Thread: Infrared camera

Thinking about buying one..please share your experiences as I am just getting into the lingo.... I looked on this forum too..I guess for ease of use I should get one with a memory card to change the card with photos and insert it in the laptop instead of using cables...

Anything on the sensors for moisture investigations and electrical audits?

I am looking for people that actually use a certain model to know whta are the cons and pros to get a feeling of what I want..Sometimes you don't get the bang for your buck if you spend extra money...

I am somewhat familiar with the computer world

TIA

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Originally Posted by Joao Vieira

Thinking about buying one..please share your experiences as I am just getting into the lingo.... I looked on this forum too..I guess for ease of use I should get one with a memory card to change the card with photos and insert it in the laptop instead of using cables...

Anything on the sensors for moisture investigations and electrical audits?

I am looking for people that actually use a certain model to know whta are the cons and pros to get a feeling of what I want..Sometimes you don't get the bang for your buck if you spend extra money...

I am somewhat familiar with the computer world

TIA

JV: Ron Bibler is the one to rope into this conversation. Send him a private message and wake him up. Things get pretty slow down on his ant farm and he dozes off from time to time.

I'm curious about these IR cameras. Should one have formal training before using one in business?

I know they can do great things in the hand of competent users. On the other hand, if one doesn't know what they should, the errors could be costly.

Originally Posted by John Dirks Jr

I'm curious about these IR cameras. Should one have formal training before using one in business?

Absolutely yes!

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Absolutely yes!

I share what Jerry said on this matter if you want to be a "pro" and stand on a court of law as an expert witness...thing is you are not an expert if you don't have That special training or years of experience. technology changes very fast so your cert needs to be current and all those years of experience sometimes don't matter if you are using equipment for which you are not really qualified..... most certs in these days need to be updated every so often for a reason: to refresh one's brain and to keep up with technology/industry updates...

I think I saw somewhere here in the forum that some manufactures included in the price a class and cert to use the equipment..

tx Miller...will IM Ron Bibler

Joao/John,
I will be happy to answer any questions you guys may have....I have been a home inspector for 13 years now. I wrote a business plan on IR back in 1999 but we were just too dang busy back then. The company came to be in 2005 and it has been a fun ride since. If you will be at the Casey O'Malley conference, I will be speaking there on IR which might help you allot. I actually have experience with most of the cameras as we rep for almost every brand.

Not sure where you guys are out of but we will as well be teaching IR at the ASHI NY conference and the ASHI Atlanta Conferences in September and then again at Inspection World in Jan 2010

I will send you a Private message and you can let me know how I might be able to further help...

Oh yeah, on the training thing, Email me and I will forward you a funny video that tells you why training is important...


Peter

Proper and certified training is needed to understand how to use IR. I have been using IR for 4 years. The certification class I attended is a 40 hour class. IR is a great tool to use but like the rest of the equipment we utilize you have to know the limitations of the equipment and the operator.

With the equipment I have located and been able to notate issues that would have been missed by conventional methods.

Currently the use of IR is patented and requires licensing from the company that holds the patent. HomeSafe Services in Oxford, MS holds the patents and licensing for the technology in the use of. You can view their website to see the patents and the process to be properly trained and licensed. HOME | Infrared Home Inspection | HomeSafe Home Services

Agree with comments Terry says except for last paragraph....

The use of IR is NOT patented and does not require licensing as stated.

Google Flir Homesafe Patent

You may also call any infrared camera manufacture as to the validity of this claim.

Originally Posted by Terry Wilson

Proper and certified training is needed to understand how to use IR. I have been using IR for 4 years. The certification class I attended is a 40 hour class. IR is a great tool to use but like the rest of the equipment we utilize you have to know the limitations of the equipment and the operator.

With the equipment I have located and been able to notate issues that would have been missed by conventional methods.

Currently the use of IR is patented and requires licensing from the company that holds the patent. HomeSafe Services in Oxford, MS holds the patents and licensing for the technology in the use of. You can view their website to see the patents and the process to be properly trained and licensed. HOME | Infrared Home Inspection | HomeSafe Home Services

Has anyone patented the use of a computer for writing home inspection reports? I may have to jump on that one.

Perhaps you should consult an Intellectual Property Rights Attorney and not the InterNACHI chat board for your legal opinions. I assure you that the Process / procedure patents have been granted.

Yes the camera manufacturers offer a familiarization program for each of their various cameras and some are better than others. I have found that most are geared to industrial thermography and aren't in depth enough for home inspection.

As a home inspector, you understand what it takes and the training you have gone through to be competent in your profession. By using IR you are adding a very useful tool that is completely subject to your interpretation. Is that dark glob on the ceiling wet, missing insulation of just cold air? You have to know and / or verify with other equipment to be sure. My moisture meter is just as important as my camera.

Hope that helps
Bruce

Hello Everyone....I have not posted here before, but I thought the topic was important enough to provide some additional info. This attachment outlines the various specifications that determine an IR camera's capabilities. This will allow anyone to better understand the specs that are important and which are not.

For disclosure purposes, I am a HomeSafe franchisee, but I am not posting this information in an effort to sell cameras, etc. This document was put together internally to help those interested in buying a camera understand the various factors involved. The cameras used for comparison in this document are our own, but it really doesn't matter. The definitions of the various factors are very helpful and you can 'plug in' any camera you want for comparison purposes.

Think of it this way, 2 diamonds with the same cut, clarity, and carat weight are just about the same regardless of their source or 'brand name'. IR cameras are somewhat similar in that there are factors that definitely matter more than others and they are easily compared once you know which are most important. Just make sure to get an apples to apples comparison on any group of cameras you are looking to buy.

In summary, buy the best camera you can afford and ensure it meets the capabilities required for residential inspection.

Let me know if you have any questions.