Why Insurance Companies Are Requesting Thermal Electrical Surveys?

What is a Thermographic Survey?

Trained engineers conduct thermographic surveys, which are critical for the maintenance of fabric and electrical installations. These surveys are essential to ensure that the systems are in good working condition.

They are used to detect any anomalies such as too high temperatures, which indicate a severe problem with an electrical or fabric installation. As a result, buildings must have them, as there can be significant repercussions if they do not. There are various reasons why temperatures might rise, including defective equipment, overloaded sockets, or old age.

Over the last thirty years, all applications of IR thermography have grown in popularity and continue to grow at an exponential pace. Today many insurance companies are requesting thermal, electrical surveys.

At Thermo Elite Inc., we provide the right approach and requirements expected by insurance companies. Thermographic survey of electrical distribution systems and components is the most well-known survey currently in use. These surveys are non-invasive, easy to conduct, and cost-effective, and they can be used as part of any predictive maintenance strategy.

Electrical connections, joints, and contacts deteriorate over time due to corrosion, loosening, overtightening, corrosion, and overloading, all of which result in an increase in electrical resistance and, thus, an increase in temperature. If left unattended, further degradation will occur, potentially resulting in equipment failure, fire, and even explosions.

Regular Thermographic surveys allow you to assess your electrical distribution systems and components, and any necessary maintenance can be planned as part of a predictive maintenance strategy.

What exactly is the role of an insurance company?

An insurance provider’s primary purpose is to protect the company from financial losses. They assist homeowners and businesses in preventing or recovering from economic damages incurred by natural disasters or other disasters. Depending on what you intend to cover, insurance providers, offer a variety of contracts. When it comes to families, we don’t always consider any risks, but companies want to be ready for every situation.

Electrical thermography as a risk mitigation strategy for insurance companies

Insurance firms are using electrical thermography as a risk-avoidance tactic. With thermographic inspection, they can review the potential risks, losses if they happen, or the gains if they act on time. Suppose they don’t act on time before any significant accident. In that case, it can cause a massive loss to the insurance company, and comparing that with the costs of using electrical thermography inspection, there will be a big difference in the numbers.

Insurance companies benefit from electrical thermography because it can detect developing electrical problems before they become a concern. As we mentioned, fire, explosion, or water spillage can be prevented if the causing issues are detected early.

 How can electrical thermography help here?

As a contactless inspection tool, electrical thermography may be used to detect the current state of thermal insulation, moisture penetration, inspecting the building materials under the dry-wall surface, scanning the electrical components, detecting air leaks, etc. Many of these issues are linked with the insurance company’s protection plans, so using electrical thermography as a pre-insurance strategy helps insurance companies protect themselves from potential economic fiascos.

How does thermography work?

Thermography, also known as infrared inspection, is a method of detecting heat emitted from an object’s surface in the form of infrared radiation. Infrared radiation is detected and converted into a temperature value or a thermal image, which can be used to determine the object’s thermal state at the time of measurement using test instruments. A popular device of the infrared thermal imaging system is an infrared camera.

How can thermography be used to inspect electrical equipment?

Electrical resistance generates heat in energized electrical systems. The amount of heat generated is proportional to the amount of current flowing through the design and the resistance of individual system components and connections. The resistance of components increases as they deteriorate, resulting in a localized increase in heat. Similarly, a poorly made connection would have higher resistance and a higher temperature profile than a well-made connection. These temperature variations could be detected using thermography.

What are the benefits of thermographic inspection?

Electrical device failures, such as electrical insulation, terminals, and related parts, are estimated to be responsible for 10% of fires in manufacturing properties. Employees can also be exposed to live electrical circuits due to failures, putting them at risk of severe injury or death from electrocution. Breakdown of the electrical wires and associated components can be minimized by identifying and fixing high-resistance connections. When the root cause of the problem is known before it causes any major setback, several steps can be taken to improve it at early stages.

The cost savings from energy conservation and lower outage and maintenance costs are also benefits of identifying and fixing these faults. Circuits with high resistance have a more increased current flow. When the current flow is increased, the power consumption increases as well. Furthermore, high current draw can prematurely fail critical electrical circuit components, including fuses, circuit breakers, and transformers. Higher maintenance and repair costs, as well as business interruptions, arise from these failures.

We focus on prevention.

Traditionally, insurance companies have focused on reducing property losses by using a fire protection system to minimize losses when they occur. But the chances are that these services may not prevent losses to save businesses real money. But with the help of IR thermography, it is effortless to detect faults even before they occur. Many problems in electrical systems are not visible to our naked eyes, but with the help of IR technology, we can easily spot these issues. A thermal imaging scan improves equipment confidence, reduces the risk of fire, lowers energy costs, and helps prevent business interruption losses.

Infrared surveys of electrical switchgear are commonly performed for the following reasons:

• Electrical problems can cause a lot of downtimes.
• Extend the life of electrical and mechanical devices
• Comply with insurance requirements and government regulations
• Lower maintenance and repair costs
• Prevent catastrophic failures

Our Thermographic Survey Expertise

Thermo Elite Inc. has extensive experience in preparing thermographic survey reports for both electrical and building fabric installations. We have established a meticulous and detailed approach to thermographic surveys at Thermo Elite Inc. to meet the requirements of several bodies, including:

• Insurance Companies
• Safety Auditors
• Maintenance and Engineering Managers

At Thermo Elite Inc., we provide a detailed electrical thermographic survey report which breaks down and provides a comprehensive analysis. All the surveys are carried out by experienced and professional experts and will provide a detailed report of all the electrical equipment that has been inspected. The report will carry all the faults, defects, and hot spots in the building so that these issues can be easily repaired.