Testing / Infrared Thermography
Switchboard Maintenance and Thermal ImagingBrisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast
Direct answer
Switchboard thermal imaging is an infrared scan of an energised switchboard under load, used to find loose terminations, overloaded phases and failing components by the heat they generate, before they cause an outage or a fire.
Indigi Power and Cooling carries out switchboard maintenance and thermal imaging across Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast, on main switchboards, distribution boards and motor control centres, with a written report showing thermal images, temperature differentials and a severity rating for every finding. Call 1800 046 344.
How it works
Why heat finds faultsthat nothing else does
Electricity flowing through a poor connection generates heat. The worse the connection, the more heat, and the relationship holds long before anything trips, smells or fails. An infrared camera sees that heat through the open board while the load is running.
This is why a scan has to be done energised and under genuine load. A board that has been shut down for the visit shows nothing at all, and a board scanned at 6am on a Sunday with the plant idle shows almost nothing. We scan during normal operation, ideally when the site is near its usual peak, and record the load at the time so the reading can be interpreted and compared next year.
The finding is a temperature differential, not an absolute number. A termination 40 degrees hotter than its neighbours on the same phase carrying the same current is a defect regardless of ambient conditions, and that comparison is what the report is built around.
What else we do
Thermal imaging aloneis only half a service
A scan tells you where the heat is. It does not fix anything, and a thermal report with no follow up is a filing exercise.
A full switchboard maintenance visit adds the physical work: torque checking accessible terminations to specification, inspecting busbars and connections, checking circuit breaker and RCD operation, cleaning out dust, insects and debris, checking enclosure integrity and door seals, verifying labelling and that the board schedule matches the actual circuits, and checking that board ventilation and any cooling is working.
Hot joints found on the scan are rectified during the same visit where they can be isolated safely, or scheduled into an agreed shutdown window where they cannot. The report then shows the before and after, which is what an insurer or auditor is actually looking for.
Frequency
How often a boardshould be scanned
Annually is the standard interval, and it is what most commercial insurance policies expect to see evidence of. For a typical office or retail building, an annual scan of the main switchboard and distribution boards is proportionate.
Six monthly is worth it where the consequence or the risk is higher: boards carrying high or highly variable load, motor control centres on production plant, boards in hot, dusty or corrosive environments, coastal sites where salt accelerates corrosion on terminations, and any board feeding equipment that cannot afford an outage.
After a board has been worked on, a follow up scan is worth doing at the next load peak. A termination that was disturbed and not torqued correctly is a new fault, and finding it three months later is considerably better than finding it in year two.
Coverage
Where we workSouth East Queensland
Thermal imaging and switchboard maintenance is delivered across the South East Queensland corridor.
Brisbane and inner suburbs
Brisbane CBD, Fortitude Valley, Newstead, Woolloongabba, Milton, Tingalpa, Murarrie, Eagle Farm, Northgate, Port of Brisbane
Our Tingalpa workshop sits inside the Australia TradeCoast corridor, so most of the eastern and southern industrial belt is a short run.
Ipswich and the Western Corridor
Ipswich CBD, Booval, Bundamba, Redbank, Goodna, Springfield, Swanbank, Amberley, Rosewood, Willowbank
Manufacturing, logistics and defence support. Growing fast and thinly served by specialist maintenance contractors.
Gold Coast and Yatala
Southport, Bundall, Robina, Varsity Lakes, Burleigh, Nerang, Molendinar, Yatala, Ormeau, Coomera
Salt air and humidity shorten service intervals on coastal plant, particularly condenser coils and outdoor switchgear.
Logan, Redlands and Bayside
Logan Central, Meadowbrook, Crestmead, Slacks Creek, Berrinba, Capalaba, Cleveland, Wynnum, Manly
Warehousing, cold storage and aged care. Sits between our Brisbane and Gold Coast runs, which keeps scheduled visits efficient.
Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast
North Lakes, Brendale, Strathpine, Caboolture, Narangba, Caloundra, Maroochydore, Kawana, Noosa
Run on a scheduled route rather than ad hoc, which keeps travel out of the price. Best suited to quarterly or six monthly cycles.
Toowoomba and the Darling Downs
Toowoomba CBD, Wilsonton, Torrington, Charlton, Oakey, Dalby, Warwick, Gatton
Agricultural processing, transport depots and regional health. Combining trades on one visit is what makes the travel work.
Questions
Switchboard maintenance and thermal imagingfrequently asked
How often should a switchboard be thermal imaged?
Annually is the standard interval and is what most commercial insurance policies expect. Six monthly is worth it for boards carrying high or variable load, motor control centres on production plant, boards in hot, dusty, corrosive or coastal environments, and boards feeding equipment that cannot afford an outage. A follow up scan after any board work is also worthwhile, because a disturbed termination that was not torqued correctly is a new fault.
Does the switchboard need to be turned off for thermal imaging?
No, and it must not be. Thermal imaging only works on an energised board carrying load, because the fault is found by the heat that current generates through a poor connection. A board that has been shut down shows nothing. We scan during normal operation, ideally near the site's usual load peak, and record the load at the time so the results can be compared year to year.
What faults does thermal imaging actually find?
Loose or corroded terminations, overloaded or unbalanced phases, failing circuit breakers and contactors, undersized or damaged conductors, poor busbar connections, and overloaded circuits generally. These are faults that generate heat long before they generate a trip, a smell or a failure, which is why they are invisible to a visual inspection and to the protection devices themselves.
What does switchboard maintenance include beyond the scan?
Torque checking accessible terminations to specification, inspecting busbars and connections, checking circuit breaker and residual current device operation, cleaning dust, insects and debris from the enclosure, checking enclosure integrity and seals, verifying labelling and that the schedule matches the installed circuits, and confirming board ventilation or cooling is working. Hot joints found on the scan are rectified in the same visit where they can be isolated safely.
Will my insurer accept the report?
The report is written for that purpose. It includes thermal images with matching visual images, measured temperature differentials, the load at the time of scan, a severity rating for each finding, and the rectification status. If your insurer has a specific format or reporting requirement, tell us before the visit and we will work to it.
Do you scan motor control centres and industrial boards?
Yes. MCCs, starter panels, industrial distribution boards and busways are all scanned under load. On industrial sites this is usually the highest value item in the program, because a hot contactor in an MCC takes production with it when it lets go, and it is exactly the kind of fault that gives plenty of thermal warning first.
Keep reading
Relatedservices
Next step
Book a thermal scanof your boards
Tell us how many boards you have, where they are, and when the site is closest to its normal load peak. Scanning at the right time is most of what makes the report worth having.
Indigi Power and Cooling is an Indigenous and Veteran owned business, Supply Nation and ICN Gateway registered for government, defence and enterprise procurement. Head office 10/240 New Cleveland Road, Tingalpa QLD 4173. Call 1800 046 344.
Contact Indigi Power and Cooling →Partner with Us
Reliable Power & Cooling Solutions from Indigi Power & Cooling Expert supply, installation, and contracting services for critical infrastructure across Australia.