DIY Home Energy Audit with an IR Camera

A tour of the interesting things I found while inspecting the house with an infrared camera.

[@sagebias2251]

These cameras are $200 on Amazon nowadays.

[@frnkjones40]

Not exactly. There may be some at that price but not a Flir E4

[@TheLookingOne]

Can these be used to determine the heating and cooling loads of houses in order to size of the heat/cool system? Can these be rented?

[@LesWilhelm]

Not really. The thermal camera can tell you the surface temperature of an object but it cannot tell you how much energy it took to get it to that temperature. You would need the mass and thermal properties of the object to determine what heat load it received. Heat loads for any given house also change throughout the year. There are various tables, formula, and software which can be used to determine the proper HVAC sizing of a house. Unfortunately such analysis are expensive to do correctly and most HVAC techs I have spoken with use fairly crude estimates when sizing a house.

[@TheLookingOne]

Thanks Les. I was afraid of that. And yes, heat/cool load analyses are crude, expensive, or both. So what can you do with IR images other than leak detection?

[@starmc26]

That's done using square footage

[@Tyler-cf8jl]

@@starmc26 Square footage is only part of it. Ceiling height, insulation, windows, appliances, number of occupants, ect... play a role when it comes to doing a proper load calculation

[@g10prodriver76]

The A/C cools the air by recirculating the air inside the house it doesn’t expel the hot air to the outside

[@markhuman-ew1zq]

Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice on selecting a thermal imaging camera primarily for detecting water leaks in walls, floors, and ceilings. Since I live in Africa, it can be challenging to find reliable options. Any recommendations or guidance would be greatly appreciated!

[@TOPHAT1966GS]

you should have included the attic which would show a loss of cooling air coming up through the walls, that would have been nice to see.

[@chinaphonefixteam6300]

Great work, always good at explaining things clearly, well done

[@aryana2324]

Hello mate any chance you could have an advice on how to detect the source of a water leak through the ceiling, am planning to buy a FLIR CX-3

[@LesWilhelm]

For most climates standing water will evaporate making the region around it colder. You can see this on the thermal camera, however ceiling leaks can be hard to track. Water can follow the supports in the ceiling and drop down to the lower floor a significant distance from where it originated. Drilling a small hole where you think the leak is and using an inspection (borescope) camera to confirm is probably the best way to go. Good luck!

[@danyalarafat1271]

I was wondering if this something I can use looking for disc golf discs in the Winter

[@LesWilhelm]

@danyalarafat1271 only if the disk is a different temperature than the environment. Objects with low thermal mass tend to adapt to the temperature of their surroundings very quickly.

[@hotsauce2007]

amazing job, any idea about where can I rent a equipment like this in USA?

[@LesWilhelm]

There are a few Home Depots which rent them out. Flir has a page you can check to see if there is one near you.

[@joshymcdaniel9233]

6 years late 😂 Check local libraries Mine rents one for $2 a day it’s just a $300 Klein one but it’s great for quick/diy to check missing insulation or hot spots for automotive etc

[@ACoustaDC]

Great. I just bought a camera. Your video is helpful. Thanks Les.

[@TitaniumTurbine]

How are you enjoying it? Got a FLIR One myself (iPhone) and it’s been great.

[@ACoustaDC]

@@TitaniumTurbine I love mine! I got the topdon attachment for an android phone. Works wonderful because you can zoom with a pinch and all other phone/camera features. I get good detail and I find a ton of uses for it.

[@russellfenton7496]

Great video. I had an audit done last year. While the inspector did not find issues to the level you show in your presentation, the camera did indicate problems with typical areas (e.g. attic entry, trey ceiling, etc.). I decided to purchase a FLIR One that can connect to my iPhone 5. You did state the cameras can be rented, but I will find myself wanting to check frequently over a period of time; thus it just makes sense to purchase one. What would be nice is if you could record going through the process of finding a trouble spot, show how you fix it, and then demonstrate the change using the infrared camera. Thanks for taking the time to make and post this video.

[@bialy100k]

Russell, have you got FLIR? Happy with it or you will go to other model/brand now?

[@TitaniumTurbine]

@@bialy100k I know the original comment was 8 years ago (iPhone 5 omg) and yours was 4 years ago, but I’ll add this for others who may come here. I have and use a FLIR One (non-Pro) on an iPhone 14/iPad 9th Gen and I’m totally happy with it. I’ll note I use it for home audit use, but I would absolutely feel comfortable using it for something like a home inspection. Pros: The resolution is high, you can easily take/save photos to your phone, there’s numerous camera settings in the FLIR app to make adjustments, only paid $400, and charges with USB-C. Cons: 35-50 mins of battery life (so make sure you know what you’re surveying before you turn it on) and the frame rate/shutter speed is a little slow (this feels dumb to say considering how video works, but it stands out that the One is just repeatedly taking photos to bring you “video”), it’s not unlike the stutter in the video here. That could also be from constant calibration, I’m not sure. Seems like the price has dropped since this video if I paid $400 for the same quality that the author paid $1,000 for back then.

[@bialy100k]

@@TitaniumTurbineThanks :) I got my IR camera kind of 2020, It is HT-18. Bought on Amazon, few hundreds $ on some bargain newcomer company offer(don't remember exactly, but later proce goes around 1.5-1.8 higher). Pic resolution comparable to Flir One (probably slightly higher). Is a "stand alone with a handle" model. Cons: Noisy, no video (only photo) recording, Quite narrow view angle (so you have to be quite far from objects to see wider view). What is a biggest pain for "semi-pro" model is a lack of possibility to "lock" temperature map. So If I want to "compare" two different area I have to keep some "constant temperature marker" in view-range. Moderate fast/slow (as most of them). Pro: Li-On quite big battery, USB charging, and is a possible to make extra IR lens (I make my own holders) for microphotography - I use them to diagnose small electronic modules for fault.

[@StephenOwen]

What ended up going on in the wall at the ten minute mark where you thought the insulation may have failed?

[@earningthomas4640]

I looked at my door and notice that there are various temperatures, ranging from 60 to 90 degrees. I'm unsure what the entire door should be and how to make those adjustments. What is a source I could turn to that could teach me how to respond to various areas in my house?

[@lungu.v]

Great guide, really appreciate it!

[@americo2]

It helps a lot,thank you!

[@vikpolrus]

I am looking for IR camera to buy , what kind of IR camera are you using ?

[@LesWilhelm]

FLIR E4

[@truthserum9157]

Calling it an IR camera is incorrect terminology, it’s called thermal imaging camera, an IR camera is very different technology, IR cameras are like the ones that are used on your out door surveillance cameras and iRing cameras.

[@matthewwakeling4978]

It's still IR - it's just a different part of the infrared spectrum. Calling it a thermal imaging camera is more specific and useful, but it isn't *technically incorrect* to call it an IR camera.

[@truthserum9157]

@@matthewwakeling4978 - your right about that it’s all part of the IR spectrum but it takes a different technology to see it, so it’s called a different name to differentiate between the two.

[@sonudamani4686]

Can we from C3 FLIR..?

[@boathousedave2383]

What make/model IR camera are you using and any recommendation for one under $500?

[@LesWilhelm]

Flir E4. They now make the C2 which is under 500. Any cheaper and you are getting into smartphone add-ons which I have no experience with.

[@rossclark7752]

Very helpful, thank you!

[@vikpolrus]

Thank you.

[@petersamuel6597]

great video

[@wademartin8822]

that was great

[@mcgilljb92]

how much would you pay for someone to do this ?

[@LesWilhelm]

Depends a lot on where you live. I would say around 100-300 depending on the specifics of the service.

[@mcgilljb92]

Les Wilhelm i bought a FLIR C5 and im trying to get into the home energy market . i dont have a blower door and im trying to get certified in different areas . your video inspired me that thermal imaging can be done correctly without a blower door . i actually have made up a small schematic of a DIY one to fit into windows instead .

[@clauderobotham6261]

Very interesting and good explanations, thanks.

[@ThitinanKoh]

Flir E8 ?

[@LesWilhelm]

Flir E4

[@ThitinanKoh]

Thankyou :)

[@DagarothBlackrose]

cool vid, good info, but you need to stop smacking your lips all the time

[@dbazil]

didn't even notice it until I read your comment ;)