What Facility Leaders Should Expect From an Electrical Infrared Inspection
Contributed article | by Ashton Bott, President of Infinite Infrared
Electrical infrared inspections are often described as a way to “find hot spots,” but a useful inspection involves much more than pointing a thermal camera at electrical equipment.
The real value comes from combining thermal imaging, operating conditions, visual observations, equipment identification, and practical interpretation. When these pieces are documented correctly, facility teams receive a
prioritized list of conditions they can investigate before they contribute to equipment failure, unplanned downtime, or more extensive damage.
Understanding the inspection process also helps facility leaders compare providers and determine whether they are receiving a meaningful assessment or simply a collection of thermal images.
What an Electrical Infrared Inspection Can Identify
Electrical components generate heat while carrying current. Some temperature differences are expected, particularly when equipment is operating under load.
However, unusual heating patterns may indicate conditions such as:
• Loose or deteriorated connections
• Excessive resistance
• Overloaded circuits
• Load imbalance
• Failing breakers, fuses, or disconnect components
• Damaged conductors or terminations
• Contamination, corrosion, or poor contact
• Components operating differently from comparable equipment
Infrared thermography does not automatically determine the exact cause of every temperature difference. It identifies thermal patterns that require further evaluation.
For example, a warm conductor may be caused by a loose termination, an overloaded circuit, an internal component problem, or differences in electrical load. The thermal image provides evidence of the condition, but load
information, equipment configuration, visual observations, and electrical testing may be needed to confirm the cause.
This is why findings should generally be reported as observed conditions with possible causes and recommended next steps, rather than as unsupported diagnoses.
The Inspection Starts Before the Camera Comes Out
A productive inspection begins with planning.
The thermographer should understand the facility’s operating schedule, the types of equipment being inspected, accessibility limitations, safety requirements, and whether qualified personnel will be available to open energized equipment when necessary.
Facility personnel should also identify equipment that is especially critical to operations. This may include main switchgear, distribution panels, motor control centers, transformers, disconnects, production equipment, mechanical
systems, data infrastructure, and emergency power equipment.
Whenever possible, equipment should be operating under normal or representative load during the inspection.
A component that is lightly loaded or turned off may not produce a detectable thermal pattern, even when a problem exists.
This is one reason inspections performed during active production or normal building operation can provide more useful information than inspections conducted during shutdowns or unusually light operating periods.
Equipment Access Makes a Major Difference
One of the most important distinctions between inspection scopes is whether electrical equipment is inspected only from the exterior or while accessible internal components are visible.
A surface scan of closed electrical equipment may identify certain conditions, but metal covers can block or reduce the thermal signature of internal components.
A normal exterior temperature does not necessarily mean that the connections behind the cover are in normal condition.
When equipment can be safely opened by qualified personnel, the thermographer may be able to evaluate:
• Breaker and fuse connections
• Conductor terminations
• Bus connections
• Disconnect contacts
• Transformer connections
• Control components
• Other energized components that are normally concealed
Opening energized electrical equipment introduces serious electrical hazards. Covers should only be removed and reinstalled by personnel who are qualified and authorized to perform that work under the facility’s electrical safety
procedures.
Facility leaders should clarify this part of the scope before scheduling an inspection. They should determine who will provide electrical access, what personal protective equipment and safety procedures are required, and whether
any equipment cannot be opened while energized.
What Happens During the Inspection
The thermographer moves through the facility systematically, typically following an equipment list, one-line diagram, panel schedule, or route created with the facility team.
For each item, the inspector may document:
• Equipment name and location
• Equipment identification number
• Component being evaluated
• Whether the enclosure was opened
• Infrared and visible-light images
• Maximum observed temperature
• Humidity, ambient, and background conditions
• Temperature difference between comparable components
• Operating or load information, when available
• Visual conditions that may affect interpretation
Visible-light photographs are important because a thermal image alone may not clearly show where the condition is located.
A useful report should allow maintenance personnel to identify the exact equipment and component without having to interpret the thermal image themselves.
The inspector should also compare phases, conductors, connections, and similar components whenever appropriate. In many cases, the relationship between components is more informative than the absolute temperature alone.
For example, a connection operating at 120°F cannot be judged solely from that number. The equipment type, ambient temperature, electrical load, component rating, and temperature of comparable connections all affect the
interpretation.
How Findings Should Be Evaluated
Not every warm component is an urgent problem, and not every serious problem produces an extreme temperature.
A high-resistance connection under heavy load may generate substantial heat and require immediate attention. The same connection under light load may show only a small temperature difference at the time of inspection.
The inspector should consider:
• Temperature difference from similar components
• Temperature difference from ambient conditions
• Electrical loading
• Equipment type and function
• Location of the heat pattern
• Whether the pattern appears concentrated or distributed
• Visual evidence of deterioration
• Operational importance of the equipment
• Potential consequences of failure
Findings should then be categorized in a way that helps the facility prioritize corrective work.
The report should explain what was observed, where it was found, why it may matter, and what action should be considered.
Recommendations may include cleaning and retorquing a connection, evaluating circuit loading, conducting electrical testing, replacing a component, monitoring the condition, or arranging immediate investigation by a
qualified electrical professional.
What a Useful Report Should Contain
A professional infrared report should be more than a folder of thermal images.
At a minimum, facility personnel should be able to determine:
• Which equipment was inspected
• Which equipment could not be accessed
• What abnormal conditions were identified
• Where each condition is located
• How findings were prioritized
• What supporting temperatures and observations were recorded
• What corrective action or additional evaluation is recommended
The report should include paired infrared and visible images for reportable findings. It should also include enough equipment information for maintenance personnel to locate the issue quickly.
An equipment inventory or inspection list can add significant value, particularly for facilities that do not already have a reliable electrical asset list. It creates a baseline that can be updated during future inspections and used to
confirm that critical equipment was not unintentionally omitted.
Turning Findings Into Corrective Action
The inspection is only the first step. The greatest value comes from how the facility responds.
After receiving the report, facility leaders should:
• Review critical findings promptly with qualified electrical personnel.
• Consider the operating importance and failure consequences of each affected asset.
• Create corrective work orders and assign responsibility.
• Document repairs, replacements, testing, and follow-up observations.
• Rescan repaired components when appropriate to verify that the abnormal thermal pattern has been corrected.
• Retain reports so future inspection results can be compared with previous conditions.
Thermal findings should not be treated as isolated photographs. They should become part of the facility’s broader preventive maintenance and electrical safety program.
Practical Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Inspector
Before selecting an infrared inspection provider, facility leaders should ask:
• Will internal electrical components be inspected when safely accessible?
• Who is responsible for opening and closing equipment?
• What thermography training and field experience does the inspector have?
• Will both infrared and visible images be included?
• How will findings be prioritized?
• Will the report identify possible causes without overstating conclusions?
• Will inaccessible or unloaded equipment be documented?
• Is an equipment inventory or completed inspection list included?
• Can the inspector explain findings to the facility or electrical team?
The answers reveal a great deal about the depth of the proposed inspection.
Final Takeaway
An electrical infrared inspection should give facility leaders more than a list of hot components. It should provide a documented picture of electrical conditions under operating load, identify areas that deserve attention, and give the maintenance team clear information it can act on.
The quality of the inspection depends on preparation, equipment access, operating conditions, thermographer experience, and the usefulness of the final report.
When those elements are handled properly, infrared thermography becomes a practical maintenance tool that helps facilities identify developing problems, prioritize electrical work, and make better-informed decisions about critical
equipment.
About the Contributor
Ashton Bott is President of Infinite Infrared and a Level III Certified Master Thermographer specializing in commercial and industrial electrical infrared inspections.
His work focuses on practical field documentation, electrical equipment condition assessment, and clear reporting that facility and maintenance teams can use to plan corrective action.
Ashton Bott
Infinite Infrared
Comments