Phoenix Area Service
FLIR Thermal Imaging for HVAC Inspections
FLIR thermal imaging cameras are a useful tool for HVAC inspections. CTS Air Conditioning uses FLIR thermal imaging to help diagnose issues with your home and HVAC system.
FLIR thermal imaging for HVAC inspections
Thermal imaging can reveal bad door seals, poor insulation, inefficient windows, duct issues, and HVAC equipment problems that make your air conditioner work harder to maintain your home's temperature.
- HVAC equipment thermal imaging inspections
- Electrical and mechanical component heat checks
- Air duct thermal imaging for leaks and insulation problems
- Window, door, and weatherstripping heat-loss checks
- Wall, ceiling, attic, and insulation thermal imaging
- Residential and commercial HVAC thermal imaging
Local service
CTS handles urgent AC repair, AC replacement, commercial HVAC, maintenance, water heaters, and related service across the Phoenix area.
480-696-5033
HVAC problems are easier to understand when you can see the temperature pattern
HVAC equipment problems can often be seen with thermal imaging. As components inside an air conditioner start to wear out, they can run hotter than normal. This increase in temperature can be detected with a FLIR thermal imaging camera and used with normal HVAC testing to identify components that may be at risk of failing.
Phoenix-area HVAC service
CTS works on residential equipment, rooftops, installs, and troubleshooting calls in Arizona conditions.
Serving Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, Surprise, Cave Creek, Queen Creek, Maricopa, and nearby communities.
Thermal Imaging for HVAC Inspections
Thermal imaging for HVAC inspections
Your HVAC system needs to be well maintained to provide long-term comfort and air quality to your home. Like any mechanical system, eventually your air conditioner will break down. HVAC equipment that has to run longer and harder due to air leaks in ducting, poor insulation, or bad installation details breaks down more often.
Large electricity bills are also likely when AC equipment has a greater workload. Thermal imaging done during an HVAC inspection is a useful way to catch these problems and address them before they cost more money.
Thermal imaging can give you a better understanding of your home’s insulation and identify damaged weather seals. Missing insulation, air leaks around windows and doors, and leaking air ducts are easy to spot with a FLIR camera.
Some of the thermal inspection services CTS provides
- Interior walls and ceilings
- Exterior walls
- Attic areas
- Air ducts and registers
- Windows and doors
- HVAC equipment
HVAC Thermal Imaging
HVAC thermal imaging
A thermal image of your heating and air conditioning system allows you to see areas that are hotter or colder than surrounding areas. The health of the electrical and mechanical components of your HVAC system is related to the temperature of its components.
Electrical thermal imaging on air conditioning systems
Components such as motors, circuit boards, and other electrical parts will heat up as they begin to fail. Hot circuits and motors can be signs of electrical shorting. Capacitors are sensitive to overheating, and running your HVAC system too long can cause them to electrically overheat.
Contactors that have dirty or pitted contacts can chatter and heat up. Eventually they can fry wires and burn up if they are not replaced in time.
Mechanical thermal imaging on air conditioning systems
Bearings and compressors will heat up as they fail. A failing bearing has more friction than a good one, and heat builds up in the bearing as it turns. When failing bearings are inspected with FLIR, they can glow bright white and show a problem with overheating.
Compressors that are failing or low on refrigerant can also get hot. When an HVAC system is undercharged with refrigerant, the thermostatic expansion valve cannot regulate superheat correctly. This can starve the evaporator of refrigerant and return refrigerant to the compressor that is too hot. The cycle repeats, and the heat of compression raises the compressor temperature. The compressor can burn up and fail if the proper amount of refrigerant is not added back into the system.
Air Duct Thermal Imaging
Air duct thermal imaging
Problems with your HVAC system’s air ducts will show quickly in a thermal image. Issues such as poor insulation, air leaks in ducting, and blockages inside air ducts are much easier to identify and repair. Many homes lose huge amounts of energy and have high power bills due to problems with air ducts.
Thermal imaging to find poor insulation on air ducts
A thermal imaging camera can find the infrared radiation signature from a poorly insulated air duct. Air ducts have a large amount of surface area, and insufficient insulation can allow a large amount of heating or cooling to be wasted. It is important that all air ducts be properly insulated.
Thermal imaging to find air leaks in ducting
Air ducts that have holes or are improperly connected can leak air before it reaches the registers in your home. Air leaks in ducting create a major inefficiency with your HVAC system. Poorly sealed registers and ducts are another common point for air leaks. A thermal scan of your home’s air ducts is a useful way to check for these problems.
Thermal imaging to locate blockages in air ducts
Inadequate airflow from your HVAC system’s air ducts can point to a poorly designed ventilation system or a blockage. Locating blockages in air ducts with thermal imaging is one way to find the obstruction. Ducting can also be crushed or have dampers installed that restrict airflow too much.
Doors and Windows
Thermal imaging of doors and windows
A common place to find heating and cooling losses in your home is the windows and doors. Bad weatherstripping, seals, and thresholds allow large amounts of air to get inside and move the temperature away from comfortable levels. Single pane windows may also allow heating or cooling to escape.
Thermal imaging to find bad weatherstripping
When weatherstripping ages, it may become compressed and no longer seal your home. Tears and other damage can leave gaps between inside and outside air. A FLIR thermal camera can spot this, and if there is a problem, CTS can replace the weatherstrip around your door jamb and header so you have a good seal again.
Thermal imaging to find inefficient windows
If you live in an older home, you may have single pane glass windows. A thermal scan can help determine whether replacing single pane windows with double pane windows might be worthwhile. Double pane windows are much better at reducing thermal transfer between the interior and exterior of your home, but window replacement can be expensive. A quality thermal image can show how significant thermal losses through your windows are and help you make an informed decision.
Walls and Ceilings
Thermal imaging walls and ceilings
Insulation in your attic and walls creates a thermal barrier to help keep your home at the desired temperature. Thermal inspection can reveal areas where insulation is too thin or completely missing. This can lead to expensive energy bills because your air conditioner or heater has to work harder.
You can also experience uneven heating and cooling throughout your house. Some rooms may be at the desired temperature while others are too hot or too cold. To fix these problems, the thermal barrier in your attic or wall may need to be repaired. CTS Air Conditioning can add insulation in your attic if it is necessary.
Airflow
Airflow Patterns
Thermal imaging can help show how conditioned air moves through a room. FLIR thermal imaging during an HVAC inspection reveals cooler and warmer areas that can appear as visible patterns on walls, ceilings, registers, and nearby surfaces. These thermal patterns can help identify whether supply air is reaching the space, whether air is spreading evenly, and can show how rooms are affected by the HVAC system.
This can be useful when you have hot rooms, uneven cooling, weak airflow, duct performance concerns, or comfort problems that are hard to explain with a normal visual inspection. A thermal image does not replace standard HVAC testing, but it gives another diagnostic tool to compare airflow, duct temperature, register output, insulation conditions, and room comfort. In Phoenix-area homes, where AC systems run hard for much of the year, seeing airflow patterns can help narrow down whether the problem is airflow, ductwork, insulation, equipment performance, or a combination of issues.
FLIR Video
Thermal imaging and HVAC diagnostics
This video shows how thermal imaging can make temperature differences visible. On an HVAC call, those heat patterns can point to duct losses, insulation gaps, door and window leakage, electrical heat, or equipment problems that need a closer look.
Thermal Image Findings
What FLIR images can reveal
Thermal images can show temperature differences around ductwork, doors, windows, ceilings, insulation, and HVAC equipment. CTS uses those patterns with normal HVAC testing to narrow down comfort and efficiency problems.
Duct temperature loss
A thermal image can show where duct temperature changes point to leakage, missing insulation, or conditioned air being lost before it reaches the room.
Door and window leaks
Temperature changes around a door, threshold, or window can show where outside heat is getting into your home.
Missing insulation
Ceiling and wall temperature patterns can reveal areas where insulation is thin, missing, or allowing heat into the living space.
CTS Air Conditioning’s thermal imaging service
CTS Air Conditioning serves the residential and commercial HVAC needs of Phoenix, Arizona and Maricopa County. The CTS team uses FLIR thermal imaging camera technology to help diagnose HVAC issues more clearly and reliably.
A leaky duct could be costing you more in energy costs. Thermal imaging can help you understand your home’s thermal signature, identify heating and cooling inefficiency, and decide what repair makes sense.
Call CTS Air Conditioning at 480-696-5033 for FLIR thermal imaging and HVAC diagnostics.
FLIR thermal imaging can help with
- Hot rooms and uneven cooling
- Air duct leaks and restrictions
- Poor insulation and attic heat gain
- Bad door seals and weatherstripping
- HVAC equipment and electrical heat
- Residential and commercial comfort complaints
FLIR diagnostic FAQs
Answers about repair, replacement, maintenance, and service.
Does FLIR thermal imaging diagnose the whole AC system?
No. FLIR thermal imaging is a visual diagnostic tool. CTS still checks airflow, electrical components, refrigerant readings, equipment operation, and the actual HVAC problem.
Can FLIR thermal imaging help with one hot room?
Yes. Thermal imaging can help show temperature differences around vents, ducts, ceilings, walls, windows, and doors.
Can FLIR imaging find duct leaks or missing insulation?
It can help show temperature patterns that point toward duct leakage, poor duct insulation, missing attic insulation, and air leaks around your home.
Is FLIR thermal imaging useful for commercial HVAC?
Yes. Thermal imaging can help document comfort complaints, rooftop-unit performance, duct concerns, and tenant or business-space temperature issues.
Licensed Local HVAC Service
Licensed, Bonded, and Insured
Certified Technical Services, known as CTS Air Conditioning, is a local, veteran-owned HVAC and plumbing contractor. The company is licensed, bonded, and insured and has served Phoenix area homes and businesses since 2001.
Licensed for HVAC
HVAC license: ROC 328467. Licensed residential and commercial HVAC service for repair, replacement, and installation work.
Licensed for plumbing
Plumbing license: ROC 341767. Licensed residential and commercial plumbing for water heaters, fixtures, piping, drains, and related work.
Experienced HVAC service
Hands-on HVAC repair and installation experience on homes, commercial rooftops, package units, and water heater calls.
Technical terms on this page
The links below explain common HVAC terms referenced on this page. Each definition is written to help identify the part, measurement, or system condition.
Air Conditioner | Airflow | Capacitor | Compressor | Contactor | Damper | Duct Leakage | Ductwork | Expansion Valve | HVAC | Register | Refrigerant | Superheat
Call CTS Air Conditioning
CTS handles AC repair, HVAC service, replacement, maintenance, water heaters, and other plumbing across the Phoenix area.
480-696-5033