Can a thermal camera detect your hidden heat loss?

It’s like x-ray vision – of heat loss. Last year, web engineer Jamie Matthews bought a thermal imaging camera. And his home in southeast England was about to reveal some of its secrets.

The color images on the device’s small screen quickly revealed how the upstairs hatch had failed him.

“It was really obvious on camera,” he says, explaining that he could see cool areas on the vent, where heat was apparently escaping.

Matthews, who runs a software company that supplies the clean technology industry, also found some other small gaps in the exterior walls and parts of his roof that appeared less insulated than others.

“It’s good fun, and it definitely brings out things that might not be immediately obvious,” he says.

While Mr Matthews has been able to isolate some areas himself, he says he would take a more methodical approach if he was planning any major changes to his home. The web engineer later carried out a professional heat loss survey when he installed a heat pump, for example.

This approach is reasonable, according to researchers in building physics who spoke to the BBC. There are signs that thermal cameras are becoming more popular, as homeowners seek to reduce their heating bills and carbon emissions. Local councils are increasing Allow residents For example, borrowing equipment for free.

But there is no substitute for professional advice if you are planning major actions or interventions, experts say.

Thermal cameras Working with the sensor To detect infrared light, which we can’t see, but can sometimes feel as heat. These devices are not cheap. Mr Matthews spent nearly £160 on his machine, although organizations including local councils and energy supplier Octopus Energy are loaning it out to people for free so they can gain a basic understanding of heat loss in their homes.

Wiltshire Council recently made 11 devices available to borrow from local libraries, along with a short guide on how to use them. There has been “huge demand”, says Ian Blair Billing, so much so that the council now has a waiting list for interested residents.

“Expert advice, combined with a considered approach to thermal imaging results, will give residents the best chance of making informed decisions about energy efficient home improvements,” says Cllr Blair-Pilling.

He adds that small interventions can help people keep their homes warm and reduce the risk of cold-related health conditions.

However, Joe Atkinson, senior advisor on building decarbonisation at research organization Energy Systems Catapult, expressed concern about the increasing availability of thermal cameras: “In my view, the risks are too high to make wrong choices.”

She says it’s possible to misinterpret thermal camera images, noting that if a wall is heated by the sun, a photo of that wall taken from the outside can make it look as if heat is escaping, when it’s not. Reflective surfaces can also appear, misleadingly, to leak heat.

While using a thermal camera as a starting point for understanding your home is “perfectly fine”, according to Ronita Bardhan from the University of Cambridge, it is important to seek independent expert advice when planning any renovation work.

Thermal camera images can make it appear as if some areas of your home are losing a lot of heat, but this may simply be a result of how the camera is calibrated, how the user holds and moves it, and the color palette chosen for display.

Dr Bardhan adds that there is a risk of triggering “retrofit anxiety” among homeowners.

In addition, if people keep changing their insulation, for example, these measures must be taken with as much caution as improper installation It can cause dampness and mold.

North Somerset Council provides thermal cameras to residents on loan, and this scheme is also currently running on a waiting list basis due to its popularity. The Council has done so Published introductory tips About how to use cameras, incl Online video.

The Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) is a charity Highlights of a more detailed guide From the National Home Builders Council, which describes how to use thermal cameras. However, a CSE spokeswoman adds that the organization still recommends people seek expert advice.

“You have to be careful,” agrees Phil Steele, future technology evangelist at Octopus Energy. He explains that thermal cameras can, for example, make the corners of rooms appear too cold, but that’s just a reflection of reduced air circulation in those areas, not an insulation issue.

Octopus Energy has about 500 cameras that it loans to customers each winter. Last year, the company distributed the devices about 3,800 times.

Homeowners using thermal cameras who spoke to the BBC, like Matthews, say they treated the images with caution.

Louise Green, a designer in London, says she read training materials online before using a thermal camera to look for spots of heat loss in the house shortly after she and her partner moved in.

In her case, Miss Green rented the camera from her Library of thingsa community-focused organization that provides various items for people to borrow. The device indicated heat loss around windows and doors in Ms. Green’s home. She and her partner were able to compare the results with their neighbors’ more isolated properties.

“This confirmed what we already knew, but it was still interesting to see, you know, were there any other areas?” She explains.

Darryl Taylor of Flir, a company that makes thermal cameras, says members of the public can access some free training materials on his company’s website.

He adds that Flir aims to make thermal images as clear and easy to interpret as possible – including by combining optical images with thermal images, to add more detail to the final image. He suggests that in the future, Flir cameras may provide machine learning-based instructions and advice as people use the devices.

However, those who know best how to interpret thermal camera images can find unusual hidden problems in a building.

Dr. Bardhan recently took an HD camera to view a house she was considering buying. But thermal images revealed cracks in one of the walls, which were later proven to be signs of subsidence.

“It probably wouldn’t have been revealed unless I walked in and saw it,” she says. Dr. Bardhan decided not to make an offer for the property.