You can’t rule out the importance a good digital picture can give your client’s IR report. Although I attempt to make the majority of my Infrared reports contain mostly IR images, since that’s the service I’m providing, and mostly because the resolution on a 320x240 camera is so good you don’t all of the time need a comparative picture. So if you use FLIR ® reporting software remember to keep customization in mind on your reporting template so an additional page can be provided that shows the ‘good digital pic’ when you need to. In certain instances it can be the most effective image you can provide. Here’s a digital pic that captured some missing flashing and missing drainage paper (like a tyvek® type building paper) on a porch deck. The IR image was fine but the digital pic was a better visual for the homeowner to see what actually needed correction.

Another example of when a digital pic was better than an IR image was of an electrical job in Connecticut at a light industrial electronics manufacturing plant. On the annual predictive maintenance IR survey of the plants electrical components a three phase circuit fuse box was opened by the plant maintenance department and we found a small fire had occurred inside the box the last time the oven it was hooked up to was operated. The oven had not been operated since the fuse box had been damaged but we found the issue without the need of the IR and a ‘good digital pic’ showed the client this problem, wires were frayed and the center circuit connection was partially melted. These are great issues for showing the importance of annual infrared electrical inspections to current and future clients.