus the cost of a decent camera....say 7,000.00

That is a lot of inspections before you even start to make money. Will it get you more work????? Could not tell you but I can say this. I have never been asked by anyone if I do IR imaging. Now if you advertise such will it get you more work ?....Who knows. I can tell you this. Many in my area include IR imaging for free or next to nothing added on to a home inspection. Some do imaging as a seperate business and advertising but then I guess you have to add those advertising costs and suc. Now when you finally make your money back for all that it will be time to get a new camera and you will be lucky to get half the price for your used camera.

That is only at a 5000 dollar camera. Many are paying 10,000, plus marketing plus, plus, plus.

I have tried to warrant adding a camera to my bus but once again....Never ever asked by anyone in all the period of time IR cameras have been out in all the years and thousands of inspections.

Getting into energy audits as a side business may be the way to go. Then you can add the service to home inspections for a small additional fee and also use it in the energy audits. One concern there....Now you need training for energy audits. The money keeps going up.

Personally I have used an IR camera on many occasions and really do not see the hype for training at all. Of course here comes all the IR freaks about to beet me up for saying such an outlandish thing. Fact is..You will learn quite quickly to read what you see. Just don't point it at a wall for a client until you figure it out. Use it daily for some time on all your inspections. Bring it to every inspection.....Training is eliminated. Now start using it to make money.

I received a Level II Infrared Thermographer Certification from the Infraspection Institute - $4000.

Purchased the Flir B-Cam - $4999.

Just starting to pay off, but will be a long time to pay for itself. Some have said that the decided to use me to inspect their homes because of my certifications. It appears that this certification may be one reason for their choice of inspectors.

Most important if you are to perform infrared inspections is the training. I am comfortable with the level of training I have, but continuing training is important too.

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

Traing so you can say you are "certified" plus the cost of a decent camera....say 7,000.00

That is a lot of inspections before you even start to make money. Will it get you more work????? Could not tell you but I can say this. I have never been asked by anyone if I do IR imaging. Now if you advertise such will it get you more work ?....Who knows. I can tell you this. Many in my area include IR imaging for free or next to nothing added on to a home inspection. Some do imaging as a seperate business and advertising but then I guess you have to add those advertising costs and suc. Now when you finally make your money back for all that it will be time to get a new camera and you will be lucky to get half the price for your used camera.

That is only at a 5000 dollar camera. Many are paying 10,000, plus marketing plus, plus, plus.

I have tried to warrant adding a camera to my bus but once again....Never ever asked by anyone in all the period of time IR cameras have been out in all the years and thousands of inspections.

Getting into energy audits as a side business may be the way to go. Then you can add the service to home inspections for a small additional fee and also use it in the energy audits. One concern there....Now you need training for energy audits. The money keeps going up.

Personally I have used an IR camera on many occasions and really do not see the hype for training at all. Of course here comes all the IR freaks about to beet me up for saying such an outlandish thing. Fact is..You will learn quite quickly to read what you see. Just don't point it at a wall for a client until you figure it out. Use it daily for some time on all your inspections. Bring it to every inspection.....Training is eliminated. Now start using it to make money.

Agree completely.... I've never even heard it mentioned. I think there's a market for it but it's not as part of a HI.

Come to think of it... I remember reading around here a couple years ago that within a few years any HI without a camera would not be working and that the entire industry was headed in the direction of thermal imaging.

Anyone care to step up to the plate and comment? You know who you are

IR will bring out some funny things in your inspection...

A real geyser

Best

Ron

I've been using IR in my inspections for about 6 months and do feel it helps get me work. I don't charge extra for the IR scan. I have LEVEL 1 certification and do recommend that any one using a IR camera get the training. The more I use the camera the more confortable and experienced I get. I am also finding work doing scans for other trades. I do find that I have to educate clients about it uses as most haven't heard of IR use in residential inspections.

I charge extra if a person wants an IR survey with a home inspection. I also do mold testing and the camera is great for finding leaks inside walls, ceilings, etc.

Again training is most important! You can use an IR camera w/o training and see problems, but when to report them is the key.

If you see a warm or hot breaker in a panel, knowing when to report it is a must. You may be reporting a suspected defect that is not a defect.

Level I is qualitative training - determining temp ranges
Level II is quantitative training - determining if the temp is within range of the device being evaluated.

It's the difference between reporting a defect or reporting what appears to be a defect but is not.

For home inspections a person w/o training may be correct in their evaluation most of the time, not necessarily all the time.

Also, if you ever are called to justify your reporting or misreporting in a court, who stands a better chance of defending your own actions? Is it the one who doesn't have a certification or one who does? .

The common thread in this post is training. Go to Free IR (Infrared) Inspector Training Offer | HomeSafe Training Institute | IR Training and Certification for Home and Pest Inspectors . Shameless plug. I'll be teaching the hands on segment in the Pittsburgh area. The free part isn't for ever so if you are interested register now, the classes are filling up.

Bruce

I have a new $4995. Toughcam ir thermal camera, very nice, easy to use (gently used for about a month). My son decided not to do home inspections and become a Real Estate agent! I will let go of the excellent camera for $700.00 less ($4295.00) so I don't have this one just gathering dust. email is yourhomexpert@gmail.com

link for camera is

http://www.infraredca...merasinc.com/Thermal-Cameras/Handheld/ToughCam_EL_handheld_thermal_camera.html

See More


Toughcam Handheld Thermal Camera
Infrared Cameras Inc - (IR) Infrared Camera & Thermal Imaging Infrared Solutions, Systems, & Thermography Training

Originally Posted by Jack Wingo

In an efford to add more value to my inspection services, I am considering purchasing a TIC, but I would like to keep my cost to a minimum. Are the cameras priced in the $2,000-3,000 effective? Any brand to avoid? Do some manufacturer offer a trade up program?

Any information would be greatfully appreciated.
Jack

The New FLIR This thing is bad-ass... The Highest Thermal Imaging Resolution in Its Class With 307,200 pixels at 640 × 480, FLIR T640 and T620 cameras give professional thermographers the highest thermal resolution and sensitivity for the best-looking images and most accurate temperature measurements. Coupled with dual 5 megapixel digital cameras, you'll get the sharpest visible light and thermal images you need to create the most effective documentation. See the results jump off the screen.

FLIR T620/ T640 Infrared Cameras Features

One thing you will find out about what ever camera you by. Your going to want a better camera the next week. AND THATS A FACT...Sorry... The first thing your going to see is that you want to do other thing with your camera but the cheap peace of crap you have will not do the job.

If your going to be inspecting for another 10 years then go buy FLIR new camera and every time you pick that thing up your going to say to your self this is a nice camera. I have been doing many thing with my BX320 its a work horse of a camera. Next month I will start doing my first Military Job. Now when I got my first camera I would have never, ever had in my mind that i would be work for the Military... But I'm glad i have a camera that can do the job... I will be after this new FLIR Camera within 2 years.

Best

Ron

I got certified and went FLIR all the way. Like the camera and enjoyed the training. Learned a lot and I am confident in my ability to use the camera properly.

Definitely need certification for the camera. Total - spent about $4700 and even got an extra lense & extra batteries.

I decided to add thermal imaging to enhance my inspection business and to set me apart from those that do not over this extra service. I believe in knowing what I am talking about so I did get trained and certified, it is worth it to say I am trained, it builds confidence in the clients I deal with. Does it work, yes. I have found things that would otherwise go unnoticed. Is it paid for, no, it takes,time to get people to realize the importance of going the extra mile. Will it pay off, yes, as you educate more people about the benefits it will become important to them. The issue I see with it is the more inspectors who decide to get into thermal, especially without the proper training, will reduce thermal imaging to just another tool in the Bag and not set us who know what we are doing with them apart from the rest. If you decide to go thermal take it seriously and do the inspection industry a favor, get trained and be professional.

Unless I can get the numbers to work I have a hard time justifying spending $10,000 to get into Thermo Imaging. By the time the training and camera are paid for it will be antiquated technology. Until the costs drop or the consumers start asking for it, for our company Thermo Imaging is neat technology but not something we need to compete in our marketplace.


//Rick
Pacific Crest Inspections servicing Oak Harbor, Wa. offers home inspections in Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom and Island Counties, Washington.

I did the FLIR camera and got certified in their Building Science IR class. It has been a great tool (yes, you'll want a better one in 6 month), but the certification has seperated me from the other HI's who just have cameras. I even get higher prices than "the competition". Contractors hire me to track down their water intrusion problems.
Check your local market to look at the competition. Hopefully, there is a spot for a certified, experienced IR Thermographer. Then you can make money and pay for the training and camera.