FAQ

We only carry out inspections of electrical installations in industrial and large-scale facilities. This is due to the fact that temperature anomalies in electrical installations are visible in the thermovision image only when the system is heavily loaded. In normal dwellings, the load on the system is much lower and does not cause the visible components to heat up to such an extent as to reveal faults, in addition, the wiring is routed in the walls/roofs making it impossible to inspect.

The test consists of checking the tightness of the partitions and their connections – windows, walls, doors, roof. Air exchange through ventilation ducts or chimneys is natural and desirable, so we do not take it into account – we seal all openings of this type for the duration of the test. Once the building is ready, a supply door is installed in the external door – a frame of up to 100 cm x 200 cm with a fan supplying or extracting air from the building. We aim for a pressure difference of 50 Pa between the outside and inside air. Under these conditions, we calculate how much air will be extracted through the leaks in a unit of an hour. The fan causes air movement which can blow ash and dust into the flat, so it should be removed beforehand if possible.

An Energy Performance Certificate is often colloquially referred to as an energy certificate. It is a document describing the energy demand of a building in relation to its area. It is currently required for buildings for sale and rent. The document can only be produced by a person entered in the register of authorised persons, kept by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction. In addition to the information contained in the energy performance certificate, the energy audit contains information about the energy load of the building. In addition, it contains proposals for modernisation and the economic-technical parameters of this undertaking. It is performed in order to determine the savings after thermomodernisation. It is also necessary in order to obtain a thermomodernisation bonus for a project carried out under the Act of 21 November 2008 on supporting thermomodernisation and renovation and subsidies from other sources. It is sufficient to have a university degree in a subject area to draw up an energy audit; no qualifications are required for the person carrying out the document.

Whenever possible, we carry out thermal imaging surveys from the inside. This is due to the greater accuracy of the measurement. Surveys carried out from the outside are exposed to changes in weather conditions outside (i.e. gusts of wind, slight snowfall, the influence of a cloudless sky and the warm shadow effect created). These phenomena can cause interference or prevent measurement altogether. Workmanship errors related to thermal insulation are not easy to pick up when surveying from the outside, and in most cases defects that can be detected from the inside are not visible at all from the outside (only 5% of defects are visible from the outside and 95% of defects are visible from the inside). Thermal imaging surveys from the outside are effective if an overpressure is created in the building (thanks to mechanical ventilation or a supply door). Warm air “pushed” outwards through leaks can then be seen from the outside and the survey is effective.

Mechanical ventilation refers to forced airflow. It is achieved by using one or more fans. Unlike gravity ventilation, mechanical ventilation is not dependent on the prevailing weather conditions.

Our documentation is hard evidence and has references to current legal requirements. On more than one occasion, TERMOCENT employees have appeared as witnesses.

The most important factor is the stability of temperatures inside and outside the building. The result of a single thermal imaging measurement will be more reliable with a temperature of + 5 °C that has been maintained for several hours than with a temperature of -5 °C if a temperature of -15 °C had been maintained for several hours beforehand.

The most information on heat loss through partitions, thermal bridges, areas at risk of freezing or the formation of mould and mildew can be obtained by examining the building during the heating season with a difference of at least 10 K (°C) between inside and outside.

Not necessarily. We serve all customers regardless of distance. We carry out measurements in each of the dozens of Poland’s largest cities for several days each year. We set the measurement schedule for each city. On days allocated to a particular city, we do not charge a commuting cost within its administrative boundaries. Outside the borders of provincial cities, we calculate the distance from the centre of that city and multiply it by the surcharge amount per kilometre.

Most often, the measurement of a detached house takes between 30 and 50 minutes. For the measurement of a dwelling, we need between 10 and 30 minutes depending on its layout and the surface area of the building envelope.

In the basic report, we combine the thermogram with the optical photograph and describe where it was taken. We identify thermal anomalies and describe the problem. In the extended report, we additionally perform the relevant calculations: the thermal transmittance values for the partitions and the temperature coefficient for thermal bridges. We compare the results with the requirements of the building standards and the applicable Technical Conditions.

Already the basic service in the TERMOCENT standard, the Thermal Imaging Inspection, provides a comprehensive assessment of important parameters affecting the thermal and humidity comfort of the occupants. Among other things, we assess the level of heat loss through the individual building envelopes – walls, windows and roof. We determine the risk of mould and mildew in critical points. We check the tightness of partition joints. We check the quality of manufacture and installation of window and door joinery. All relevant information is compared to the requirements of the technical conditions (regulations, standards, etc.). In this way, actual defects or excessive heat losses are located.

W celu zwiększenia dokładności pomiarów niezbędne jest wcześniejsze, odpowiednie przygotowanie obiektu. Na 4 godziny przed pomiarem nie należy otwierać okien na oścież i uchylnie. Okna mogą zostać rozszczelnione, a nawiewniki okienne (jeżeli dotyczy) otwarte, aby ocenić ich sprawność (nie należy ich zaklejać!). Istotne jest także ustawienie termostatów w stałym położeniu „2”, lecz nie więcej niż „3” lub ustawienie automatyki instalacji CO (centralnego ogrzewania) na jedną stałą temperaturę z przedziału od 19 do 23 stopni Celsjusza na 24 godziny przed pomiarem. W pomieszczeniu nie powinno być więcej niż 23 stopnie Celsjusza i najlepiej nie mniej niż 19 stopni Celsjusza. Na około 2 godziny przed warto zmniejszyć nastawienie grzejników, aby zdążyły się wychłodzić i nie powodowały miejscowego rozgrzania przedmiotów oraz okien nad nimi i w bezpośrednim sąsiedztwie. Dodatkowo, jeżeli badanie ma dotyczyć montażu okien, to na co najmniej 8h przed badaniem konieczne jest odsunięcie zasłon, firanek, żaluzji zarówno wewnętrznych, jak i zewnętrznych oraz zdjęcie wszystkich przedmiotów z parapetów. Jeśli badaniu ma zostać poddana ściana(y) lub narożnik(i) to w miarę możliwości należy odsunąć (na co najmniej 40 cm) meble i przedmioty, zachowując jednocześnie umiar, ponieważ nie jest konieczne odsłonięcie całej ściany – wystarczy jedynie fragment.”