our opinions: ADVICE FROM AN EXPERT
In The
Comfort
Zone
Having Hot or Cool Spots in Your Home
May Have Nothing To Do With Your
HVAC System
Brett Hobson
By BRETT HOBSON
CEO Comfort Experts
W
92
hen something is wrong with you physically, your
doctor might suggest getting a test done to deter-
mine what could be causing your issue.
You might think you know what’s wrong, but by
getting an x-ray, an MRI, CT-Scan or other testing, your
doctor can look at what’s going on under the surface.
Using that same concept, we now offer a way to deter-
mine what might be ailing your home by using non-inva-
sive technology to see what’s going on behind the walls
of your house.
Infrared thermography was discovered in 1800 by an
astronomer named Sir William Herschel. Herschel was
the royal astronomer to King George III of England, and
was already famous for the discovery of Uranus. Through
his research into optical filters to view the sun in tele-
scopes, he discovered that there was an entirely new
portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is now
known as infrared wavelengths.
Fast forward to 1929 and the first infrared-sensitive
electronic television is developed for anti-aircraft defense
in England. Thermal imaging was used successfully by
the military, both here and abroad, until 1992, when the
U.S. government declassified the technology and it was
then licensed for a multitude of general uses.
Now infrared cameras are used for high end security
systems, by firefighters to look into the center of fires, by
utility workers to find leaks in water or power lines, by
scientists, by archaeologists, and now even by your local
HVAC company.
A famous example of authorities using this technology
was the apprehension of the second Boston Marathon
bombing suspect. Infra-red cameras on a Massachusetts
State Police helicopter picked up a heat signature and in
the dead of night, the police arrested the suspect hiding
in a boat covered by a tarp in a heavily populated area.
So, I’m sure you’re wondering how can infra-red
cameras help me at my home? Many people have hot
and cold areas in their homes. Not just those drafts you
expect around windows or doors, but throughout their
homes. An infrared camera can see areas of your home
that are hotter, or colder than the rest, allowing service
technicians the ability to diagnose what could be causing
the differences. It may be a fix as easy as replacing or
adding weather stripping around windows or doors. Or it
could be loose sheets of insulation batting or areas where
the blown-in insulation could be missing or moved out of
place.
These infrared cameras can also be used like the
utility workers referenced above. They can find leaks
in water lines, both hot and cold in the walls, floors or
even in the slab of your home before they can become
an expensive problem. As many people have found out,
water leaks in your home can be devastating. For exam-
ple, a 1/16” hole in a water pipe, one about the same
size as a pin hole, can leak over 800 gallons of water per
day. You can imagine how much damage 800 gallons of
water a day could cause in your walls, under your floors
or on your ceilings.
Our company is one of the only ones in the western
area of the DFW Metroplex that offers this peace of mind
for our customers. Let us come out and use our infrared
cameras to check the health of your home. Just like at
the doctor’s office, the hot and cold spots that you might
be experiencing could be something that’s unexpected
and can only be seen when you look below the surface.
Look for our ad in this magazine for a special offer that
will get your HVAC system ready for the winter ahead
and diagnose any issues your home might be having. Call
us today to schedule a service technician.