What an IR Scan Actually Catches — And What It Misses

Thermographic scans are oversold. Here's what we've actually caught in the last 200 commercial scans, and the three things you still have to test with a meter.

We work commercial electrical full-time, and that means we see the same problems repeat. This article walks through what we've seen on recent jobs, what we tested, and what we ended up replacing.

What it looks like in the field

The symptom usually shows up at the panel before anyone notices a problem with the load. By the time tenants complain, the issue has been measurable for weeks.

How we diagnose

Meter readings before assumptions. IR scans are useful but they aren't the whole story — we always confirm with a torque audit and ground-resistance measurement before we recommend replacement.

What we replaced

Across the last 200 commercial service calls in this category, the most common parts were breakers (specific revisions), connectors, and contactors on RTU disconnects. We carry those on the truck.