Information about heat leaks. Nowadays, saving energy in housing is an increasingly important issue. Not only does this concern saving money - after all, we are facing ever-rising gas prices - it is also good for the environment. If the right corrective measures are introduced, they will improve the living comfort of the home.
The IR heat camera is a highly useful tool for detecting heat leaks in a home. The energy coaches at LeudalEnergie have been using Peak Tech 5610 (220x160pixels) Infrared cameras supplied by Pedak Metrology of Heythuysen for several years. Maaike Godschalk’s extensive knowledge of infrared measuring technology has been of invaluable help to us.
The ideal conditions for detecting heat leaks from a home are when the outside temperature is zero and the home is being heated in the usual way. Heat reflections must be avoided. For example, if the camera operator stands in the wrong place a heat patch might show up in the image.
Examples of heat leaks
In photo 1 we can see that the cavity wall insulation above the door is less effective than it is in the rest of the wall. Heat is also escaping through the garage door.
Photo 2 show us that a lot of heat is escaping from below the window.
Photo 2
In photo 3 you can see that there is a lot of red below the gutter across the width of the house. This is a sign that the cavity wall insulation has collapsed and sunk. The fact that the windows appear almost white is a clear indication that they are leaking heat.
Photo 3
For further information, please contact us. We will be happy to help.
Text: Jan Vossen, LeudalEnergie Sustainable Energy Cooperative
