Level I Certification Process

[kweiss]

Originally Posted by gromicko

99.5 % of the skills needed to be able to use an IR camera properly during an inspection comes from being able to perform a proper inspection and nothing to do with the camera itself. You have to know where to aim the camera and what you are aiming at.

Home inspectors have a vast, wide knowledge and understanding of the thing their inspecting (the home), just like medical doctors understand the human body.

A level 1 scalpel school could probably teach me to use a scalpel in 2 days, but would you have me perform surgery on your body? Hell no. The course would be totally useless to a non-doctor because 99.5% of the skills required to properly perform surgery have nothing to do with using the scalpel....just like a Level 1, or 2, or 3, or 57 course on IR cameras is totally useless to non-InterNACHI members.

There is good reason for www.infraredcertified.com requiring membership in InterNACHI FIRST....

..... www.nachi.org/rigorous2006.htm

I have to disagree with this, and really see it as an unhelpful advertising or self promotion post.

At least as I read Dan's question and as an inspector who uses IR. Apllying IR to a home inspection certainly requires good knowledge of home inspection. But USING IR, understanding heat transfer, analysing the infrared images all REQUIRE specific training in Infrared. The training that an experienced HI gets in any competent IR certification course will teach them those things. Dan is an experienced HI and that will allow him to apply them, that was not the question or pertenent to the discussion.

[Kevin A. Richardson]

Originally Posted by gromicko

99.5 % of the skills needed to be able to use an IR camera properly during an inspection comes from being able to perform a proper inspection and nothing to do with the camera itself. You have to know where to aim the camera and what you are aiming at.

Home inspectors have a vast, wide knowledge and understanding of the thing their inspecting (the home), just like medical doctors understand the human body.

A level 1 scalpel school could probably teach me to use a scalpel in 2 days, but would you have me perform surgery on your body? Hell no. The course would be totally useless to a non-doctor because 99.5% of the skills required to properly perform surgery have nothing to do with using the scalpel....just like a Level 1, or 2, or 3, or 57 course on IR cameras is totally useless to non-InterNACHI members.

There is good reason for www.infraredcertified.com requiring membership in InterNACHI FIRST....

..... www.nachi.org/rigorous2006.htm

I think you are just trying to elicit a response!! Because that is the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time.

There are a lot of Inspectors here that lurk behind the scenes (readers not posters) that may look to you for advise. You are doing them a disservice by making such comments.

Kevin

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Well said both Kevins!!

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Originally Posted by krichardson

I think you are just trying to elicit a response!! Because that is the dumbest thing I have heard in a long time.

There are a lot of Inspectors here that lurk behind the scenes (readers not posters) that may look to you for advise. You are doing them a disservice by making such comments.

Kevin

99.5 % of the skills needed to be able to use an IR camera properly during an inspection comes from being able to perform a proper inspection and nothing to do with the camera itself. You have to know where to aim the camera and what you are aiming at.

Kevin and Kevin

How is this statement wrong?

Flir/ITC Has a 3 day Building Science certification course for Thermographers that addressess precisely the above statement made by Nick!

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Originally Posted by Brian A. MacNeish

Well said both Kevins!!

Clueless in Nova Scotia.......again.

[jbettencourt]

I have to disagree as well Nick, we have all seen X-rays, ultrasounds, MRI's etc. The images are cool but we don't have the slightest idea what they mean. The doctors and techs do because of a combination of training in the human body and the technology. The same holds true for Thermal Imaging in my opinion, I took John's course and I believe it is a great intro. However after aquiring a camera and practising with it for a while I quickly understood the need for more in depth training on the science behind the camera. I understand the building and its components but it is very easy to misread the image being displayed by the camera, is the annomily that you see a true emitted image or is it a shadow or a reflection etc. That comes with learning about the science and understanding the thermal properties of different materials and how they act in certain conditions. These are not just a fancy digital camera or moisture meter, they can make an untrained person look very foolish and add liability just as quick as it can make you look like the hero and limit liability. Thats my opinion.

[Kevin A. Richardson]

Originally Posted by jbettencourt

I have to disagree as well Nick, we have all seen X-rays, ultrasounds, MRI's etc. The images are cool but we don't have the slightest idea what they mean. The doctors and techs do because of a combination of training in the human body and the technology. The same holds true for Thermal Imaging in my opinion, I took John's course and I believe it is a great intro. However after aquiring a camera and practising with it for a while I quickly understood the need for more in depth training on the science behind the camera. I understand the building and its components but it is very easy to misread the image being displayed by the camera, is the annomily that you see a true emitted image or is it a shadow or a reflection etc. That comes with learning about the science and understanding the thermal properties of different materials and how they act in certain conditions. These are not just a fancy digital camera or moisture meter, they can make an untrained person look very foolish and add liability just as quick as it can make you look like the hero and limit liability. Thats my opinion.

Very well said!

Kevin

[Kevin A. Richardson]

Originally Posted by mkyriacou

Kevin and Kevin

How is this statement wrong?

Flir/ITC Has a 3 day Building Science certification course for Thermographers that addressess precisely the above statement made by Nick!

Mario,

You have just taken a portion (first half) from his post and quoted it. Re-read the entire comment again.

I'm referring to the second half of his comments:

A level 1 scalpel school could probably teach me to use a scalpel in 2 days, but would you have me perform surgery on your body? Hell no. The course would be totally useless to a non-doctor because 99.5% of the skills required to properly perform surgery have nothing to do with using the scalpel....just like a Level 1, or 2, or 3, or 57 course on IR cameras is totally useless to non-InterNACHI members.

There is good reason for www.infraredcertified.com requiring membership in InterNACHI FIRST....

This is just another "ra ra" promotion from Nick plugging Infrared Certified. Which is OK, but to suggest that "less" training is somehow better than more formal and complete training is not very good logic.

Level I, II, and III courses are WAY more than just "IR Cameras" and to state that these courses are totally "Useless" to non-InterNACHI members is stupid.

C'mon.....

Kevin

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Originally Posted by krichardson

Mario,

You have just taken a portion (first half) from his post and quoted it. Re-read the entire comment again.

I'm referring to the second half of his comments:

This is just another "ra ra" promotion from Nick plugging Infrared Certified. Which is OK, but to suggest that "less" training is somehow better than more formal and complete training is not very good logic.

Level I, II, and III courses are WAY more than just "IR Cameras" and to state that these courses are totally "Useless" to non-InterNACHI members is stupid.



C'mon.....

Kevin

Kevin,

I will allow Nick to respond for himself, however IMO I interpret the latter part of Nick's comments as his way of driving home his point!

How was your Level 3 training? Congratulations!

BTW I will be taking my Level 2 in Dec. with Flir/ITC.

[David A. Andersen]

These are not just a fancy digital camera or moisture meter, they can make an untrained person look very foolish and add liability just as quick as it can make you look like the hero and limit liability. Thats my opinion.

And a pretty good opinion at that!

Just surf around the web that all the IR sites and you will see a whole bunch of nothing out there depicted as something that it is not. Fortunately for us, the majority of the good IR sites that exists are affiliated with this association (inspectors and vendors alike).

This site is an invaluable resource of dedicated individuals willing to pass on their training and experience. That in of itself provides some of the the "experience" that is necessary beyond the formal training and certification process.

You guys keep up the good work and keep us thinking!

[Nick Gromicko]

Here is the course home inspectors should take instead of Level I: http://www.infraspection.com/courses...inspector.html or take John McKenna's or take one that is specific to home inspectors.