As the modern-day plumber evolves, so does their tool kit. Technological advances are revolutionising the way a plumber and heating engineer works. Thermal Imaging is one practice that every modern-day plumber and heating engineer should consider.
Here at KANE, we have a long history of providing high-tech tools to help plumbers and heating engineers. That’s why we are delighted to be able to offer the KANE-TCAM. Our first foray into the thermal imaging market.
WHAT IS THERMAL IMAGING?
Thermal imaging cameras convert thermal energy (heat) into visible light and illustrate it on a screen. Most objects emit heat, this includes mechanical equipment, making them visible to thermal devices – even in the dark. Thermal imaging cameras are precise and they only require a small amount of heat to work. Making them ideal for fault finding.
As humans we make use of visible light to be able to see. Whereas thermal imaging cameras use infrared thermal radiation to capture and evaluate heat being absorbed, transmitted or reflected. The hotter an object is, the more radiation it will emit to the environment. A thermal imaging camera is capable of differentiating heat sources and miniscule differences in thermal radiation. It accumulates it into a heat map distinguished by different heat levels.
WHY WOULD I NEED A THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA?
With thermal imaging, gone are the days of guesswork. Through simple point and shoot technology you can quickly and efficiently find system faults at the push of a button.
DETECT INVISIBLE LEAKS
Easily detect things that the human eye cannot – saving time and money in the process. For example, a customer has a leak coming through the ceiling (or under the floor), in the past you would have to excavate an area to find the source, often getting it wrong. Take out the presumption with a thermal imaging camera.
UNDERFLOOR HEATING
Another handy use is to pinpoint underfloor heating circuits. You can effortlessly see a gap in the pattern of the pipework, suggesting that there may be a blockage or leak. Or see a potential flaw in the surrounding insulation where the pipework is heating the earth rather than the room itself.
BLOCKED PIPES & RADIATORS
They are especially handy to be able to show your customer when a pipe or radiator is blocked – highlighting the need for a power flush.
Some more reasons why:
• Confirm heating system cold spots, showing which parts don’t work correctly
• Highlight old system inefficiencies, showing variable heat distribution in each room
WHAT’S THE COST?
The KANE-TCAM is priced at £549 exVAT, offering great value for the high specifications – especially when comparing it to alternative manufacturers.
A thermal imaging camera should be seen as a great investment. It will not only save you time but allow you to earn more money. See here for more information: https://www.kane.co.uk/launch-kane-tcam