Thermal Imaging Devices

[Rudy]

On another thread, there was a discussion about using a thermal camera to locate the floor heat tubes prior to drilling anchors.

There are stand alone units....and some as cheap as $200 that fit on the bottom of your smartphone. It'd be handy to have around the wash....to check the electrical panels and motor bearings for heating.

Does anyone have experience with a particular model or brand?

 

[mac]

I got with another tool promotion one for under $100. Besides the cool factor I use it mainly for electrical wiring issues. Any loose connection will eventually start to heat up and then take out something downstream.

 

[Ric]

I used a $20 IR thermometer from Harbor Freight to locate floor heat lines.

 

[Rudy]

The problem with the $20 IR thermometer.....temperature variations at the surface can also be due to the different hydronic heating tube depths.

For peace of mind, I just ordered a FLIR One Pro. I was able to get a deal online for $300. I should be able to see EXACTLY where the lines are located. In addition...electrical panels, motor bearings etc. can be checked easily around the car wash.

Could you imagine nicking a heat tube...looking into the hole and saying, "I can't even begin to imagine the horror that is ahead of me as I have to fix this......?". You'd pay most anything (after the fact), to have things back to what they were.....

 

[copperglobe]

"I can't even begin to imagine the horror that is ahead of me as I have to fix this......?". You'd pay most anything (after the fact), to have things back to what they were....."

I agree!

 

[Eric H]

"I can't even begin to imagine the horror that is ahead of me as I have to fix this......?"

I choose very different words when I did this. You must be a very relaxed person to have that reaction.

I have had my eye on a Flir one Pro for a long time. i just haven't been able to convince myself that I need it. i've gone this far without it but it sure would be nice to have. I hope you report back on how well it works.

 

[wash4me]

I have an infrared camera and sometimes we shut off four of our six bays if it’s really cold and after they were shut off I checked and one bay was showing flor heat on and I was able to diagnose a bad valve that I never would have discovered.

 

[wash4me]

I have used a point and shoot IR thermometer and it’s much more difficult to tell where the lines are. We also discovered that there was a whole apron on one side of the wash that was heated for like 20 feet out and we would never have known. We turn it off in most cases which saves a lot of gas.

 

[washnvac]

I have a flir one for ios. Works great with an iPhone or iPad. Used it to located broken floor heat tubes, and to avoid drilling floor heat when reinstalling or moving anchors for treadles and rails. I was able to get it for less than $200 when Zoro had coupons and flir was not restricted from promotions; as it is now. The only thing I do not like, is a short battery charge. I get maybe 20 minutes, before it has to be recharged. (The device does not pull power from the phone or iPad)

 

[Rudy]

This is the first trial run with the FLIR one Pro. It's above freezing here, so I had to turn the floor heat stat up. It let it run for about 10 minutes....and this is a picture of the bay adjacent to the equipment room:

View attachment 1089

 

[spotwash]

I purchased a Flir One Pro that plugs in my phone. $400 on Flir website. It works great.