ELECTRICAL THERMAL IMAGING

Non-contact thermal imaging surveys with zero downtime.

We provide live fixed-wire testing for panels, distribution boards and connections – avoiding the need for costly down-time.

NHBC Preferred Supplier
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CAA Approved Drone Operators
  • Covid-19 Secure: iRed® is compliant with latest government guidance, including hand-washing, social distancing and PPE for on-site working

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Find faults and reduce risk with electrical thermal imaging inspections

Reduce Risk

Our thermal imaging surveys remove the need for any contact during electrical inspections.

Lower Energy Costs

We help lower annual bills by identifying poor connections – even in over-populated cabinets.

Fulfil Insurance Requirements

Our thermal imaging reports are fully certified, and can be used for buildings and contents insurance.

UK’S LEADING PROVIDER OF THERMAL IMAGING SURVEYS

iRed® is the largest independent thermal imaging consultancy in the UK. As the preferred supplier for NHBC and leading home-builders nationwide, you can trust that your building is in safe hands with us.

Electrical Thermal Imaging

FAULT-FINDING

Find out where you’re exposed – without interrupting business

Reduction or failure within electrical infrastructures can have far reaching consequences creating unnecessary downtime and long term financial impact.

Our friendly team of experts use thermal imaging cameras to undertake live, fixed-wire testing for panels, distribution boards and connections – avoiding the need for costly down-time.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Reduce energy costs by detecting and predicting electrical faults

By detecting faults and poor connections early, electrical thermal imaging can avoid costly down-time and expensive repairs.

Our surveys also include a repeatable point-inspection, analysis and comparison – providing a cost-effective solution for annual maintenance and fire risk assessments.

Discover your riskiest assets and find out where you’re exposed – without interrupting business

Non-contact thermal imaging surveys for routine maintenance and fault-finding.

What We Find

  • Faulty Panels

  • Loose Connections

  • Phase Imbalances

  • Overloaded Systems

Where We Find It

  • Fuse Boards

  • Distribution Boards

  • Control Panels

  • Switch Rooms

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“iRed’s professionalism is apparent in both their approach to the client on site and to the report production aspect which is delivered in an easy to understand and visually pleasing format.”

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“As a business, iRed have proved their worth time and time again. The professionalism of the office staff, united with engineer know-how of thermographic engineers is a formidable team.”

Trevor May, EMCOR
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 “iRed have proved themselves to be very flexible in fitting in with our policies and procedures, the engineers have been very efficient and I have been impressed with the final presentation of the results.”

Paul Harding, NHS

TRUSTED BY OVER 2,500+ CUSTOMERS

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Certified Inspectors

We’re proud to have the largest team of certified category 2/3 thermal inspectors in the UK.

Nationwide Surveys

We’re proud to be trusted by over 2,500 customers across a broad range of industries nationwide.

Latest Technology

In partnership with FLIR and DJI, we only use the very latest commercial inspection tools and sensors.

3 SIMPLE STEPS FOR BOOKING YOUR SURVEY

STEP ONE

GET YOUR FREE ESTIMATE

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Simply fill in our free estimate form and we’ll send you back a free estimate the same day.

STEP TWO

THERMAL IMAGING SURVEY

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We start our pre-survey checks 24 hours before the survey, keeping you updated along the way.

STEP THREE

YOUR DIGITAL REPORT

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Our industry-leading reports are delivered within 3-5 days, signed off by qualified thermographers.

Questions? Call our team on 01243 370 296 or email [email protected]

We’re approved and accredited

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We’re proud to maintain a number of accreditations, certifications, awards and affiliations from national and global organisations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Any object with a temperature above absolute zero (-273.15ºC) emits infrared radiation. The higher the temperature of the object, the greater the intensity of infrared radiation.

Infrared technology is designed to detect the intensity of radiation given off by an object. Once detected, a thermal camera creates an image of the object – based on the radiation it emits. This image is rendered using artificial colours, turning invisible radiation into a visible image.

Once captured, thermal images can be analysed to establish patterns and interruptions. For example, a loose connection in an electrical circuit or heat loss in a commercial building.

Thermal cameras cannot take accurate readings without adjustments. Factors such as reflectivity and emissivity must be changed to collect reliable information.

Accreditation verifies that a thermographer can:

  • Operate an infrared camera
  • Collect accurate temperature data
  • Create reliable thermal inspection reports

Our thermographers are accredited by both the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing and the Awarding Body of the Built Environment. In addition to this, we have PCN Category 2 and 3 thermographers who are approved by the UKTA to conduct BREEAM surveys.

iRed is CHAS Accredited, Cyber Essentials Tier 1 Certified, CAA Approved and ISO 9001:2015 Certified.

The wide use of computers and solid state electronic devices in the workplace has resulted in an increase in the presence of destructive harmonics that pervade electrical distribution systems. And whilst efforts have been made to reduce the problem, they are still ever present.

Harmonics are usually attributed to non-linear loads connected to electrical distribution systems and where present are likely to cause problems such as:

  • Circuit breaker tripping (circuit downtime)
  • Blown fuses (circuit downtime)
  • Overheating motors (reduced motor life)
  • Overheating transformer windings (reduced transformer life)Overheating neutral conductors (fire risk)

Infrared thermography cannot detect harmonics, however, it can detect the secondary effects of harmonics, as significant harmonic activity will result in electrical distribution equipment operating at elevated temperatures.

In recent years international standards have moved to limit the use of equipment that cause high harmonic interference, the primary standards being BS EN 61000-3-2 and the IEC 61000 series. Nevertheless, harmonics still remain a problem today due to the significant legacy of older electronic equipment still in use.

Simply put, nothing. Electrical thermal imaging surveys are a highly effective way to undertake preventative maintenance for facilities management and identify defects between electrical inspection and testing. Infrared cameras, when in the hands of a trained thermographer, can yield extremely useful and reliable thermal data. When in the hands of an untrained thermographer however, mistakes can often be made.

Incorrect readings and results are often due to one of the following:

Missing Objects

Thermal imaging cameras cannot see through things – they are not x-ray cameras. Infrared cameras will only detect radiated heat from an object that’s being observed. Without a direct line of sight, faults can often be missed.

Misreading Reflections

Reflections are common in everyday life – the most common example being a mirror. When considering infrared radiation, polished and shiny surfaces (such as metals) will often reflect more. In terms of thermal imaging, this means that when standing in front of a metal surface, chances are that hotspots seen with an infrared camera are a reflection of heat from your own body. This misreading can often be confused as a fault, and can lead to costly and unneccesary rennovations.

Not Surveying Under Load

Without load an electrical system will not generate any heat. Without heat, no faults will be visible to a thermal imaging camera. Whilst this may seem obvious, it’s an extremely common mistake when carrying out electrical thermal imaging surveys.

Incorrect Settings

Unfortunately, thermal imaging cameras are not point-and-shoot. So many factors affect the output including the nature of the subject, the ambient surroundings, the range of temperatures detected and even the choice of colour palette. Emissivity, for example, is the capacity of an object to emit infrared radiation. There are several factors that can affect emissivity, so understanding its importance and how it works will ensure you don’t yield incorrect results.

Thermal imaging as a non-invasive inspection tool has been introduced into the latest IEE Wiring Regulations guidebook.

The updated regulations highlight the effectiveness of electrical thermal imaging inspections, expressing how it can be used to identify defects that can not be located with just a visual inspection. This is one of the reasons why thermal imaging inspections are ideal for facilities management.

The regulations also recognise that the isolation of an electrical supply, especially in public buildings and offices, can often be difficult. The regulations go on to say that some regulations simply cannot be discovered by a visual inspection alone. For example, incorrectly tightened connections can cause a high resistance joint which can ultimately cause a high temperature to occur locally to the connection. If left uncovered, further deterioration of the connection may occur, resulting in a continuing increase in temperature that can present a high risk of a fire.

Fortunately, thermal imaging cameras can be used to identify these hot spots, loose connections and even-load balancing.

Why people and companies choose iRed®…

Other companies

  • Not qualified to national standards

  • Not qualified for thermal image analysis

  • Insufficient company insurance

  • Low-resolution thermal cameras

  • Little to no image explanation or analysis

Why companies use iRed®

  • Our inspectors are accredited to ISO 18436 / ISO 6781 standards

  • Comprehensive reports certified to Level 4 standards

  • £5m Public & £10m Employers liability insurance

  • Highest-resolution thermal imaging cameras in the UK

  • Aftercare troubleshooting and advice

Ready to get started?

Book your thermal imaging survey today

Questions? Talk to one of our experts on 01243 370 296* and we’ll help you find the best solution for your project.

*Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm