Bought a $400 thermal camera for my phone and it paid for itself in a day

I was on a service call for a hot breaker in an old apartment building last week. Could not find the problem with my regular tools. Grabbed the thermal camera I just got, scanned the panel, and it showed a bad connection on a neutral lug glowing hot. Fixed it in ten minutes. The owner was so happy he gave me two more jobs. Anyone have other good uses for these besides panels?

4 comments

4 Comments

wendy8203mo ago

That neutral lug find is a classic. Just a heads up, some thermal cameras struggle with shiny metal like lugs unless you add some tape. The reflection tricks the reading.

viola_lopez303mo ago

Check for heat in extension cords or power strips? I've seen those melt from overload.

the_rowan29d ago

And @wendy820 makes a good point about the tape trick, though I'd argue a hot cord is still easy to spot even without it. Just keep in mind some cheaper power strips have those internal thermal fuses that can trip before you'd ever see the heat building up.

samk773mo ago

Honestly, you'll find uses everywhere once you start looking. Check for cold spots in insulation on a remodel job, that's an easy sell for a homeowner. Spotting a hot motor bearing before it locks up is another big one. It turns guesswork into a quick visual check. Why wouldn't you use it on any appliance call?