ebuild Blog

With energy audits in demand, stimulus money flowing, and homeowners clamoring for tighter homes that save money, now could be just the right time to invest in the tools that can make testing your homes much easier. One such device that came through our office this week is Fluke Tools’ TiR32 Thermal Imager, an impressive option launching this month.

Like previous iterations, the TiR32 features “IR-Fusion,” which allows users to integrate a digital image with a thermal image, including a picture-in-picture view that makes it simple to identify exactly where problem spots are. On top of existing features, this new model adds what the company claims is the industry’s first 320×240 sensor, which provides a crisp, clear view; optional telephoto and wide-angle lenses can be attached.

Once images are captured on a flash card, the integration of infrared and digital images carries over to the included SmartView reporting software, another difference versus most comparable models, according to the company.

“We’ve take highly complex systems and turn them into very simple, easy-to-use tools,” Lincoln Howell, Fluke’s marketing manager for thermography, told Hanley Wood editors.

Indeed, even I, a person who sits behind a desk all day, found the tool simple and straightforward to use. What’s more, the tool’s rugged design (reps say it will survive a 6 1/2-foot drop) means contractors can carry it with confidence on the jobsite.

Though $9,000 may seem like a hefty sum to drop, Fluke reps claim imagers with comparable resolution can range upwards of $15,000 or more; its ability to find problem areas faster—and to find more of them—than lower priced models also is a key selling point, they say.

Fluke offers an array of training on its Web site, covering both tool use and topics such as thermography and electrical safety, as well as in-person training. The company also has an online forum, Test Tool Talk, with discussions on a range of testing tools and tasks.—Katy Tomasulo<–>