Infrared imaging, sometimes called thermography, combines technical knowledge with specialized equipment as part of a home inspection to help identify problems “trapped” in the walls, ceilings and floors.

Moisture, perhaps leaking through a section of the roof or from a plumbing leak, can leave a “cooler” spot on the camera imaging allowing the inspector to alert you to a smaller issue before they become bigger problems.

Look at the image below and notice the “cooler” spot as it is running down the inside of the wall towards the ceiling, which was an air conditioning refrigerant leak. The refrigerant leak was not visible or had not seeped through the drywall. However, it was clearly visible to the infrared camera and with other tools such as a pro-meter (moisture detector), which was reading high. We were able to catch this problem on this fairly new home so the builder can have it corrected and the owner will not continue to loose refrigerant and experience higher energy costs.

Photos courtesy Peter Zipp © 2006
Photo shows refrigerant leak found in the wall of a fairly new home.