Potton Town Council has two thermal image cameras for loan to Potton residents, one iOS and one Android.

What is thermal imaging?
Thermal imaging can vividly reveal where your home is leaking heat. The cameras are sensitive to infra-red and make ‘temperature map’ images . This can show problems with insulation, draughts, damp and more – useful in older homes, but also for revealing defects in new-builds.

The images are easiest to decipher when it’s at least 10°C warmer inside than out. This is usually a winter activity from November to the end of March, when the temperature difference between the outside and inside are at their most extreme. If the weather is mild, the camera can still be used, as long as the heating is put up very high and turned on for several hours before surveying.

Some of the problems shown are easy for householders to fix, like draught-proofing, and some, like faulty insulation, may need professional help. Significant improvements in comfort, energy bills and carbon emissions are often made as a result.

How do they work?
The cameras, purchased from FLIR systems, are super easy to use. You simply plug them into a mobile phone, which then hooks the camera up to an app that reveals the exact spots in your home where you’re losing heat. You’ll need a Smartphone that is either iOS or an Android with a USB-C port (the cameras do not work with adapters).

From inside your home, darker, cooler spots show where cool air is coming in.

From outside your home, reds, whites, and warmer colours show where heat is leaking out.

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Click here to download the Potton Town Council Camera Loan Agreement.

Click here to download the Getting Started FLIR ONE Series Manual.

Click here to download the FLIR ONE series User’s Manual.