480sparky

OP never said it was the main noodle. We do, however, have these morsels of information:

I'd say we're looking a branch circuits at this point.

__________________
All responses based on the 2008 National Rat Code.

steelersman

sorry big dog. I jumped the gun. You can see I went back and edited it. It was like one of those deals where as soon as you click send you wish you could grab it and take it back. I've shot off a few e-mails like that in the past where as soon as I hit send I wanted it back.

Zog

Agreed, I never said otherwise.

76nemo

$875, good gosh. What make and model did you purchase Ken? I paid $3+ for what I thought I needed. Works for me.

76nemo

Apples and oranges to say the least in this scenario.

76nemo

Are you talking about PM specifically? Can you elaborate some more?

480sparky

Yes. IR cameras cannot plot temp changes over time.



You paid three bucks for an IR thermometer?

I got a Raynger MX4+. It's now the Fluke 574.

__________________
All responses based on the 2008 National Rat Code.

76nemo

Not at all, I'll come back to that.

76nemo

On the subject of emmisivity, what exactly was the home inspector shooting?????? There are many angles here with some home pro joe using an infared thermometer. If he wanted to include these types of "overheating" issues in his report, he should be using a surface type contact probe so discussions like this he could avoid

480sparky

Another way IR t'meters outshine IR cameras............

Probes. Means you can take the temp of the insides of certain things.

__________________
All responses based on the 2008 National Rat Code.

76nemo

Gotcha. I wasn't speaking for probe measurement, just surface scanning.

76nemo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emissivity


With thermal imaging and what Marc spoke of as far as ambient compensation, you can clearly see how another component or conductor relates to the scan as a reference to what you are looking at ambient wise. An IR thermometer can't do that. You'd be seeing every single different spot ratio by a somewhat different reference or angle with an IR thermometer. With imaging, you see the picture or area as a whole.

Zog agreed with you that an IR thermometer could outway a thermal scan in certain scenarios, that I don't understand unless it's from a budget standpoint or a VERY specific PM schedule.

Both IR thermometers and imagers deflect on emissivity, and both are handled in the same manner.

76nemo

"You paid three bucks for an IR thermometer?

I got a Raynger MX4+. It's now the Fluke 574. "



Really nice gun Ken!!!!!! I think I paid $3.80 for my gun but I got it for $1.50 discount

480sparky

This t'meter can also log up to 100 data points at a time. You can then download them onto a computer, and compile a PM log over time to watch for sudden changes in temperature. In other words, instead of it monitoring a point all the time, like the graphic I posted, you can shoot it at regular intervals and compile a graph spaced out over a much longer time frame.

If I think about it tomorrow, I'll download some off my laptop and try to post them.

I'm curcious, however, where you got a $3 IR thermometer.

__________________
All responses based on the 2008 National Rat Code.

76nemo

$380, $150 discount. SmartSensor AR862A.

Similiar to the Fluke 568, yet no logging capability or tripod mount.

76nemo

It has the laser point feature unlike the 568. It was a $530 gun, but I eyeballed it at the right time.

What do you think of your gun Ken??? Do you use it often? Do you have service contracts you use it for commercial/industrial sites quite often Ken????

Jupe Blue

Went to trouble shoot the "hot" neutral today.

First here is the verbatim report from the home inspector:

"There was a significant temp. rise in breaker #11 in Panel "B". The ambient temp. of the breakers in the panel was about 65 degrees. The A and B breaker of #11 is 100 degrees.

The wiring of these two circuits are also elevated in temp. which is indicating that there is a draw on the circuit rather than just in the breaker. The neutral wire on the master bedroom circuit also has an elevated temp. in addition to the temp rise on the "hot" wiring, which may indicate that there is a damaged or shorting ground.

It is normal and expected to have some variation in the temperatures of the breakers, however any variation over 7 degrees in considered significant and over 10 to 15 degrees is considered to be excessive. Electrical resistance builds up heat. These temp. increase can be an idicator of anything from bad/defective breakers, shorting circuits, over loaded circuits, or even failing appliances. It would e recommended to have a licensed electrician investigate this temp. variance and repair deficiencies in the electrical system."

The homeowner also reports that the when the cleaning crew run their vacuum on the master bedroom plugs the circuit 11b trips and sometimes trips when all the lights on this circuit are on.

I turned on all the lights on the circuit and took a reading with my amp. probe. Circuit was drawing ~19-20 amps. It tripped approx. 5-8 minutes after all lights were energized. It also showed a temp. increase from 74 degrees to 84 degrees using a Fluke digital laser thermometer.


Circuit 11b (15 amp) is the lighting circuit for the 1/2 of the garage, entry hall, master bath, dressing area and balcony lights. It is also the plug circuit for some of the master bedroom plugs.

I did a rough addition of the existing lighting load which came to 2440 watts.

My plan run an additional 15 amp. circuit to split the second floor part of the circuit and decrease the lamp size in the vanity lights (currently 10 lamps @ 75 w. each) to bring the lighting load down to about 1500 watts. And tell the cleaning people to plug into the bath GFCI for running the vacuum.

Richard Rowe

Just wondering, what was the size of the wire on the circuit? Have you added the new circuit yet? If so please post your results.

Jupe Blue

Haven't been back to split out the circuit. The wire is #14 on a 15a "twin" GE breaker. Left strict instructions with the HO and his wife not to turn on all the lights at the same time!

Jupe Blue

Went back last week. Split the circuit putting the bath and dressing lights on the new circuit. Left the hall and garage on the original circuit. Was definately a 15A breaker with #14 wire.