January/February 2014 Volume 2 Issue 1
President’s Message – Learning and Leadership Go Together
As part of our commitment to customer service, our personnel are always available to answer questions or provide advice on best practices that will help you achieve maximum benefit from our Infrared Surveys. We continue to improve our website to serve as an information resource.As Jersey Infrared Consultants approach our 30th anniversary, we remain committed to our goal of being leaders within our industry.
Improving the Efficiency of Your Infrared Electrical Survey
While no one argues the importance of performing an Infrared Survey of a facility’s electrical system, this project can sometimes be labor intensive and time consuming. The following are some suggestions to help improve the efficiency of your next Infrared Electrical System Survey.
- Schedule the survey on the “right” day. Be certain qualified manpower is available to open/close electrical equipment, allowing for vacation and training assignments. Verify the electrical circuits to be surveyed will be under normal load.
- Secure access to all areas. Notify all key personnel or tenants of the date of the infrared survey and how their area will be affected. Be sure keys and/or access codes are available for all secure areas.
Prior planning saves time. Refer to the routes, or order in which equipment was surveyed, from past surveys. If unavailable, obtain a list of equipment to be surveyed and its location. Logistics of moving from location to location and any changes in load demands occurring during the day should be considered.- Install Infrared Windows. For a one time installation, the payback will be improved efficiency and increased safety for each survey.
Jersey Infrared Consultants perform hundreds of Infrared Electrical System Surveys each year. Contact us with any concerns or for suggestions on how to make your Infrared Electrical Survey easier and more efficient.
Hearing + Seeing = Infrasonic™ Steam System Survey
Passive ultrasound and infrared thermography are two types of non-destructive testing that provide different, and complementary, information for preventive and predictive maintenance. When inspecting a steam system, the combination of these two technologies provides information that is unmatched in its accuracy.
An ultrasonic translator converts high-frequency emissions generated from the mechanical and fluid flows of steam traps into the audible range where they are heard through headphones and seen as intensity levels on a meter. Testing steam traps with ultrasound can determine if the trap is operating properly and the amount of condensate load.
However, the ultrasonic instrument cannot tell if a trap is cold or blocked. Infrared imaging allows inspection of the thermal patterns of equipment leading to and from the trap, as well as providing a visual image of the cycle pattern of the trap.
When performing an Infrasonic™ Steam System Survey, Jersey Infrared Consultants utilize BOTH technologies to provide a facility with a detailed report of the condition of its steam system. To see a sample report or discuss how an Infrasonic™ Steam System Survey can help your facility, contact us.
Correct Vantage Point for Infrared Building Envelope Surveys
There is no “one size fits all” when planning and performing an Infrared Building Envelope Survey. Whether the survey is being conducted to locate moisture, identify air leakage, or provide an overview for energy certification are some of the first factors to be considered when deciding the vantage point for an Infrared Building Survey. Other factors that should be discussed when planning this type of survey include:
- environmental and weather conditions
- building structure and composition
- line-of-sight access to exterior walls
- budget and time constraints
- most importantly, the goal or purpose of the survey
Contact Jersey Infrared Consultants to discuss information specific to your site and to develop a scope of work that fits your needs.