Infrared cameras are being used more and more for inspections on homes these days.  I recently saw a piece on Good Morning America http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=4152062&page=1 and one on You Tube where people were using infrared cameras to do “thermal energy audits” on houses.  According to one piece, the Department of Energy not only supports thermal imaging scans, but even says you shouldn’t buy a home without doing one!

Take a look at this piece on You Tube. http://youtube.com/watch?v=jXPXE0qsmjg  The  infrared camera picks up differences in temperature. It’s pretty neat; you can actually “see” where the cold is coming in.  You can tell where missing insulation is, where cold air is coming through cracks in walls and windows and even around light and electrical switches. It can even be used to help spot water leaks or water intrusion.

Atlas has been renting these cameras for years http://www.atlas-inspection.com/infrared_inspection.html  mostly for checks on low, high, and medium voltage equipment as a way to inspect without causing arc flash explosions. Now home owners, or would be home buyers are renting these for a day or two to see where improvements need to be made on homes to make them as energy efficient as possible. I found this 5 min video on how to use an infrared camera for a home inspection http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAmJbaZ58-c&NR=1.  Seems like the cost of renting an infrared camera is pretty low in relationship to how much money a person could save by making a home more energy efficient, or even to help make a decision NOT to buy a home that isn’t energy efficient.