davidlord Posted April 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 When I ordered the camera the guy at Inspector Tools (Brett I think) said he would charge it so it would be ready to go when I got it. I have been playing with it since Tuesday afternoon and the battery is still above the halfway point on the battery scale. I simulated a whole house scan today on my afternoon inspection and I will simulate a whole house scan on my morning inspection tomorrow. I will let the battery go till it says it needs to be charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bernhardt Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 What I have noticed about the Bcam is that the little battery indicator is useless. When the battery starts dying the thing either starts losing function or dies. The battery indicator serves no useful purpose. Chris, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian G Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 I can't believe they didn't arrange for easy swapping of batteries. That's been common in digital cameras for quite a while. Dumb. Brian G. For the Money You Would Think.... [:-dunce] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 And, it's a NiCad battery. It's not even Lithium Ion. That sort of cheese bugs me. It's why I don't own one (yet). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 The battery indicator serves no useful purpose. It uses current. Who pays for the power to spin the meter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qhinspect Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 I seen a presentation on the internet today about the Fluke TIR and TIR1. In the morning I'm going to go and look at them for my self and likely buy it. Any more thoughts on the TIR davidlord? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qhinspect Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 Got the Fluke TiR and did my first inspection with it. 2100 square foot house, it used one bar out of four. Image Insert: 17.64 KB Picture of my daughter and her cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Carson Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Purchased a Flir BCam SD, battery lasts me one full day. I am able to find things like this light switch on a new home that was missed the previous week by another inspector. Download Attachment: IR_0251.jpg 33.04 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Originally posted by Michael Carson Purchased a Flir BCam SD, battery lasts me one full day. I am able to find things like this light switch on a new home that was missed the previous week by another inspector. Download Attachment: IR_0251.jpg 33.04 KB What was causing the heat? I have seen that on switches for multi-bulb fixtures that did not have the proper ratings for the amount of Watts being used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthomas1 Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Unexpected find of the week for me: checking the floor in front of the dishwasher, caught a toe-kick register that had been covered up by the cabinet installers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Carson Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 I do not have the answer yet on the switch, the uncle is an electrician and I am awaiting his phone call. I will keep everyone posted as to what is found. Originally posted by Scottpat Originally posted by Michael Carson Purchased a Flir BCam SD, battery lasts me one full day. I am able to find things like this light switch on a new home that was missed the previous week by another inspector. Download Attachment: IR_0251.jpg 33.04 KB What was causing the heat? I have seen that on switches for multi-bulb fixtures that did not have the proper ratings for the amount of Watts being used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randynavarro Posted May 11, 2008 Report Share Posted May 11, 2008 Originally posted by Michael Carson Purchased a Flir BCam SD, battery lasts me one full day. I am able to find things like this light switch on a new home that was missed the previous week by another inspector. I don't think the inspector "missed" anything. Purchasing an IR cam doesn't automatically elevate one's expertise over another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Originally posted by Michael Carson I do not have the answer yet on the switch, the uncle is an electrician and I am awaiting his phone call. I will keep everyone posted as to what is found. If those were snap switches, the heat could easily have been caused by loose connections at one or two of the switches. If those were dimmers, that could just be the normal temperature of the dimmer if it's serving a large load. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qhinspect Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Originally posted by Jim Katen Originally posted by Michael Carson I do not have the answer yet on the switch, the uncle is an electrician and I am awaiting his phone call. I will keep everyone posted as to what is found. If those were snap switches, the heat could easily have been caused by loose connections at one or two of the switches. If those were dimmers, that could just be the normal temperature of the dimmer if it's serving a large load. - Jim Katen, Oregon If they were snap switches installed, great call. Just like a traditional home inspection, you see a likely problem and you recommended further evaluation/repair by an electrician. [:-party] I was scanning a basement with my IR camera when I came across a drain pipe that had leaked water. It would have been likely that I would have caught this problem without the IR camera but the IR showed the leak easily and directed me to the crack in the pipe. I don't think the inspector "missed" anything. Purchasing an IR cam doesn't automatically elevate one's expertise over another. I agree with this comment. But you have to love the IR camera.[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidlord Posted May 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 The IR camera is just a tool but it's the coolest HI tool yet. My clients think it's the coolest also. You will eventually need to have it in your bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickSab Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Wow. Most pages on a subject in a long time. Anyone near Chicago? There is a free seminar 5/22 8 am to noon at Renaissance Oak Brook 2100 Spring Road Oak Brook, IL 60523 It's being put on by FLIR. I'm going to see whats new. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBusch Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 I was wondering, do you find if you pull your camera out to help identify a potential problem and your client sees you do it do they typically want you to scan the whole house and everything in it. I'm just afraid it would end up wasting time and causing more issues because now you have to also educate them on what is shown on the screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qhinspect Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 Originally posted by PBusch I was wondering, do you find if you pull your camera out to help identify a potential problem and your client sees you do it do they typically want you to scan the whole house and everything in it. I'm just afraid it would end up wasting time and causing more issues because now you have to also educate them on what is shown on the screen. No. At least from the Fluke, they quickly understand what they are seeing. If you tell them that you use it to help identify a potential problem and nothing more, I can't see why your clients would expect more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBusch Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 I'm just trying to foresee certain types of situations that may arise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qhinspect Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 Originally posted by PBusch I'm just trying to foresee certain types of situations that may arise. Just did an inspection where water seepage was noticed with the IR camera. No visual signs of water seepage or any indication that water seepage would or had occur. Yet the IR just saved me a headache when the next rain comes. Just a note, it has been a week since we had rain. What I was seeing. Image Insert: 10.98 KB What the IR showed me. Image Insert: 11.07 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted August 13, 2008 Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 Those last photos are nifty. You said no rain during the past week, but there had to be moisture beneath the carpet for the IR to display the dark blue seepage, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randynavarro Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 How do you know it was moisture vs. an air leak? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qhinspect Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Originally posted by randynavarro How do you know it was moisture vs. an air leak? I felt the moisture plus the moisture meter pegged off when testing the wood strip holding the carpeting in place at that location but no moisture at any other location against the wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Originally posted by qhinspect Originally posted by randynavarro How do you know it was moisture vs. an air leak? I felt the moisture plus the moisture meter pegged off when testing the wood strip holding the carpeting in place at that location but no moisture at any other location against the wall. So, if you routinely check the base of all of your walls, you probably would have found it anyway without the IR camera using the moisture meter; no? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qhinspect Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 Originally posted by hausdok Originally posted by qhinspect Originally posted by randynavarro How do you know it was moisture vs. an air leak? I felt the moisture plus the moisture meter pegged off when testing the wood strip holding the carpeting in place at that location but no moisture at any other location against the wall. So, if you routinely check the base of all of your walls, you probably would have found it anyway without the IR camera using the moisture meter; no? ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike To answer your question/attack. I seen the dark area with the IR camera, I reached down and felt moisture with my hand. Anytime I think there is moisture from a condensation problem or water leaks, I use my moisture meter to check that area (It also gives my clients something else to see if for some reason the seller argues the point). If that area does show high moisture, I check the surrounding areas with my moisture meter for comparison. I look at all information that is available to me to help determine the possible reason for that moisture to be there and come to a conclusion. In this case, there was not enough information to tell me what the likely problem is. When it comes to the IR camera, I scan the basement and actually found two leaks on the carpeting. The first is from a leaky clean out on the waste pipe where I had to take a cover off to see where it was leaking from and the second is what I wrote above. It was likely that I would have seen the leaky waste pipe but unlikely that I would have seen the high moisture at the picture given above. Since I and my clients were already in that room looking at the walls, outlet and other items, I strongly feel that I would not have seen the problem shown in the picture above. So to answer your question directly; no, I do not routinely check the base of all the walls and unlikely that I would have discovered the high moisture at this location. When I see an area where moisture is likely or is present, I check that area plus the surrounding area to try to get a better understanding of the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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