Infrared

Acuity Engineers, Inc. is a consulting firm performing Infrared Scans for owners, tenants, buyers, investors, insurance companies and lending institutions. Images from an infrared camera indicate thermal anomalies (NOT water!) that enable Acuity to focus directly on potential problem areas. Acuity Infrared scans are typically "packaged" with the following Assessments:

Building Assessments take into consideration conductive losses as well as convective losses due to pressure differentials. Air leakage is particularly severe in commercial buildings due to the nature of their construction and mechanical equipment; however, in residential structures, air leakage sites include plumbing, wiring, chimney chases, ductwork, overhangs and valences, as well as kneewalls and interior partition walls. When air leakage is controlled, insulation effectiveness increases and energy consumption is reduced.

A partial roof replacement, based on isolated damage that has been identified with Infrared Scans, may save thousands of dollars versus an unnecessary total roof replacement. The primary costs associated with roof failures include:

• Excessive energy consumption due to reduced insulating value of wet insulation;
• Losses due to water leakage into the building;
• Damage to the roof membrane and the structural roof components caused by trapped moisture within the roof assembly;
• Loss of salvage value of the roof insulation at the time of membrane replacement due to wetness and resultant deterioration.

Mechanical Assessments are conducted based upon a technique called 'thermal mapping' whereby a series of comparative thermal images of a mechanical system details changes in the system during operation, over time, or compared to similar machines. The process of rebuilding motors is also aided by thermography. Specifically, it may be used to inspect the stator core as it is subjected to a low voltage, high current loop test, which induces heating in any shorted iron.

Refractory insulation assessments are essential because as the refractory erodes, the surface temperature increases whereby the metal shell of the structure may fail due to high temperatures. Preventive maintenance, tank levels, insulated piping, steam traps, heat exchangers, subsurface pipe and leak detection, and hydraulic systems are additional areas where thermography is an excellent tool to diagnose problems or verify information.

Electrical Assessments are performed to determine abnormal heating due to high resistance or excessive current flow before failure and subsequent damage occurs. Furthermore, measuring the temperature of a troubled component may be useful in determining the cause and severity of the problem or in managing a successful repair. In addition to preventive maintenance, benefits of assessing electrical systems include:

• Increased safety
• Improved system reliability or uptime
• Reduced unscheduled outages or downtime
• Reduced repair costs
• Reduced maintenance costs
• Improved production rates and quality
• Quality assurance of new installations and repairs