Why thermal imaging matters
Electrical faults in commercial buildings rarely come out of nowhere. A connection works loose over years of thermal cycling and vibration. A circuit gets more load added to it than it was designed for. A breaker or contactor starts to break down inside. In each case, resistance increases and the component gets hotter, often for months before it finally fails.
Left alone, that heat can end with an unplanned outage, damaged equipment or a switchboard fire. Thermal imaging picks up the problem at the warm stage, when the fix is usually straightforward and can be done in a planned shutdown rather than an emergency. Our article on thermal imaging for switchboards explains the principle in more detail.
What we inspect
- Main switchboards and distribution boards
- Busbars, cable terminations and circuit breakers
- Sub-main and consumer mains connections
- Motor control centres, contactors and variable speed drives
- Mechanical services boards and plant room equipment
- Solar isolators, inverters and battery connections
- EV charging supply equipment and associated boards
How an inspection works
For thermal imaging to be useful, the equipment has to be under normal operating load, so inspections are done while the building is running. Covers and escutcheons are removed so the camera has a direct view of connections and components. Because this involves working near exposed live parts, it is carried out by licensed electricians using appropriate PPE, safe work procedures and a SWMS for the task.
We scan each board systematically, capturing thermal and standard images of anything that looks abnormal. Where possible we record load readings at the same time, because a temperature only means something in context. A connection running warm on a lightly loaded circuit is more concerning than the same reading on a circuit near its rating. We also look for signs of trouble that the camera doesn’t show, such as discolouration, damaged insulation, corrosion or missing covers.
Most inspections can be done without anyone in the building noticing. We coordinate with building management for access to plant rooms and switch rooms, and work around your tenants and trading hours.
The report
After the inspection you get a written report that is useful to facility managers, owners and insurers. For each issue it includes the location, a thermal image alongside a normal photo, the temperature readings and comparison with similar components, the likely cause and a priority rating. Recommendations are ranked so you know what needs to be fixed straight away and what can wait until the next planned shutdown.
Boards with no issues are recorded too, so the report works as a baseline. Comparing results between inspections is one of the best ways to see which equipment is deteriorating over time.
Fixing what we find
Finding a hot spot is only half the job. Because we are licensed electrical contractors, we can quote and carry out the repairs, whether that is re-terminating and tightening connections, replacing failing breakers, rebalancing loads across phases or recommending a board upgrade where the equipment is past its useful life. Repairs usually need the power off, so we schedule them after hours or in a planned shutdown, then re-scan to confirm the problem is resolved.
Some issues point to a bigger picture. If several boards show the same pattern, such as heavily loaded neutrals or one phase running much hotter than the others, the cause may be how loads have been added over the years rather than a single bad connection. In that case we look at the circuit layout and load distribution as a whole and explain the options, from rebalancing circuits to adding capacity, so you can plan the work and budget for it properly.
How often to scan
Many commercial sites scan their switchboards annually as part of a maintenance contract. Sites with heavy loads, critical equipment, ageing boards or a history of problems may benefit from more frequent inspections. Insurers sometimes ask for thermal imaging reports as part of a risk assessment, and some property owners request them before purchase or at lease changeover.
On the coast, humidity and salt air speed up corrosion on terminations and enclosures, particularly in beachside buildings and plant rooms with poor ventilation. That makes regular inspection more valuable here than in many inland locations.
Who uses thermal imaging
We carry out thermal imaging for facility and property managers, strata buildings, shopping centres, offices, hotels, hospitals and clinics, and industrial and warehousing sites where downtime is expensive. Monty Electrical is owner-led, so Stefan is directly involved in the inspections and reports, and you get a straight answer about what needs doing and why.