We recently had a few days with this thermal imaging camera and learned a fair amount about its functionality and our own home in the process. We originally got to see the unit at Milwaukee’s headquarters (see original post here). Given a little more time with it the Milwaukee M12 2260-21 ($2500, Ohio Power Tool) really is an amazing piece of technology you need to get your hands on.
A few things we noticed after having a little more time with it were that the thermal image and regular camera image aren’t the same size (in terms of cover the same area) when toggling between the two. It really isn’t a problem when you are actually using it because you are looking at the real thing but it is something to keep in mind for pictures and reporting later. It caused us a little confusion at first when we had downloaded them. Above you will see the duel captured images you get from a single trigger pull with the thermal image laid over the regular image (640×480 vs 160×120). Many other cameras don’t even have the regular camera function so we aren’t complaining just a heads up. The camera also burns through the M12 battery in about 15-20 minutes so not a bad idea to have a spare on hand if you are using this professionally.
This was a real eye opener, see the thermal image above (again overlaid to the real thing) of our bedroom and yes you are reading that correctly our windows are actually warmer than the old walls and not just the curtains this was the case all over. The walls are original brick + wood slat + plaster with zero additional insulation, pretty much means the walls are nearly as cold as the outside. Several years before we called this place home the windows had received a high quality upgrade, probably thinking that would help keep the place insulated and warmer. Clearly they did not have a camera like this one when they made that upgrade or they would have seen the real issue.
We managed to check out the whole house in a matter of about 15 minutes and it was a very educational trip. If you have an opportunity you should really borrow or rent one of these cameras and comb over your house to find and possible fix poor insulation spots or dangerous hot spots from bad wiring. It’s also simply fun to satisfy good old fashion curiosity… Is the dog possessed? Sure looks like it. With a few easy fixes and some additional insulation most people could save a fair amount on their energy bills. Check out Ohio Power Tool for all your Milwaukee Tool needs!
