Unpopular opinion: I thought those $40 thermal imaging attachments for phones were just a gimmick until I found a hot spot in a panel that my regular meter missed.

Honestly, I was ready to return it after a week, but it flagged a loose neutral on a 30 amp circuit in a Denver apartment rewire last month that felt normal to the touch, so has anyone else had a tool surprise them like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliver7192mo ago

My Flir One caught a hot spot in a panel last year that was just 5 degrees over ambient. The regular IR gun read normal because it averaged the whole surface. That extra detail is what makes the difference.

rosek441mo ago

Wait, how far off was the IR gun reading when you checked that same spot? I mean, if both tools are looking at the same thing and one says normal while the other flags it, then which one do you actually trust for safety inspections? Seems like the Flir gave you a heads up way before things got serious, while the gun just let you keep walking past a problem. That difference in detail might be the reason you didn't end up with a fire or a fried panel down the road.

the_oscar2mo ago

My buddy's thermal camera found a tiny leak in his attic.