Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — panelboard
A panelboard showing balanced temperatures across all breakers, with no isolated hot spots to indicate a developing fault.
Panelboard
Findings library
What real electrical faults look like through a thermal camera.
Every entry is a real example of a fault we find in the field, explained in plain language and classified by severity. Client details are kept private. This is the work, shown rather than described.
Severity classification
Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — panelboard feeding rectifiers
A panelboard feeding rectifier circuits showing consistent, expected heating patterns and no abnormal isolated hot spots.
Panelboard
Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — distribution panel
A distribution panel showing uniform temperatures across two columns of breakers with no anomalous heating detected.
Distribution panel
Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — fusible distribution panel
A fusible distribution panel showing expected operating temperatures with no isolated anomalies across the fusible sections.
Fusible distribution panel
Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — fused disconnect
A three-phase fused disconnect showing uniform fuse temperatures and no imbalance between phases.
Fused disconnect
Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — safety switch disconnect
A fused safety switch showing balanced three-phase operating temperatures with no anomalous heat at the connections or contacts.
Fused safety switch
Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — 480V distribution panel
A newer 480V distribution panel feeding multiple downstream panels, showing balanced temperatures and no evidence of developing faults.
Distribution panel (480V)
Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — dry-type transformer
A dry-type transformer showing balanced winding temperatures across all three coils with no significant phase imbalance.
Dry-type transformer
Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — panelboard
A panelboard showing balanced breaker temperatures and no elevated heat at the connections or bus.
Panelboard
Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — double-column panel
A double-column panelboard showing balanced breaker temperatures across both columns with no isolated hot spots.
Panelboard
Normal
Healthy thermal pattern — panelboard
A panelboard showing normal operating temperatures at the breakers and connections with no evidence of resistance heating.
Panelboard
PotentialΔT 29.8°F
Overloaded lighting circuit in a hotel kitchen
A 20A lighting circuit carrying approximately 18.5A in a hotel kitchen, flagged as Potential before the overloaded condition caused an outage.
OverloadLighting circuit breaker
PotentialΔT 35.3°F
Loose connection on an HVAC distribution panel feed
Abnormal heating on the B phase feed of a 480V HVAC distribution panel at a hotel, consistent with increased resistance at a connection.
Loose connectionHVAC distribution panel
PotentialΔT 10.7°F
Improperly seated conductor in a rectifier circuit
A conductor not fully seated in a breaker lug inside a rectifier circuit, identified through visual inspection after a small thermal rise prompted a closer look.
Improperly seated conductorRectifier circuit
PotentialΔT 39.8°F
Poor contact in a rooftop RTU disconnect
Abnormal heating inside a non-fused rooftop disconnect supplying cooling equipment, consistent with poor contact at the knife blade or pivot.
Poor contactRooftop unit (RTU) disconnect
SeriousΔT 92.8°F
Failing rooftop disconnect for a CRAC condenser
Significant heating inside a fused rooftop disconnect supplying CRAC cooling equipment for a data center main hall, requiring a scheduled overnight replacement.
Poor contactCRAC condenser disconnect
SeriousΔT 92.4°F
Loose neutral connection at a house panel
Significant heating at the main neutral connection of a house panel supplying life safety equipment in a multifamily property.
Loose connectionHouse panel neutral
SeriousΔT 100.1°F
Overheating coil on a dry-type transformer
One coil of a dry-type transformer significantly hotter than the others, indicating overheating that warranted inspection and cleaning before failure.
Transformer overheatingDry-type transformer (indoor)
SeriousΔT 68.1°F
Loose connection on a hotel laundry distribution feeder
Significant heating on the A phase of a feeder supplying the hotel's laundry facilities, consistent with a loose and contaminated connection.
Loose connectionLaundry distribution feeder
CriticalΔT 329.6°F
Critical overload at an apartment building house panel
A 20-amp two-pole breaker feeding a crawlspace heater, severely overloaded and failing to trip, at 393.6°F inside an apartment building house panel. Repaired within the hour.
Overload / breaker failure to tripHouse panel (apartment building)
CriticalΔT 139.6°F
Critical overheating at a chiller control cabinet connection
Critical overheating at an incoming connection inside the chiller control cabinet of an occupied commercial office building, with a temperature rise of nearly 140°F over ambient.
Loose incoming connectionChiller control cabinet
How Infinite Infrared classifies findings
Infinite Infrared uses Delta T (ΔT), the difference between the ambient air temperature and the maximum measured temperature of the component or problem area. ΔT is the temperature difference between two points, and it helps evaluate the severity of a thermal discrepancy. Severity classifications are based on experience-based guidelines, but temperature alone does not determine repair priority. Equipment function, operating load, application, criticality, and potential consequences should all be considered.
Recommendations are intended to assist with further investigation and are not guaranteed repairs. Proper diagnosis and repair should be performed by qualified electrical personnel.
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