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Infrared camera - interpreting results

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I’ve got an infrared camera on loan from octopus which is great! I understand the basics of warm and cold but not sure what’s normal, etc. 

I’ll attach a pick of a room where the window obviously shows blue and colder (brand new window, double glazed) and the wall around it is the same. Is the wall supposed to be that temp, or higher? 

Currently it’s 5° outside and about 14° in my house 

I’m checking because one cavity company told me all the insulation is wet and sunk and another told me it’s totally fine (and he showed me with his camera so more inclined to believe him, but I didn’t know what I was looking at…)

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Comments

  • chris_n
    chris_n Posts: 633 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    You are too far away to get any meaningful information especially with the chair in the way. One thing to bear in mind is the temperature of the glass will not be correct as it is outside the emissivity range of the camera, if you want to check the surface temperature of the glass put some black insulating tape on it and let the temperature stabilise first. Unfortunately for you you would have been better off with the camera when it was really cold outside. 
    Living the dream in the Austrian Alps.
  • Brebal
    Brebal Posts: 45 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 10 Posts Name Dropper
    Ok thanks, well I can get closer and move the chair. Can’t do much about the weather 😂. I’ll try the black tape thing. 

    Wasn’t sure if walls should be showing blue at all… presumably it’s normal for them to be somewhat cooler than internal walls but I don’t really know. 
  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 18,132 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    You'll get cooler air dropping down from the window(s) - This might lead you to an incorrect conclusion.
    Taking shots from outside on a cold, still night would give you a better indicator of heat loss through the walls. Internally, I'd use a camera to look at the ceilings and smaller areas around doors & windows.
    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
  • Ectophile
    Ectophile Posts: 7,951 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    The colours should only be taken as relative indications.  The camera will re-scale them so that the coldest thing it sees is blue or purple, and the hottest thing is yellow or white.
    If it sticks, force it.
    If it breaks, well it wasn't working right anyway.
  • markin
    markin Posts: 3,860 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Heating the house to 18c - 20c to get a bigger contrast and looking outside in would give a better idea. 
  • Brebal
    Brebal Posts: 45 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 10 Posts Name Dropper

    This is from the outside  - 19° inside, 7°outside 



    This is weird? Blotchy patches? (Rear of house and doesn’t show on external photos) 

    It looks cooler in corners of all windows. They’re brand new windows so not sure what I can do about that? 
    All corners of brickwork are cooler too. 



    Looks like draughts under kitchen counters. I’m going to try and get access and check around the pipes. 



  • chris_n
    chris_n Posts: 633 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    Take your pictures square on, the first 1 doesn't show anything. The second would give more detai if square but it looks like an insulation issue. 
    The last two may be down to the space below / behind units not being heated but it's definitely cooler, so may have some air leakage maybe around waste pipes or something. 
    Corners are often cooler as air doesn't circulate as well there.
    Living the dream in the Austrian Alps.
  • Brebal
    Brebal Posts: 45 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 10 Posts Name Dropper
    chris_n said:
    Take your pictures square on, the first 1 doesn't show anything. The second would give more detai if square but it looks like an insulation issue. 
    The last two may be down to the space below / behind units not being heated but it's definitely cooler, so may have some air leakage maybe around waste pipes or something. 
    Corners are often cooler as air doesn't circulate as well there.
    That’s great, thanks. I’ll try again. 

    It’s a good gadget but prob need to know a lot more than I do to work out what’s it telling me! 
  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 18,132 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    chris_n said: Take your pictures square on, the first 1 doesn't show anything. The second would give more detai if square but it looks like an insulation issue.
    And take the images at night (the later, the better). That way, you should avoid the effects of sunlight warming the brickwork.

    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
  • markin
    markin Posts: 3,860 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Also look at all the rads for cold spots signs of sludge.
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