DOE Recommending Thermography Inspections

[Scott Gilligan, CMI]

Found this page on the DOE site this morning.

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consume.../mytopic=11200

[John McKenna]

I like this part... I use this all the time...

"In addition to using thermography during an energy audit, you should have a scan done before purchasing a house; even new houses can have defects in their thermal envelopes. You may wish to include a clause in the contract requiring a thermographic scan of the house. A thermographic scan performed by a certified technician is usually accurate enough to use as documentation in court proceedings."

[Dennis R. Goudreau]

Thanks Scott

[Brian A. MacNeish]

No ever seems to mention this line:

"Thermographic scans are also commonly used with a blower door test running. The blower door helps exaggerate air leaking through defects in the building shell."

Not only does the blower exaggerate the air leaks but reverses air exfiltration at points that IR won't pick up because the exiting air is the same temperature or very close to the interior drywall temps......therefor the exfiltration points are missed. Also with IR you cannot quantify the the extent/amount of air leakage and what the potential is for improvement......Is the house a sieve with high potential for air sealing savings or is it quite tight......in which case, move on to other issues.

[David P. Valley]

Is this type of IR scan patented also?

[Jason Kaylor]

The blower door with an infrared camera is also required for EnergyStar energy audits. We have had a ton of people calling in about getting set up for this type of energy audit.

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[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by dvalley

Is this type of IR scan patented also?

Not by me!!!

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by Brian A. MacNeish

Not by me!!!

Ya know I was joking, right?

[Barry Adair]

won't be equivalent to a blower door but closing all fireplace flues (don't make this mistake unless you want a cleaning bill) and turning on all hvac fans and all exhaust fans, kitchen, bath, laundry... will create enough negative pressure to reveal most thermal infiltration anomalies during a home inspection as long as there is a good enough indoor outdoor difference in temp

not talking air leakage, energy audits, just breeches in framing and insulation issues...

agree that blower door is optimal

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by dvalley

Ya know I was joking, right?

Yep! But might be worth looking into it! There's money to be made. Have you been paying your IR fees to that other HI company?

[Barry Adair]

Originally Posted by Brian A. MacNeish

Yep! But might be worth looking into it! There's money to be made. Have you been paying your IR fees to that other HI company?

i'm using my IR patent fees to assist with the bailouts

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by badair

won't be equivalent to a blower door but closing all fireplace flues* (don't make this mistake unless you want a cleaning bill) and turning on all hvac fans and all exhaust fans, kitchen, bath, laundry... will create enough negative pressure to reveal most thermal infiltration anomalies during a home inspection as long as there is a good enough indoor outdoor difference in temp

Yep! Unless it's a very loose house......then you won't be able to generate very much indoor negative pressure.

not talking air leakage, energy audits, just breeches in framing and insulation issues...

*Don't forget to turn off all combustion heating sources also.

[Barry Adair]

Originally Posted by Brian A. MacNeish

*Don't forget to turn off all combustion heating sources also.

that's why i said hvac fans

should have been fans ONLY, ok

way to early to be pickin'

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by badair

that's why i said hvac fans

should have been fans ONLY, ok

way to early to be pickin'

OK!!!! OK!!!! Just didn't want some newbie pulling combustion gases into the house.