New Xmas toy - thermal imaging camera

dr_bogenbroom

Hi,

I treated myself to a Topdon thermal imaging camera that attaches to my phone to help me locate cold spots. It’s a lot of fun!

My front door area/hall is always freezing and I took this snapshot:

Is this likely the causes of the lack of ability to heat this space? It’s a wooden door with a small single glazed window, and on the right is stained glass but with an extra pane on the outside. 

Thoughts appreciated!

Happy new year. 

saveallmymoney

I see a door that isn't particularly insulated in itself, but also air leakage around it especially at the bottom which is likely to be the main issue.

dr_bogenbroom

saveallmymoney said:

I see a door that isn't particularly insulated in itself, but also air leakage around it especially at the bottom which is likely to be the main issue.

Ok that’s what I thought. I can’t convince the Mrs to replace the door as she loves it, so I want to try and improve it for now as much as possible and in the future try to convince her a vestibule would improve the heat retention.

This is what is at the bottom of the door currently:

Is there anything else I can add here to make an improvement? We do have a curtain over the door but it doesn’t make much difference to be honest.

FreeBear

dr_bogenbroom said: Is there anything else I can add here to make an improvement? We do have a curtain over the door but it doesn’t make much difference to be honest.

The thermal image is showing cold spots along the upper half of the frame on both sides - This suggests that the door and/or frame is warped. Draught excluder tape might help to cut the heat loss. You also have another cold spot to the right of the door - Letterbox ?

Even although I have a porch with a decent double glazed door & windows, the door separating it was just a regular timber affair with single glazed panels. Replaced it (along with the adjacent side window) and it immediately cut heat losses and draughts. Money well spent in my opinion. The added security of multipoint locking is a bonus.

twopenny

To go really MSE look back to the past.

Door curtains, heavy ones. There is a bracket that will fit to the door so the curtain moves with it and as you go out it will still cover the door and keep heat in.

I used a curtain pole and rings because it looked quite nice. Curtain comes down in summer.

Tried various letter box covers but what worked best was stuffing a scarf or somesuch into the box. It would push out when the postmand called

Then there's the door sausge to fit along the bottom - though I found towels fitted better to really keep draught out. Easy to make something flexible in trendy fabric to fit floor to door in L shape.

Try going round the door from inside and out with a piece of paper stuck in the gap and see if it's not a tight fit. There are all sorts of draught excluding tapes around.

The best I found for a back door was a metal strip with a rubber bit that you tack around the frame on the outside and it's flexible enough to fit tightly every time you close the door. Not a draught got through that.

Albermarle

It is often difficult to keep a hallway warm, especially in a bigger, older house, as the heat will go up the stairs. Plus in a busy family house, the door may well be open many times a day and not every body thinks to close it properly behind them, if they are just popping out to the car etc .
So insulating the door better will probably only help to a degree.

dr_bogenbroom

FreeBear said:

dr_bogenbroom said: Is there anything else I can add here to make an improvement? We do have a curtain over the door but it doesn’t make much difference to be honest.

The thermal image is showing cold spots along the upper half of the frame on both sides - This suggests that the door and/or frame is warped. Draught excluder tape might help to cut the heat loss. You also have another cold spot to the right of the door - Letterbox ?

Even although I have a porch with a decent double glazed door & windows, the door separating it was just a regular timber affair with single glazed panels. Replaced it (along with the adjacent side window) and it immediately cut heat losses and draughts. Money well spent in my opinion. The added security of multipoint locking is a bonus.

Did you replaced the timber door and frame with the single glazing and what did you replace it with?

Chickereeeee

dr_bogenbroom said:

Hi,

I treated myself to a Topdon thermal imaging camera that attaches to my phone to help me locate cold spots. It’s a lot of fun!

My front door area/hall is always freezing and I took this snapshot:

Is this likely the causes of the lack of ability to heat this space? It’s a wooden door with a small single glazed window, and on the right is stained glass but with an extra pane on the outside. 

Thoughts appreciated!

Happy new year. 

Aha, I was considering getting a Topdon one. Which one/resolution did you get?

I am interested in looking at the outside walls of my house, rather than the inside. Does it work for that purpose? The specs on some I have seen say it should be a meter or so from what you are measuring (so engines and the like).

(And yes, I have looked at renting/borrowing, but to no avail).

dr_bogenbroom

Chickereeeee said:

dr_bogenbroom said:

Hi,

I treated myself to a Topdon thermal imaging camera that attaches to my phone to help me locate cold spots. It’s a lot of fun!

My front door area/hall is always freezing and I took this snapshot:

Is this likely the causes of the lack of ability to heat this space? It’s a wooden door with a small single glazed window, and on the right is stained glass but with an extra pane on the outside. 

Thoughts appreciated!

Happy new year. 

Aha, I was considering getting a Topdon one. Which one/resolution did you get?

I am interested in looking at the outside walls of my house, rather than the inside. Does it work for that purpose? The specs on some I have seen say it should be a meter or so from what you are measuring (so engines and the like).

(And yes, I have looked at renting/borrowing, but to no avail).

256 x 192 - it’s the TC002 for iPhone. I’m not sure on max distance but I imagine it’s not that far. I’ve tried it outside but quite close so I can’t comment on how it would do for large chunks of a house. It is a lot of fun though I’m fairly nerdy.

FreeBear

dr_bogenbroom said:

FreeBear said:

dr_bogenbroom said: Is there anything else I can add here to make an improvement? We do have a curtain over the door but it doesn’t make much difference to be honest.

The thermal image is showing cold spots along the upper half of the frame on both sides - This suggests that the door and/or frame is warped. Draught excluder tape might help to cut the heat loss. You also have another cold spot to the right of the door - Letterbox ?

Even although I have a porch with a decent double glazed door & windows, the door separating it was just a regular timber affair with single glazed panels. Replaced it (along with the adjacent side window) and it immediately cut heat losses and draughts. Money well spent in my opinion. The added security of multipoint locking is a bonus.

Did you replaced the timber door and frame with the single glazing and what did you replace it with?

uPVC door & frame. Hallway seems much brighter now which is another bonus.

silvercar

These look interesting. Though I'm not sure I can justify the price tag. I really need to find a few friends to get together and share.