The Use of Infrared Thermal Imaging in Indoor Environmental Investigations

Infrared thermal imaging has been increasingly used to identify wet building materials that can be sources of mold growth and degraded indoor environmental quality. However, IR is also an important tool in the evaluation of HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) systems, which are the primary pathways for the distribution of contaminants in a building. Through identification of temperature differentials, IR can be used to pinpoint areas of unwanted pressurization or depressurization within a building, negative pressure indoors with respect to outdoors, and problems with HVAC system components. IR can be used to rapidly identify areas of concern so that an in-depth evaluation and corrective action can be taken to correct degraded indoor environmental quality. Infrared thermal imaging has been shown to be a useful tool in the detection of unwanted moisture that can lead to degraded indoor environmental quality (IEQ). It is also a useful technique in rapidly evaluating the temperature differentials associated with HVAC systems and building air pressures that can be the transportation pathways for indoor contaminants associated with IEQ problems.