Loading…
7
Had to pick between a $500 thermal imager and a $80 non-contact voltage tester for a tricky fault last month.
The job was a flickering light circuit in an old house in Tacoma. I started with the voltage tester and just got a basic live/dead read. Then I borrowed a buddy's thermal camera and scanned the panel. It showed a hot spot on one breaker terminal that was just loose enough to cause an intermittent arc. The visual heat map showed the exact problem in seconds. So, is a thermal imager worth the big cost for regular troubleshooting, or is it overkill for most residential calls?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
xenas166mo ago
Rent the camera and feel like a detective for a day when your cheap tools fail you.
6
wright.leo6mo ago
Last year in a Portland bungalow, I found a warm outlet the voltage tester missed completely. The thermal camera showed the heat pattern from a bad backstab connection inside the wall. For me, it's a specialty tool I rent for maybe two jobs a year when the simple tools don't cut it. What's your usual move when the basic diagnostics come up empty?
1