Thermal imaging cameras are great tools for residents wanting to find and fix draughts, resulting in improved comfort and lower energy bills. Thermal imaging cameras detect the temperature of a wide area and create a coloured picture showing even the smallest range of temperatures.
Draughts are where colder air creeps into a warmer home. This happens most often through gaps around doors, windows, loft hatches, or poorly insulated walls. These leaks cause heat loss, making rooms feel chilly and increasing heating costs. They also create air movement, making even a warmer room feel colder than it is (think about a fan or an open window). Thermal imaging cameras reveal these hidden spots by showing cold patches where draughts are present.
However, finding the draught is only the beginning of the solution to feeling warmer and more comfortable in your home. Once you have a visual understanding of where the cold air is getting in, this allows the homeowner to make a plan on how to combat this problem. For some homes, larger measures will make the most sense, such as installing insulation (find out if you are eligible for insulation grants here: Apply for support from the Great British Insulation Scheme – GOV.UK).
For other housing situations, such as private renters or people in social housing, the solution can be getting draught excluder tape or door draught excluders to plug the gap to stop the air flow. When taking these measures, please make sure that you have a plan for ventilation as draught excluder tape and more insulation can stop draughts, but can also trap moisture in a poorly ventilated house, resulting in condensation, mould, and damp.
Not only will you feel warmer, plugging these draughts will reduce your energy costs. Whether you have a heat pump that works best at keeping a room at a specific temperature, or heat with gas radiators and thermostatic radiator valves (that twisty bit that goes from 0-5 on your radiator), stopping the cold air from coming through the cracks will allow you to use less energy, and therefore will also lower your bills and carbon footprint. These cameras can also start to detect things that may help ward off larger, future problems, like a build up of moisture or a missing area of insulation.
One of the biggest concerns of every householder is trying to find and plug any unwanted draughts. If you would like further support you can attend one of our energy events for more advice or to arrange for one of ecobirmingham’s energy advisors to come to your home to help you find any draughts and create a plan for making your home warmer while saving money, please contact Jason.