What is thermal imaging? Thermal imaging is a way to see where your receptacles, wires, breakers, and other devices may be failing. This allows us to spot problems before a fire happens. New buildings are equipped with AFCI breakers. These are designed to detect dangerous electrical arcs and prevent fires by interrupting the circuit before the arc can ignite surrounding materials. Some machinery and equipment are not equipped to detect these hazards until it fails or a fire occurs. A great example of this is the image above. This small transformer was found inside of the electrical switch gear of a facility’s main electrical cabinet. It has never been inspected or replaced in 20 years. This transformer is normally not under a load until the close button is pressed. After finding this, we researched the transformers normal operating temperature and found that it was only rated for 80 degrees nominal. The outdoor temperature was 60 degrees. Management would not have found this failing piece of equipment until it ignited and resulted in loss of power to half of their facility.