Infrared Training

[robert1966]

Of the HI's that use thermal imaging, what is the best training source for those that are just getting started with it?

[David Meiland]

http://www.thesnellgroup.com/Content/In ... ining.aspx

[Scott Wood]

The Snell Group does now offer a building oriented Level I course that I hear was a worthy thermography course. However, ITC (see http://www.infraredtraining.com/ ) offers a course specifically designed for building thermography, the Certified Building Science Thermography course. I created the class back in 2003, for the instruction in thermography and building science. It is the only thermography class that provide insight and training in both thermography and building science.

[Chris Bernhardt]

Of the HI's that use thermal imaging, what is the best training source for those that are just getting started with it?

It depends on how you are planning to use your camera in your business.

If you just want to use one in everyday HI work and you are already a sucessful HI, then read and understand the operating information that comes with your camera, get a Tramex and a surveymaster and start using your IR cam. After a week or two call a few HI's using IR cams and riddle them with questions.

If you want to do more than just that, then go take one of the expensive IR courses.

Chris, Oregon

[Tom Raymond]

Chris is on to it but he left out one very insightful exercise, scan your own house first. You know your house. Apply what you know to what you see with your IR cam and you'll be able to figure a lot of it out, and you can use the other tools at your disposal to confirm or debunk what you can't intuit.

After that, follow Chris's advice.

[Scott Wood]

Please take care in just reading the operating manual and practicing. Many years ago when I started IR, I had the manual read, weeks of practice then level I training and it still took me many months to become comfortable interpreting the images. Yes, most anyone can find the on/off switch, get a pretty darn good image and figure out what is happening, even the sales reps tell you that but to really understand the camera, tune it and make proper interpretations, training from a competent individual is vital. I’ve provided presentations to many interested in starting thermography and always have many in the audience who had no idea the complexities of infrared thermography. As a home inspector you all know the value of knowledge and its key to a successful inspection. One that the client will not come back to haunt you due to failure performing the inspection effectively. Experience is great, but with necessary training and instruction as well.

[Chris Bernhardt]

When I started using IR, there were no handhelds. You rolled the unit around on a cart and you had to dump liquid nitrogen into the thing to make it work. That was only 15 years ago.

About 5 years ago when handheld IR cams finally got down around the $12K area, I got the hots for them, but even then there were fellas warning of unspecified pitfalls,dangers and liabilty issues, which was strange to me since I was already familiar with and had used IR equipment when I was an engineer.

As far as I can tell, there's been a number of bozo's making unsubtantiated calls. None of the ones that I'm aware of were due to some mistake in interpreting some fine detail difference in the image. They appeared to flat out misinterpret the gross image they were looking at.

There's enough HI's out there now using them that you can get the skinny on what to look out for and what the limitations are.

If your intention is to hang out a shingle to perform some sort of add on whole home IR evaluation, then even I would take the expensive classes to get the silly certification.

Instead of these non-specific warnings, let's be specific about what the problems are.

Chris, Oregon

[Ben H]

Hey Chris,

What does "If your intention is to hang out a shingle" mean?

[Chris Bernhardt]

What does "If your intention is to hang out a shingle" mean?

Sorry, it means to advertise.

Chris, Oregon