The Best Thermal Camera For Home Inspectors (2023)

The best thermal camera for a home inspectors in 2021 is hands down the SeekShot pro. If you want to take my word for it, just buy it. You won’t regret it. If you need more evidence keep reading.

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Why is Thermal Imaging Important For Home Inspections?

We all know home inspectors perform limited visual inspections. We are only required to observe things visible by the human eye. Thermal images however can show us things we would not have seen before such as:

  • hot spots in an electrical panel which could potentially indicate electrical problems
  • Temperature differences in the ceiling which could indicate missing insulation, energy loss and air leaks
  • Cold spots on walls and ceilings which could indicate leaks and water damage
  • Hot Spots or Cold Spots with the HVAC system which could alert us to issues with these systems
  • You could see the heat signature of termites, or other pests hidden in the wall

Based on the InterNational Association of Certified Home Inspections (InterNACHI), home inspectors are not required to observed, or report on these issues. That being said, providing a higher quality of service will reduce liability, increase inspections, increase inspections, and increase average inspection fee.

What Should Home Inspectors Consider When Choosing a Thermal Camera?

  1. The resolution of the thermal sensor. Lower resolution sensors produce low quality image quality. Higher thermal resolution produces high quality clear pictures that are easier to analyze.
  2. The minimum IR resolution for professional use is 320×240. Anything lower could be for personal use.
  3. Temperature Range – You’ll want to make sure the camera you choose has a wide temperature range. Look at the minimum and maximum temperatures and make sure they’re within the range for your application. Home Inspectors don’t come across the high temperatures of industrial applications for example.
  4. Thermal Sensitivity -Cameras with lower sensitivity provide better resolution and more accurate results.
  5. Advanced features – Home inspection reports are the bread and butter of our service. Advanced features such as an ir image blended with visual light digital images produces an easy to understand image for customers. Wifi Streaming is also crucial for home inspectors. We need to be able to quickly get our images into the report.

Why the SeekShot Pro is The Best Thermal Imaging Camera For Home Inspectors

  1. It has a 320×240 thermal sensor. This is more than enough for home inspection purposes, and at a fraction of the cost of other cameras in its class.
  2. Wifi-Streaming – With this feature you can connect the camera to mobile phones. This allows you to see the images real time, and also transfer any images directly to your phone. You can then easily add the photos to your reports.
  3. Seek Fusion – This is similar to flir msx technology. The SeekShot Pro has a visible light camera and the thermal camera. You can fuse your images together easily which really makes for clear images. You can adjust the blend to include more, or less of the thermal energy.
  4. 8 Different color palettes – The SeekShot Pro has 8 different color palettes for more in depth inspections and analyzing.
  5. 4 Hour Battery Life – IT comes with a rechargeable battery, but its 4 hour battery life means you should be able to get through a full day of inspecting without recharging it.
  6. Compact size – Its compact, and rugged to withstand the rigors of attics and crawl spaces.

Here are several images that I took with the SeekShot Pro

These images are not edited or altered in any way. These images are superior to images I have taken with my flir e8 which was about 5 times more expensive.

thermal imaging can be used to inspect hvac components
thermal imaging can be used to inspect hvac components
thermal imaging can be used to inspect for pest activity
thermal imaging can be used to inspect for pest activity
thermal imaging cameras can be used to inspect for missing insulation
thermal imaging cameras can be used to inspect for missing insulation
thermal cameras can be used to inspect appliances
thermal cameras can be used to inspect appliances
thermal imagers can be used on home inspections to find defects
thermal imagers can be used on home inspections to find defects
to demonstrate the quality of the thermal imager
to demonstrate the quality of the thermal imager

You Could Consider the Seek Thermal CompactPro

If you are more interested in a device that connects directly to your phone, the seek thermal compact pro is way to go. It has the same resolution, but it does not have the Seek Fusion. You can use it on a ios device, as well as an android device. It’s almost too small size makes it easy to lose, but its still the best thermal imaging camera that connects to a phone. The Flir One Pro is more expensive with half the resolution. The Flir One pro also does not use the battery of your phone, meaning you have to recharge it.

The seekShot Pro is only a couple hundred more and is really your best option for a high quality, high resolution, affordable IR camera.

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