Thermal Cameras to Detect Heat Loss - Any Advice?

blitz on 10/05/2023 - 08:32

G'day OzBargainers!

I'm in the market for a (cheaper) thermal camera. We're concerned about losing heat in the house, and we'd like to know where it's going. Our use case, then, is to detect heat loss in our home. For example, I've seen cameras like the following:

I know prices can go into the thousands, but I don't think I'm ready to pay that much. Anyone have any experience with anything like this?

Electrical & Electronics Thermal Imaging Camera

Comments

  • Mokr on 10/05/2023 - 08:36
    +5

    Use a inceness and smoke first

    Or one of those infrared pointer temp things

  • MS Paint on 10/05/2023 - 08:43
    +1

    If it's just for a one off use then hire a quality camera for 24 hours.

  • jjjaar on 10/05/2023 - 08:45
    +2

    Some councils have this tech at their library to hire. Definitely check out nearby councils to see if you can hire one.

    • kaleidoscope on 10/05/2023 - 09:23

      I did look into this last year and the reserve list was about 20 and i was like meh 😂. For my area it was not the council but the library though

      • CodeXD on 10/05/2023 - 10:38
        +2

        Could have been your turn by now if you had reserved it!

        • kaleidoscope on 10/05/2023 - 12:05

          you’d think? 😝
          I’d rather hire a unit for a day at cost which is about $100/day afaik and you get the flir professional models.

      • deme on 10/05/2023 - 10:41
        +3

        not the council but the library though

        The council runs the library!

  • kaleidoscope on 10/05/2023 - 08:49

    for single use hire a professional or may be get a flir model that fits your phone and sell it on marketplace after use

  • payless69 on 10/05/2023 - 09:49

    Buy one with the best sensitivity, 40 mili Kelvin they make interesting party topics if somebody pees standing and it will show droplets on pants and even walls of your dunny.
    Having both a visible and IR camera helped us to prove that one fella down the road kept sending his dog to poo in our yard every night. Council was happy with footage and fined him as the dog was not registered and a restricted breed.

    • rumblytangara on 10/05/2023 - 11:30

      How did the dog know to run over to your property by itself to poo?

      • payless69 on 10/05/2023 - 12:20

        Been a while and everybody around is happy now that the owner of the dog left.
        My expensive Flir brand has just 70mk the newer 40mk versions can even detect break in events on door handles for over 10 minutes.

  • FoxJump on 10/05/2023 - 10:57

    i bought a second hand flir one for usb-c android a few years ago. fun for a while, now it just sits in the wardrobe until next year when we'll need it again.
    nb: i couldnt use it to tell if toddler had fever at night :(

  • glitch23 on 10/05/2023 - 11:29
    +1

    I just bought a Topdon TC004 off eBay for $324.72.
    Excellent build quality with 2.8" LCD, 256 x 192 high resolution and 20hz update.

    Main reason for buying was for pest control inspections and checking electrical / computer equipment for potential issues.

  • JIMB0 on 10/05/2023 - 12:25
    +1

    An IR heat gun is cheap and can still give you a good idea about what's going on with regards to insulation. Running all your exhaust fans while checking around with a wet hand can help find most drafts.

  • Malik Nasser on 10/05/2023 - 12:31

    If you are going to use one of those thermal imaging cameras, having a basic understanding of thermodynamics will help in interpreting its output.
    Heat energy transfers from hot to cold (so hot items/fluids give their energy to cold items/fluids).
    As such if you are in the hot area (inside), you will want to be looking for darker colours (as they are the ones giving their heat energy away, and falling in temperature in reference to their warmer surroundings).
    If you were to use it in the cold area (outside), you will want to be looking for the brighter colours (as they are the ones absorbing the heat energy, and raising in temperature in reference to their colder surroundings).
    By playing around with it a bit, you should be able to figure this out (a bit of trial and error).

  • mskeggs on 10/05/2023 - 13:05

    I got a uni-t model from AliExpress for about $200 a year or so ago.
    Pleased with the price and performance. Compares favorably with the FLiR models from 5 years ago.
    Worth it to me as I can share it with family and friends, and use it in different seasons.

    That said, you can get 80% of the benefits with $30 of foam tape to block drafts around windows and doors that you can feel on a windy day.

  • blitz on 10/05/2023 - 18:34
    +1

    Thanks indeed for the comments, everyone. This is very helpful. We have good insulation, double glazing and no drafts (though those techniques look very helpful). We're mostly concerned about insulation batts having been moved or eaten (e.g. mice in the past) and settling/gaps in in-wall insulation.

  • patrioticpickle on 02/07/2023 - 22:07

    Also looking to get a thermal camera to look for potential leaks in a new house build.

    Found the Mileseey Range on Ali which look good. Looking at the TR256E which is around $320. And looks nearly identical to the one OP linked above.

    They have a entry level one for $220 ish that looks alright too.

    Anyone have experience with these?

    • blitz on 03/07/2023 - 12:24

      I'm still looking and thinking about this problem. I haven't yet bought a thermal camera, but I'm also considering the Ali ones like the one you mention. Gough Lui has posted a very, very thorough review of a Topdon version here (similar config to the one you mention):

      https://goughlui.com/2023/03/12/review-topdon-tc004-handheld…

      Most importantly for me, his review features pics of what the actual display looks like (e.g. resolution and definition).

      • patrioticpickle on 03/07/2023 - 18:41

        I did look at that model but was significantly more expensive than the TR256E but looks very similar as you said.

        I ended up getting the Vevor off eBay for $289 or something from what appears to be the official seller. They're $329 on their website directly and he wouldn't budge below $289 despite me sending 3 offers on eBay.

        https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/354302166773?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mk…

        I still think the TR256E is a better unit as the resolution is higher, but I didn't want to wait for postage

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