Commonly Asked Questions and Answers:
Do electrical panels have to be removed to perform an infrared inspection?
Answer: Yes, panels must be removed, and the facility should, if possible, be Operating at normal conditions to adequately determine if there are any “hot spots” that need investigation.
Can an infrared thermography inspection be performed without turning off the power?
Answer: Yes, in fact the Power must be on and as noted the facility should be operating on normal operating conditions.
How do I know if the infrared thermographer is trained and experienced?
Answer: A qualified thermographer will only be accepted by the Insurance providers if they are ITC certified.
Infrared Training center certified to Level I to perform the thermographic inspection and Level II to write the report. The Thermographer will receive a certification number upon completion of the training and it must be listed on their report.
What type of equipment is used to perform an infrared inspection?
Answer: There are various approved Infrared Cameras on the market however they must be accepted by the Insurance Provider which publishes a list of acceptable cameras. PowerSafe uses FLIR E75 and FLIR E95.
Is a licensed electrical contractor required to perform the inspection?
Answer: A Licensed electrical contractor / journeyman electrician is required to remove the covers off the panels as the IR Scanning is performed on LIVE electrical equipment.
Is there any special PPE Personal Protective Equipment Required?
Answer: As the entire work is performed on LIVE electrical equipment there is a requirement for the individual performing the work to wear the appropriate Arc Resistant Safety Equipment for the apparatus they are working on. This is a prime reason for the requirement for a qualified electrical contractor to perform this work.
How often should an electrical infrared inspection be performed?
Answer: IR Scanning should be performed annually to build the trend analysis for predictive maintenance of your electrical system. By reviewing the IR Scan annually, degradation will become evident and corrective action can be performed before a critical failure.