Is that cold patch damp, a draught or a thermal bridge?
A thermal image shows a surface-temperature pattern. Finding its cause takes a second kind of evidence.
6 min read
Thermal
Note.
See more. Assume less.
Practical guides to thermal imaging and infrared measurement. For your home, your workbench and the questions in between.
A cold patch isn’t the whole storyHOME · WORKBENCH · MEASUREMENTPhoto: Alan Hughes / Geograph
START WITH THE QUESTION
All field guides A useful image starts with a better question.
Why your thermal camera cannot quite resolve that PCB hotspot
Focus, working distance and a steady view determine whether a warm blob can be linked to a particular component.
6 min read
Thermal camera or infrared thermometer: which solves your job?
Choose a single reading for a known target, or an image when finding the pattern is the real task.
6 min read
BEFORE YOU PLUG INSame connector.
Same connector.
Different possibilities.
USB-C is the beginning of the compatibility question, not the answer. Check the camera variant, platform and evidence behind the claim.
Explore phone camerasSource-labelled records. No devices marked as tested by us.
A QUICK MEASUREMENT CHECK
All measurement tools Measure the target. Not the laser dot.
Distance-to-spot calculator
Estimate the measurement spot of an infrared thermometer.
Geometry estimate only. Check the instrument’s optical diagram, minimum focus distance and stated energy coverage. A laser dot is not the measurement spot.
IR spot
83.3mm
FIVE WAYS INFollow the heat.
Follow the heat.
Keep the context.
One set of measurement principles. Different questions at home and at the bench.
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Homes & heat loss
Read your home without jumping to a diagnosis.
Electronics
Find small hotspots and understand what they mean.
Phone cameras
Check the connector, software and whole workflow.
Choosing equipment
Choose for the job, not just the specification.
Measurement
Make sense of distance, surfaces and temperature readings.
A thermal image is a clue, not a conclusion.
Our guides distinguish professional guidance, manufacturers’ statements and other authors’ tests. Unverified stays unverified.